From: Scott *****
Subject: Form Submission

Passed (preliminary) my exam yesterday, 1/8/24. Thank you for providing this program!

From: J. G.
Subject: Thank You!

Hello, David and team,

I am pleased to tell you that I took the Patent Bar Registration exam earlier this week on Tuesday, June 27th, and received an unofficial pass. I relied almost entirely on your "Study Materials" and practice questions - what you provided in your course was more than adequate for me to find all the tested topics familiar and all the question formats easily recognizable.

As far as the testing experience, I personally relied HEAVILY on memorization rather than searching because, in general, my memory serves me well and my computer technology skills are not the greatest. This ended up working in my favor because at the test center, the MPEP search tool was mostly dysfunctional for me. When I tried to pull up a chapter or section, it would briefly flash on the screen and then disappear. Out of about 10 questions that I wanted to look up in the MPEP, I only was successful for 2. However, because I had memorized so much, I decided not to break my concentration by calling tech support. The people at the center were very helpful, though, so I am sure they could have been approached to try and resolve this issue.

Anyhow, I want to thank you for a course that is well put together and is reasonably priced. Wishing you all a good weekend,

J. G.

[We asked permission to post this testimonial, J. G. replied:]

Thanks, John! Please feel free to post as "J. G." 😊

I'd like to also add that I really appreciated you providing the lectures in both audio and visual format. I am more visual than audio, so it was great to have that option. I cannot emphasize enough that going over your materials, exactly in the order you suggested, was a recipe for success. You may pace yourself slower or faster, as desired, but following the progression you suggest works very well. I will definitely recommend your course to others!

From: Evan *****
Subject: Form Submission

Good Morning,

I passed the exam on 01/13/2022 and received my registration number the other day!! I am glad I picked this course and thank you for your support.

Best Wishes,

Evan *****

[We asked permission to post this testimonial, Evan replied:]

Sure! No problem. I recommended your course to a fellow law school classmate too.

From: Mui *****
Subject: Thank You

Dear Mr. Meeks,

First, I wanted to report that I passed the patent bar exam last week on my first attempt. I credit your review course for providing excellent, targeted materials to focus my studies. This was especially important for me, since I work full time and needed my preparation to be highly efficient. The summaries and exam-taking practice really honed my learning and test-taking process, proving invaluable to me. Since the MPEP is (I think) about 3,000 pages long, the summaries allowed me to print a lot less than 3,000 pages and mark up the content for my review. I took both practice exams 4 times, which allowed me to review the areas of my wrong answers multiple times, increase my endurance, reduce my test-taking time, and develop and practice my strategy until it became almost 2nd nature. On my first iteration, I was getting scores in the mid- to high-60s and taking at least 2.5 hours to complete each half exam. On the 4th iteration, I was getting scores in the low- to mid-90s and taking about 75 minutes (or less) to complete each half exam. Moreover, I took both full practice exams over a 6-hour period on a Saturday. From start to finish, my preparation took about 10 weeks.

Second, I wanted to share my experience with the exam. I did find the exam to be significantly more difficult than the practice exams. The fact patterns in the questions were on average longer, making the potential answer options longer, and there were more questions with these long fact patterns as compared to the practice exams. That being said, I completed each half exam in about 2 hours, leaving about an hour to review my marked questions.

Last, I would like to offer potential suggestions to other test takers. I strongly suggest getting to know examination (chapter 0700) and patentability (chapter 2100) really, really well. After receiving my approval letter to register, I scheduled my exam on a Monday and took 2 days off from work before the exam, allowing 4 days (with the weekend) to rest, practice, and have some recreation before exam day. The two weeks prior to exam day was focused on practice with review. On exam day, my primary strategy was this: before reading each question, I listed the question number, followed by A, B, C, D, and E, on my scratch paper. After reading the fact pattern, I would note whether it was a negative question (meaning there was a “not”, “never”, “improper”, etc. in the call) next to the question number. Then, I would cross out answer options that I knew were not correct and underline “maybe” or “yes” options. Next, I would circle my answer choice and select it on the exam. Finally, if I wanted to revisit the question, I would make very short notes on my scratch paper (5 words or less) and mark the question before moving on. I avoided lingering long on any one question and made sure all questions were answered before going back. Some questions just need a 2nd read. During the 1-hour break, I had my lunch, took a little cat nap, and went for a short walk to rejuvenate a little. I do wish I hadn’t consumed so much caffeine that day, though.

Thank you again for making such well-developed materials. I especially enjoyed the videos where you lectured on big-picture, overview of topics. I wished there were more of those. If asked, I will recommend your program without hesitation.

Take care,
Mui

From: Dawson *****
Subject: Form Submission

Hello, I just wanted to let you know that I sat for the Patent Bar on August 20th and the preliminary test results show that I passed. Thank you for this course, it was essential for allowing me to receive a passing grade.

-Dawson *****

From: Anna *****
Subject: Question

Hello,

Thank you for your course. It was very helpful in passing the Patent Bar. I passed in March and recently received my agent registration number.

I’m wondering, do you have any recommendations on how I should add passing the exam to my resume? And should I include my registration number?

Best,
Anna *****

From: Paul *****
Subject: Reply to Form Submission

Hi there,
Just wanted to let you know I passed my exam yesterday, thanks to PatBar. I am very thankful, the questions in your modules helped me to develop a good search strategy, and I found the search strategy to be very important to passing. I didn’t pass on the first try but with just another month of study relying on your materials I was able to get over the hump.
Thanks!
-Paul

From: Christopher *****
Subject: Form Submission

This isn't really a question so much as it is a comment/testimonial for this program.

I took the registration exam yesterday (June 10, 2020) and passed the exam on my first attempt. The lectures, practice questions, and exam simulation suite were all of immense help in preparing for the exam. When I sat down at the testing center I felt completely prepared for the exam, and I was not surprised or overwhelmed by the questions or MPEP searching features.

The practice questions and simulation suite were of critical importance, and I cannot stress enough how helpful they are to anyone who wants to take the registration exam. I did note that the questions seemed to primarily focus on AIA rather than Pre-AIA topics and dates.

I can strongly recommend this program to anyone who wants to pass the registration exam on their first attempt.

-Chris

From: Jonathan *****
To: director@patbar.com
Subject: patent bar result

Dave,

I passed the patent bar this past Saturday. I am so happy. thanks for your help and support. Your program is fantastic.

Having the old exams and practicing with them online is priceless. Thanks again. This definitely puts my career path on a much different path.

Feel free to use this e-mail as a testimonial!

Take care,

Jonathan *****

Northeastern Law School

From: S*****
Subject: Thank You!

Mr. Meeks:

I am so very proud to announce that I passed the Patent Bar today on my very first attempt!!!! 

Your materials were instrumental in my success for two reasons: 1) The materials are precisely condensed to focus on parts of the MPEP that will most likely be tested and 2) the test taking software really allowed me to sharpen my test taking skills. I reviewed the materials and took the simulated exams multiple times. I am living proof that with the tools you provide and some dedication, it can be done.

The flash cards were very handy as well. All those CFRs can become unwieldy - and the flash cards really kept things nice and organized. 

Also, thank you for updating my expired materials without requiring me to repurchase the entire package. That helped me out tremendously.

Keep up the good work!

S*****

From: J*****
Subject: Re: Prior PTO exam questions

Dear David,

It is my pleasure to share with you the good news that I passed the PTO exam last week. I would like to let you know that I really appreciate the materials you developed, as well as the timely response you provided for my questions. Thanks again.

Best rgeards,

J*****

From: J*****
Subject: Thank You!

Dear David,

Thank you for saving me a lot of money and for helping me to pass the Patent Bar exam. I passed on my first try.

I’m sure there are many different ways to use the Patbar.com materials. In my case, I listened to all of the lectures in the car on the way to and from work, and used only the ‘post-course curriculum’ as a reference when going through the practice questions. That took about two months, as I was working full-time as an attorney. With about two weeks left before the exam, I concentrated on the online practice exams. Learning how to navigate the electronic MPEP to find answers to exam questions was extremely useful.

Kindest regards,

J*****

From: Matthew *****
Subject: Thank you!

Mr. Meeks,

I wanted to write a note of gratitude for your course--the Flash cards were especially helpful

I passed on my first attempt!

Best,
Matt

From: Ron *****
Subject: Re: Patent Bar

David:

I am writing to say thanks for answering all of my many questions relating to the patent bar study. I passed the exam thanks to your thorough course and advice on searching the MPEP. 

Sincerely,
Ron *****

From: Paul *****
Subject: RE: Test

Hi David

Well, third time’s the charm, after all. I passed the test today. Thank you for all of your help in answering my questions, and for making the course available. The material really helped.

Paul

---

Thanks, David. I took the test a second time on May 11. Studied more and did worse (65). I plan to take it again before Oct. 17. Maybe third time’s the charm. Wish me luck.

Paul 

From: Eric *****
Subject: Thank you!

Dear David,

I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar on my first attempt and I cannot thank you more. I attend school part-time in the evenings and work full-time in drug research, so my time is obviously at a premium. Because your course is separated into manageable segments, I could study at my own pace and when time permitted. I passed only a couple of weeks ago and have already been contacted by potential employers. Thank you again for your program. 

Sincerely,
Eric *****

From: Caroline *****
Subject: Re: Important Notice

Hi David-

I just wanted to let you know that I passed the exam on Saturday. Yea!

And now I have one last question for you - how should I list this on resume? 

Thanks for everything-

Sincerely,
Caroline *****

p.s. let me know if you’d like more details on my study habits for you notes

From: Chuck *****
Subject: I Passed!

I passed! I know you get these e-mails all the time, but I wanted to send one anyway. First, thank you for responding to my questions. I know of other programs where help is not so forthcoming. I really felt like I got my money’s worth from your program.

Second, the practice questions and exam software you provided made the difference. In fact, I recognized some questions on the test and automatically knew the correct answer, which saved time. However, the exam software was really key to passing. Your explanations that included the appropriate MPEP/CFR/USC section helped me learn which search terms to use to find the appropriate rule/law. By the time I took the exam, I knew exactly where to look and which search terms to use.

Glad it’s over! Now I can concentrate on finishing law school.

All the best,
--Chuck *****

From: Scott *****
Subject: Patent Bar

Mr. Meeks,

I am excited to let you know I passed the Patent Bar today on my first try. I have studied the PatBar manuals consistently since January 7th. There were several questions from the practice exams in the PatBar materials that were on the actual exam.

As I suspected, there were several questions regarding PCT practices in chapter 1800. There were also an increased number of questions relating to Reexamination proceedings (this was a surprise to me).

Thank you for being so prompt to respond to the questions I had while I have been preparing for this exam. I’m relieved I only had to go through this once.

Sincerely,
Scott ***** 

From: Tuvia *****
Subject: good news

Dear Mr. Meeks,

Thank you so much for an excellent program. I just passed the patent bar on my first try today! I apologize for the barrage of questions that I threw at you in those last frenzied hours prior to the exam.

Tuvia

From: Seth *****
Subject: Re: How To Proceed In the Next 2 Weeks

Hey Dave

I just wanted to let you know that I took the uspto exam on August 4th and I passed on my first try. I wanted to thank you personally as I thought your self study course was the key to my success.

Thanks again and best wishes.

Seth *****

1L

Univ of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law

From: Gregory *****
Subject: thank you

Mr. Meeks,

I’m writing to share good news. I passed the patent bar exam on my first try, using your kit as my study guide. I bought your kit in November. We spoke briefly on the phone at that time. I appreciate that advice you gave me regarding taking my time to learn the material and to learn it well. The winter and spring were more hectic than I expected, with work and family obligations, but I consistently made time to study. With concentrated effort in studying and taking practice exams in June and July, I passed the computer based exam on July 29 without a problem. I enjoyed your course. I found two things most useful, the focused study guide and the numerous practice problems. I’ll be starting law school in the fall, and will be glad to know that I’ve already taken care of the USPTO registration process. Thank you.

Gregory *****

From: Kahlil *****
Subject: I passed!

Hi David,

I just received my notice from the USPTO, and I passed the exam! I just wanted to thank you for all of your help and giving me the materials I needed to pass the first time. I found the explanations of the MPEP in the core curriculum in addition to the in-depth MPEP to be a tremendous help. With that, your availability via email for further explanation of the material was instrumental in solidifying the concepts for me and something that I didn’t even expect from a home study course. Most of all, the exam simulation suite was phenomenal. It really helped me prepare for true exam conditions so that when I went in for the real thing, there were no surprises. With such great results, I can’t see why someone would spend three times the cost on another course. 

Thank you for the tools to help me accomplish this task. 

Kahlil *****

From: Art *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

David,

I just received my letter from the USPTO informing me that I passed the examination that I took on May 24th. I certainly could not have done this without your training program. It was indispensible, especially the exam simulator. It helped me prepare for the physical side of the exam (e.g. 2 X 3 hours of staring at a screen), as well as mastering the electronic format MPEP. Also, your modular approach was just what I needed as that put the material into pieces small enough that you could study them carefully and then do matching exam questions to test your understanding.

Thanks again

Arthur *****

Patent Associate

Office of Technolgy Commercialization

***** Institute

From: Thomas *****
Subject: Passing Grade

Mr. Meeks,

Thank you for you wonderful course. I only had a basic knowledge of patents, yet I had no trouble passing the Agency exam on my first try. Now, if I only had the same success with the LSAT.

Thanks

Tom

From: Scott *****
Subject: I Passed First Time!

David,

I am pleased to let you know that I passed the Patent Registration Exam the first time I took the test! There is no doubt in my mind that my success was entirely due to your comprehensive preparation. I especially liked your exam simulator - the real test was just like my study sessions. I cannot imagine a more efficient use of my time and money to obtain this important credential.

Thank you,

Scott *****

Technical Marketing Manager

Intel Corp.

From: John *****
Subject: Thank-you Mr. Meeks

I received notice last night that I passed the exam. I am very happy. I consider your course to be the best course out there. Thank-you.

Sincerely,

J.*.*.

From: Grant *****
Subject: RE: Patent Bar Results

Mr. Meeks, I was going to send you all a separate email but ran out of time last night.

Thank you for your help along the way. Probably the most benficial part of the whole program was the Exam Simuation Suite. It was a very good tool in getting preparing in the few weeks leading up to the exam.

Additionally, it was always nice to be able to drop you an email when I had a question and receive a quick email with a very useful response.

Of course I am curious to see exactly how I did. Is there any way to find out the results? I know it doesn’t matter, just my curiousty.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Grant *****

From: Eric *****
Subject: Success!

Dear Mr. Meeks,

I am extremely pleased to report to you that I passed the patent bar. Your materials and study program layout were top notch and a perfect match for the nature of the examination and its testing methods. I sincerely appreciate all the work that you put into making such an effective preparation program, and I’m pleased to be able to share this good news with you. The Exam Simulation Suite was absolutely great, and gave me the chance to get used to the kind of environment used on the exam. I am finishing law school in the next month, and I have a real new sense of confidence in my future employment prospects and among my peers. If anyone asks me who I used for the patent bar, I say it proudly: Patbar.com . My sincere thanks to you for your help in preparing for and passing this examination.

Best Regards,

Eric *****

From: Grant *****
Subject: Patent Bar Results

Hi everyone, you all seemed interested in the results of the patent bar I took in early April, so here you go. I passed! AMEN!!! Now I get to study for finals. Hopefully this will help me find a job, key word “hopefully”, nothing else seems to work. 

Anyway, hope you all are well. Take care.

Grant--

From: Michael *****
Subject: Patent Bar

Mr. Meeks,

I just thought I would inform you that I have passed the patent bar using only your study materials.

I wanted to take this time to thank you for all of your emails since I started studying. I will recommend your program to anyone that asks me for advice on the subject.

Have a great day!

Mike *****

From: Kyle *****
Subject: Another Patbar.com Success Story

Mr. Meeks-

Although I only had a couple of opportunities to talk to you directly over the phone during the course of my participation in your Patbar home study program, I wanted to thank you again and let you know that you have yet another success story to add to your testimonials- I took the patent bar through Prometric in November and just yesterday received the glorious news that I passed!

I am currently a first year law student and began preparing with your course only weeks after completing my undergrad degree in electrical engineering. Despite knowing next to nothing about patent law or law in general and armed only with your materials, I was nonetheless able to put myself in position to sit for the patent bar with confidence and pass! Thank you!

The Exam Simulation Suite was especially helpful- dead on! Your program is worth every penny!

Kyle

From: David *****
Subject: Exam Result

Greetings,

A note to let you know I took the exam in September and passed. I doubt I would have done so well without your home study course. And now I am an official patent agent. Thanks for all your help and patience! My friends and family are all very proud and my former co-workers who are still software engineers are impressed. I think they sense the authenticity of the career change and the discipline involved in doing it.

Now to find steady employment...

Some day maybe in 10 years I’ll go to law school.

-D*

From: Walter *****
Subject: Re: Patent Bar Exam

David,

I have wonderful news!

I did take the exam on 8/20, and as of our last communication I was passing in the simulator, and I did pass the actual exam! I just got my results back, and I have no idea by what margin I passed, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me through this. I have already received a whole slew of letters from placement firms. Additionally, my professor gave me a look when I told him, followed by a “that’s impressive, it is difficult to pass on the first try.” The few students at school that had already passed were welcoming, as though I had joined their group. Also the students that I know that want to take the patent bar look at me differently now.

The exam simulation suite was probably the most important of all of the elements of the course. I keep a copy of the MPEP on my computer now for my patent course that I’m currently taking (I’m a 2-L now). I found it to be an incredibly useful resource.

I am now starting my job search for next spring/summer.If you have any advice for students that have no experience in prosecution, but have passed the bar, I would appreciate any advice you could proffer.

And again, thank you so much for helping me through this.

-Walter

Subject: Patent Bar Results

Greetings Mr. Meeks,

Just thought you might like to know that I received a passing score on the Registration Exam.

Thanks for the course.

And thanks for being accessible to answer all my questions.

Gilbert J. *****

Subject: Passed Prometric Computer Exam

You may use the following email as a testimonial if you would like.

David,

I used the patbar course to prepare for the examination administered by Prometric, and I received a letter today indicating that I passed!!!!!! I took the exam before starting law school, and I knew nothing about the MPEP prior to starting your course. I found your modules to be very manageable and I found the prior exam questions at the end of each module to be particularly helpful in identifying which topics I needed to focus on more. Before taking the exam, I researched all of the different patent registration examination review courses and found yours to be the most affordable while still providing all of the material necessary for someone without a legal background to pass the exam. I would highly recommend your home study course for anyone looking to prepare for this exam, as this is not an exam that can be prepared for without some help. Your course is extremely helpful in that it focuses on the heavily tested areas while still providing a grounding in every topic. Additionally, I have spoken with numerous people that have taken the examination, and nearly all of them indicated that they found it extremely difficult and did not feel confident about how they had done. Having utilized your course, however, I felt well prepared and confident!

Sincerely,

J. Andrew

Subject: Patent Bar Results

David,

I received my patent bar results today and I passed! I cannot thank you and the other folks at patbar.com for your exceptional program and excellent support. My success was a direct result of your concise balanced program.

Thank you!

Josh

Subject: Passed Exam

Dear David Meeks,

I figure you like to hear results of those using your materials, so...

I purchased the materials in April and passed the exam on 9/2.

Regards,

Blayne

From: Royce *****
Subject: success

Dear Sir:

I passed the registration exam because I bought and studied the PatBar.com Home Study Kit.

A few years ago my employer bought the Patent Resources Group self-study materials. The long scholarly treatises overwhelmed me, and I was in the majority of examinees who failed the notoriously difficult exam.

Due to a change in jobs and the humiliation of failing originally I did not attempt the exam again until now. I purchased your materials because of the modular approach and the relatively low cost. I diligently studied the Core Curriculum book and worked the Prior Exam Questions. The reasonably sized modules of procedures/rules/instructions coupled with pertinent prior exam questions converted the vast mass of testable material into manageable bites of knowledge. The Beginner’s Lectures reinforced important concepts, and, more importantly, provided a small condensed version that I could study the day before the exam.

You sell a good product at a good price. I recommend it to anyone who can learn by reading and who has the discipline to study the material.

Sincerely,

Royce *****

From: Tamara *****
Subject: thanks and more

Hi there,

I purchased your materials back in late spring, and took the patent examination in October -- and passed! Your materials were helpful, and I would recommend them to others. I wanted to comment on the Beginner’s Lectures topics. While I didn’t use it much during my study preparations, it’s handy to have now as I prepare for interviews. I’m a first-year law student with a PhD in Chemistry, and at this writing, at least one employer has been very impressed by the fact that I took (and passed!) the exam, and invited me for an interview. While I don’t expect questions about the subject material from the exam, as I’m only a 1L student, I appreciate the lectures for helping me brush up on important subjects in case questions come up.

I wish I could tell you how much time I put into studying, but it was a couple hours a day for the 63 days of modules, plus taking 4 previous exams and going over the answers twice. I started on July 1st. The last time I went over the previous exams was in the few days before the exam, and that sealed the ‘Pass’ for me!

Thanks for such an affordable set of materials. Your easy email access was also appreciated for answering questions. I passed on my first try and am glad for my investment.

-Tamara *****

From: Arman ***** Esq.
Subject: I made it:)

Dear Mr. Meeks:

Last week I received a letter from the USPTO stating that I have passed the examination for registration. Just shortly prior to that I had learned about my successful passing of the California Bar Examination.

I would like to thank you for the excellent program that helped me succeed on the USPTO examination. Your self-study program was one of the most enjoyable academic experiences I have ever had. I don’t think I could have prepared as well as I did with your program, and, considering the low price, I do not know why anyone would try anything else. As I already told you right after the examination, I found it surprising easy, while other students who I knew had not taken the PatBar course thought it was extremely hard. I could only attribute this to the efficiency of the your program. Once again, thank you, and you may reproduce my message in your promotional literature.

Sincerely,

Arman *****

From: Brian *****
Subject: Passed October exam

Dave,

I passed the patent bar thanks to help from the review course. Now, to get out the of the patent office.

Thanks,

Brian *****

From: Craig *****
Subject: Obtaining TX CLE credit.

Dear David:

It took a second time, but I passed the test. I was slammed at work and couldn’t really study the two week prior to the first test, so it wasn’t the course’s fault.

Thank you,

Craig *****

From: Mario *****
Subject: patent bar exam

Hi:

This is to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar Exam.

Your audio lectures helped me a lot. With at least 1 hr. commute from my house to the office, I had at least 2 hours of review on the weekdays. Again thank you and more power to all of you.

Mario

PS. Is there a way to access or purchase any supplements you might produce in the future?

From: Linda *****
Subject: Patent Exam

Today I received the official results that I passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office examination. I've been working towards this day for 12 years. Now that it has happened...I feel as if I have won the lottery. Thanks for all your support and encouragement, I couldn't have done it without your help.

Linda, Patent Attorney # P-*****

From: Bob *****
Subject: Thanks for the help. Can I get my results?

David,

I passed!!!

I saw the unofficial results on 12/7, and I just received the official notice from the PTO today. I was hoping the official notice would also include my exam score, but it was not included.

How can I get a copy of my actual score from the exam? I’m curious about how many answers I got wrong, and which ones they were.

Thanks for all the help. Your program worked for me.

Bob *****

From: *****
Subject: I passed the Patent Bar

Hello Mr. Meeks:

I wanted to let you know that I passed patent bar exam. Many thanks to you for offering an excellent home study kit for patent law specifically geared towards preparing for patent bar. I used your kit for over 4 weeks and completed the study on an accelerated basis and I was ready!

I hope more students avail of this opportunity as your kit offers the best solution at a reasonable price.

Sincerely,

B***** K***** Ph.D.

Note: If you wish to use this note for testimonial purposes, please use only my initials. Thanks.

From: Andrew *****
Subject: Thanks for your help!

Dear David,

I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar on my first attempt. Your course was an excellent study system and I would recommend it to anyone. I really appreciate you services.

Sincerely,

Andrew *****

From: Bryan *****
Subject: Receipt of Payment

Thanks to your program I was able to gain the edge necessary to pass the Patent Bar.

Could you please send me a copy (by e-mail preferably) of my receipt of payment for my records? Otherwise, please send by fax.

Thank you,

Bryan *****

From: Mike *****
Subject: test results

Dear Mr. Patbar.com,

I want to let you know that I just received word today that I passed the Patent Bar!!!!

I really appreciate your help. Your course was way cheaper than many others, and I believe it to be just as good, as I passed it on the first try. I had no legal background, and I still was able to pass the test.

Thanks again

-mike.

From: Sharon *****
Subject: Patent Examination

Hi David:

I just wanted to let you know that according to the unofficial result, I have passed the patent bar on the first try! Thanks for your patience with my many questions. I did listen to all your lectures and go through many of the old exams. Consequently, there were no surprises on the exam. Thanks for all your help.

Now that the USPTO thinks I am capable of writing patents, I would actually like to start. Can you give me some ideas about who to contact or how to get started? I would like to go into business for myself; however, I feel like I need some practical experience first.

Here is some information on my background. I have a PhD in molecular biology and have worked as a bench scientist for many years. For the last 8 1/2 years I have been writing a variety of medical reports for pharmaceutical companies that are usually sent to the FDA or other regulatory bodies. I thought that writing patents would be a logical next step for me to take.

Any advice you could provide would be very helpful.

Regards,

Sharon *****

From: Abraham *****
Subject: US Patent Bar

David:

Once again, thanks for the help. According to the preliminary results, I passed the patent bar.

I reccomended your study program to other people who are preparing for the patent bar.

Sincerely,

Abraham *****

From: Craig *****
Subject: Thanks

David,

Thanks for all your help. I passed.

It looks like this was one of the easiest exams ever with a 72% pass rate.

Craig *****

From: Dr. *****
Subject: thanks!

back in mid-july, i decided to give the patent bar exam a shot and being a poorly paid postdoc (i have a ph.d in microbiol/mol genetics) funds are an issue. like many of us, im thinking of stepping away from the bench and having never taken a law class i opted for the patentbar.com course. basically it taught me the legal vocab i needed to know to pass the exam on my first try! now thats funny! what do i do now? :D

thanks alot! and best regards!

-jc.

From: Doris *****
Subject: THANKS!!

Hello David.

Just got word of the patent results and I passed!! I really want to thank you for answering all my relentless questions and for putting together study materials that are accomodating to the student budget. I must say that the key to taking an exam like this was doing the practice exams.

Doris *****

From: ***** engineering

David, just a check in to let you know I was successful on the patent bar. Thanks for your help on the prep process. Evan

From: Jim *****
Subject: Exam Results

David,

Just a quick note to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar Exam on the first try. Your modular program is ideal for working individuals as it is presented such that a few hours per day of concerted learning effort allows one to march through the otherwise daunting task of digesting the MPEP contents. I shall strongly recommend your program to others and provide the added advice to diligently follow your instructions. See you in patent prosecution.

Jim *****

From: John *****
Subject: Good News

Dear David,

I am pleased to inform you that I passed the exam. This was my first attempt at the exam.

I decided to take the Registration Exam as the first step toward a transition from a pharmaceutical R & D chemist to patent law practitioner. Your course was my first ever exposure to the laws and rules of patent practice.

I would like to commend you for taking what initially appeared to be an unmanageable amount of material and presenting it in 60 very manageable parts. I began my studying in May and after working through the first several modules it was easy to set up and stick with a study schedule which would allow me to finish by October 1 (which I did). I think that your emphasis on problem solving is extremely important-there is no better way to learn or better measure of comprehension than by doing all of the study questions. Your response time for the email support was excellent and the responses very thorough.

Since I seem to learn best by writing things down, I found it helpful to make outlines of each of the modules with cross references to the location of the points in the study material. In the end these outlines served as a valuable information retrieval system which I used frequently on the exam.

I know that most of the people sitting around me paid 5x the amount that I did for their review course and I felt equally or much better prepared than those individuals. Your course not only allows you to prepare for the exam but actually learn and retain the principles of patent practice. I think your course is the only way to go to prepare for this very challenging exam and I recommend it very, very highly.

Thank you for everything.

John

From: Ida *****
Subject: Hi

Dear Mr. Meeks,

Thank you for all your help in answering my questions. I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar.

Take care,

Ida=)

From: Albert *****
Subject: My exam results, and a question...

Mr. David Meeks,

Earlier this week I received my exam results. I passed! Although the material was interesting, I am thankful that I will not have to devote time to studying for the exam again. Now I can focus 100% on law school.

I do have a question that you can hopefully answer for me. I recently mailed my oath, data sheet, and registration fee as a preliminary step towards registration as an agent. However, it just occurred to me that I had sent the registration fee in the form of a personal check. The information that I received explained that the registration fee was required by 37 CFR 1.21(a)(2). I was having difficulty finding this section in my study materials. However, it is likely that payment by personal check is not allowed. Do you know if payment by personal check is appropriate? If not, is there a way that I can correct this mistake? I have already mailed my data sheet and notarized oath. If I send another payment, how do I connect it to my oath and data sheet? Perhaps by placing my provisional registration number on it? It was a careless error, but I will plead as an excuse that I am in the middle of finals in my semester at law school.

Thank you for your time.

Albert *****

From: Jay *****

Mr. Meeks,

My name is Jay *****, I have not previously written to you, but I just wanted to take a second to let you know that I have passed the Patent Bar on my first try. I could not have done it without the help of your program. I did not realize how much of a time commitment it would be, but am I glad that I did it. At least I don’t have to go through it again.

Now that I have passed, I have just a few questions that I don’t know where else to turn to for answers.

Is the Patent Office going to let me know what I scored? Are they going to send me a copy of the Exam so that I can see what I missed? Is there a web site to visit that shows the percentage of people who passed, or maybe even a breakdown of the exam showing which questions were most frequently missed? (being an engineer I am always interested in the numbers)

Anyway, if it is not too much trouble, and you know of any answers to my seemingly unimportant questions, I would appreciate if you could get back to me. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

Jay *****

From: Robert *****
Subject: Re:Pass

David,

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know I passed the exam. I got the good news at the end of last week. Your materials were instrumental in my preparations and your on-line assistance was most helpful in clarifying difficult questions. I have recommended your program to a couple of other students at the school where I am taking law courses part-time.

Thanks for all the help!!!

Bob *****

From: Ed *****
Subject: patent exam

David,

I passed the Exam! I just wanted to thank you for all the help and for the great review course. I didn’t know ANYTHING about patents prior to starting your course, and being able to pass the exam after a few months of studying is a testament to how great your study program is. Your prompt reply to my questions (no matter how stupid the question) bridged the gap on the material I was having problems with. As several people have mentioned, taking the prior exams under test conditions is the key to passing the exam. Thanks again!

Ed *****

From: Roh *****
Subject: Patent bar

David:

I passed the exam!. Thanks for your help.

Roh *****

From: Joseph *****
Subject: I passed

Dear David,

I passed!!! Thanks for all your help. Your system works.

Best regards,

J. *****

From: Jennifer *****
Subject: Passed!

Just wanted to send a quick note to let you all know that I passed the Patent Bar. Thanks for providing excellent study materials at a reasonable cost. I know plenty of people who paid much more and didn’t pass!

Jennifer *****

From: David *****
Subject: I PASSED

David

Got the ‘skinny’ letter Saturday. I passed the exam.

I was pretty up tight fretting about it. Would not care to do it again. So I am glad I passed.

Thanks for the help.

The guy on the computer next to me will take it in April and is also using your course. I loaned him the index I made. You never did say whether you would be interest in it.

I put it together using module numbers. Wish I had used paragraph numbers instead. That way it would go more easily from one module to the next.

Of course it would not be difficult to change, but very time intensive.

Thanks again, I already have clients calling me.

Dave *****

From: Ted *****
Subject: Exam

Mr. Meeks,

I passed the exam. Your course and you assistance were the only resources required. I will certainly recommend the PATBAR.COM program to anyone taking the PTO exam.

Thank you,

Ted *****

From: Ira *****
Subject: Materials

Dear Sir:

I have recently taken the Patent Bar using only your course materials with which to study. I am delighted to inform you that I have passed. I feel that your course was the most effecient use of time and material presentation. I am also pleased with the affordablility of your course and would/will recommend it to anyone I know that is looking to take the Patent Bar in the future.

Thank You-

Ira *****

From: Steve *****
Subject: 17 Oct Test Results

David,

I wanted to let you know I passed the Patent Bar! Thanks for all your help. I used your review course and found it very helpful. The most valuable part of the course was the MPEP compilation and index. I used that extensively, much more than the audio lectures (although I did listen to them).

Also, your email support was outstanding. Whenever I had a question you quickly responded with a detailed explanation. This support was the next most valuable component of the program.

I will definitely recommend your program to other test takers. For me personally, it provided a way to eat this elephant one bite at a time.

Sincerely, Steve *****

From: Nancy *****
Subject: exam

Mr. Meeks,

I want to drop you a quick note that I passed the patent bar exam. This is my first try and I didn’t really start studying until about 4 weeks before the exam. I did finish the reading materials, but not all the lectures. The material seemed quite hard to me at the beginning as I haven’t taken any intellectual property classes yet. But as I moved along, things started to fall into place and everything seemed to make sense. Of course your timely response in answering my questions through email helped a lot. The study material was very detailed and the index was easy to use. I was surprised to see that there were so many questions in the exam that are verbatim from the study material. It sure made things easier for me. I want to give you my heartful thanks for offering the material in a very reasonable price. I am a 2L and some of my classmates will be taking the exam soon. I certainly will recommend the study material to them.

Nancy

From: David *****
Subject: Passing the Bar

Dear Sirs,

I would like to thank you for your very useful program. I am a physicist with very little experience in patent prosecution. I purchased your program about six weeks prior to the bar and was able to make mysely familiar with the key concepts in patent prosecution.

Based on my experience I would recommend your course to anyone and also include the advice that there is NO SUBSTITUTE for taking old exams under exam conditions.

Regards and Thank you,

David *****, provisionally registered patent agent

From: Thomas *****
Subject: The little letter came today.

Dear Mr. Meeks:

I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am to you and your staff. Your course is worth every penny and then some.

Passing the exam on the first attempt has given me a true sense of accomplishment and boosted my self-confidence exponentially. I owe much of the credit to you and your well-organized, highly effective, and reasonably priced course.

Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely,

Tom ***** Univ. of Arizona Law

From: Debra *****
Subject: passed, passed, passed

Hello David!

Just wanted to let you know that I passed the exam. It was a narrow pass, but it was a pass nonetheless!

Thanks for your help and for offering the home study course (which was my only option, since I live too far away for the other, very expensive, seminar type courses).

Thanks again!

Debra *****

From: Sean *****
Subject: Re: New York MCLE

David:

I am pleased to inform you that I received the provisional sheet for the PTO stating that I passed the exam. Thank you for providing an economical alternative to the $2,000 + review courses. It does take determination and discipline. I am was pleased that everything I needed to learn was in your program.

I look forward to receiving the information about the amount of MCLE credits that New York recognizes for the PatBar course.

Thank you again,

Sean *****

From: John *****
Subject: I passed; THANKS!

David:

Please be introduced to the USPTO’s newest Patent Agent, registration number P-**,***!

Your course worked very well for me. I passed the exam on the first try! There is a lot more in your course than just the minimum needed to pass the exam. I chose to put in a lot of time (300 hours or so) to make sure I understood all the material. The exam was easy. Without paying attention to the clock, I just started on question one and worked to the end. I was not ‘stumped’ by any question, although I did have to look up a lot of details. I finished both the morning and afternoon sections with 10-15 minutes to spare. In looking over my answers, I changed exactly one.

I have worked with patents for over 20 years as the person within my company who oversees patent matters. I am the main contact person with our patent attorneys. After finishing your course, I find myself in the unusual position of knowing more about the newer aspects of US Patent practice than some of the attorneys I have worked with.

Please feel free to use this email or any part as a testimonial!

--John *****--

From: Tony *****
Subject: Passed on the first try!!!!

David,

WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Just got my letter today!!!! I passed the exam on the first attempt!!! Your program is definitely worth the money.

Thanks,

Tony

From: Kelce *****
Organization: AFRL/SNAS
Subject: I got a 90%

I passed the exam on my first try, only 2 months after starting law school.

Your system made it easy for a non-lawyer to learn, and you were real help when I had questions.

Thank you so much!

--

Kelce *****, Major, USAF

AFRL/SNAS, Target Signatures

From: Nathan *****
Subject: success

I forgot to email you guys --but I passed the Exam.

Thanks for your material. It was well done and the price is great for those of us on a budget.

-nathan *****

From: James *****
Subject: Passed the April Exam

Dear Mr. Meeks;

I want to take a minute to let you know that I passed the examination for registration to practice before the USPTO, which was my first attempt! The course material and Q/A dialogue via e-mail that you provided were invaluable contributions to my success. I’m convinced that your self-paced approach was much more effective for me than the ‘crash courses’ offered by other services. Also, you pricing was very attractive for an individual whose efforts are not supported by a corporate bankroll. Thank you so much for helping me achieve this success.

Jim *****

P.S. I undertook this endeavor on my own time at home. However now that I have passed the exam my employer has authorized me to file and prosecute patent cases on its behalf.

From: Alan *****
Subject: I passed. Thanks!!

David:

I passed the exam (my first attempt). Thanks for your ALWAYS PATIENT answering of my NUMEROUS questions. The course was excellent. By the way, I did a lot of practice exams, and did the tapes and ‘core curriculum’ a few times completely through, but never did the ‘big’ book.

Alan *****

From: Karen *****
Subject: Re: April Exam

David,

Choosing your program was the best move I have made at the start of my career. I found the modules to be a terrific method of study that not only kept me on a consistent path but also allowed me to track my progress. I passed the exam and even felt comfortable while taking it (if you can believe it.)

Thank you so much,

Karen

From: Anastasia *****
Subject: Patent Exam

Dear Mr. Meeks,

I received my results for the patent test last Friday. I passed on the first try!

I wanted to thank you for a great review course. I followed your instruction on how to use the course, but I didn’t have time for the practice exams. I thought that the lectures really helped me remeber a lot of concepts.

I found a lot of answers straight (verbatim) from the manual and I finished about 30 minutes early on each part. I am really glad that I didn’t go for the more expensive courses, saving some money by not taking out loans to pay for the patent bar. I will definitely recommend your course to others planning to take the exam.

Thank You,

Anastasia *****

From: Betrice *****
Subject: Patent Bar Results

I wanted to let you know that I passed the exam. Thank you for all of your help, especially the suppplements and answers to questions. Thank you for providing an affordable study course.

The test concentrated heavily on Requests for Continued Examinations, which was surprising. You actually needed the Federal Register that outlined RCE’s to do well.

Thanks again and Take Care.

B.*****

[Program Director’s Note: We believe we have included all of the information contained in the Federal Register in our course.]

From: William *****
Subject: Feedback

Dear Sir/Madam,

I just wanted to send you a little positive feedback. I am thrilled to report that I received a passing score on the exam using your materials. Without a doubt, your manual and supplements made all the difference. I was able to quickly and efficiently look up the answers to the questions and take advantage of the test’s open book nature.

Again, I wanted to sincerely thank you for your help. I am recommending your program to everyone I know who will sit for the exam in the near future. I wish your program continued success.

Thank you,

William *****

Subject: Test Results

An update from one of your students:

I passed the exam. I wasn’t expecting so many questions on RCE and wasn’t really prepared for them, but had enough of a cushion in the other areas to compensate. Good job on your course materials. I spent just over 200 hours studying and listened to the lectures on my work commute.

Thanks for the help.

From: Tom *****
Subject: I Passed! - Patent Bar Exam

Dear David,

Just a note to let you know that I received the letter from the OED. I Passed! The course was a great help to me. Everything was so well organized and the ‘three layer’ teaching method worked great for me. Because of time constraints (I received the course the last week of February and took a 9 day vacation (no studying) in early March), I didn’t have time to do the final read through of the core curriculum. However, I did do all of the modules, all of the test questions, and listened to all of the lectures (usually on my commute). It was a very full six weeks! I spent Easter weekend doing old exams under test conditions (Except Sunday, of course). I felt well prepared and confident by the time I got to the exam. I only referrred to the MPEP one time and I know I missed that one because I found out later the statute had changed and the MPEP had not yet been updated. I also wan tto thank you for promptly answering my e-mail questions and speaking with me on the phone several times.

Regards,

Tom *****

From: Rich *****
Subject: Exam Prep

David,

I wanted to let you know that I relied exclusively on your course, and I passed the exam. Thankfully, it was the first and only patent exam I took. I found that your course more than adequately prepared me for the exam. In fact, in taking prior exams under test conditions, I passed all 4.

I knew nothing about patent law and regulations prior to taking your course, so I give you alot of credit. You broke it down into logical parts and made an overwhelming task much easier. Further, your availability to answer questions via email was very helpful to me. I sent you several questions, and I appreciated your quick, thorough responses.

I must admit, I was hesitant to take your course at first because it was relatively inexpensive. But I am so glad that I did. As I said, it certainly prepared me to take and pass the exam, and it cost me a fraction of what others are charging.

Thank you very much for offering a quality product at a great price.

Rich

From: Roberta *****
Subject: I passed

I received your materials 30 days before the exam, got through the first 30 modules and received a score of 63. Although I had the option of switching review courses, I choose to stay with yours for the next exam. This time I got through all lectures, the course modules, the supplements and about 4 prior exams - and I passed! Thanks so very much, I really appreciated your continued support through the internet postings this time around. Roberta *****.

From: Chris *****
Subject: I passed!

Mr. Meeks,

I passed the registration exam! I was a first time taker too and I began preparing three and half weeks before the exam. Nothing more needs be said. Your lectures were outstanding. I listened to them two times. Then I checked out the supplements on your Website. Thank God I did. I took notes very extensively. Then I made sure that I was familiar with every past exam question. That was important too. Thank you Dave. Here is some e-beer if you can drink it.

Chris *****

From: Alan *****
Subject: results

David -

I got the letter in the mail today from the OED -- I passed.

Your course prepared me well for the exam. The chapter-by-chapter drills of old exam questions were the key ingredient for me. I also would not have passed without taking four practice exams (many recycled questions were on the exam). One area where the modules could be improved is the layout/formatting of the text: line spacing, indentations, and subheads are inconsistent, which can be distracting at the least and confusing at the worst.

For reference, it was my first shot at the exam, and I studied about 175 hours. I did not use the audio tapes, as I absorb much more from reading than listening. Many thanks for your help.

Alan *****

[Program Director’s Note: We have been making improvements in this area (formatting), and expect all materials to be consistent throughout.]

From: Gregory *****
Subject: Result Notification

Dear Mr. Meeks and Associates,

Incredible news. I PASSED the Patent Exam!!! I just received the results last night and I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate the quality of your study materials and the great support I received.

The lectures allowed me to continuously review materials whenever I was on the road, and the outline was perfectly organized in a way that made the voluminous material digestible even while I was finishing my last semester in law school.

You can be assured that your materials will be recommended to everyone who is interested in taking the patent bar. Thank you again.

Greg

University of Maryland, ’01

From: Bryant *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

Hi Dave,

I just wanted you to know that I received a letter yesterday from OED informing that I passed the patent bar exam. And it was majorly due to your great program. I studied hard and followed the tapes closely. If you may recall, I got started a little late in my studies and had to double up on the lectures. At any rate, thank you again for your help and for answering all of my email questions in a timely manner. I feel confident in the knowledge I have learned.

Bryant

From: Kevin *****
Subject: October Exam

Mr. Meeks,

I wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that I passed the PTO exam. I thank you for excellent course materials, they were immensely helpful to me in preparing for the exam. I will send a separate ‘testimonial’ type message sometime in the next few days directed at prospective customers. I will describe my study methods and provide advice to future test takers.

Sincerely,

Kevin *****

From: Gary *****
Subject: exam

Dear Mr. Meeks,

I wanted to let you know that I passed the patent office bar exam. Your materials were very useful and I was able to find more than a few answers right out of the materials.

I have a Ph.D. with no legal training and was very worried about being able to pass the exam. I believe anyone who can put in the time to carefully go over your modules and take a few practice exams can pass. Your guides were worth the money (especially compared to other courses!) and I highly recommend them to anyone trying to pass the PTO exam.

Thanks again.

From: Kurt *****
Subject: Thank You

Mr. Meeks,

I found out last week that I passed the patent bar. I wanted to thank you for your materials. I really had to rely on them as I did not have any prior patent experience. I have recommended your program to others and have told them that they can pass the exam the first time as well if they put in the time. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Kurt *****

From: Melissa *****
Subject: Thanks

I just received a letter stating I passed the exam. I had absolutely no exposure to patent law or procedures before I took your course. Thanks to your course, I was able to pass the exam on my first try.

Overall, I thought the course was worth at least three times what I paid for it! The index was extremely helpful on exam day. However, I would like to make one suggestion. If possible, I think it would be helpful to provide an initial module that gave a simplified overview of the patent prosecution process for those students like myself who have had no exposure to the material.

Thanks again,

Melissa *****

[Program Director’s Note: Based on this e-mail and other similar comments, we have added Beginner’s Lectures that reviews some basics helpful to those without a background in patent practice.]

From: Benjamin *****
Subject: Test Results

David,

I got my notification from OED on Friday that I passed the exam. Thanks for all of your help. I will certainly recommend your course to other students at the law school.

Benjamin *****

From: Kyle *****
Subject: Thanks- you helped me pass the test

I just got a letter from the PTO saying I passed the examination. Using your materials and taking practice exams is more than sufficient to pass the exam. I am glad that I chose your program instead of the more expensive other courses. I really enjoyed the home-study program which allowed me to go at my pace and set my own study schedule.

Thanks again for helping me pass.

Kyle *****

Duke Law School

From: Michael *****
Subject: Exam

Hi David,

Just wanted to let you know that I received my results from the PTO yesterday and I passed. It was a lot of work, but your materials were very helpful for preparing and while taking the exam. Thanks! Michael *****, Ph.D.

From: Michael *****
Subject: RE: Exam

Thanks David. No need for a long email, but I also wanted to let you know that passing the patent bar just helped me get an offer from Pennie and Edmonds in New York to work as a patent agent trainee while attending Fordham at night. I’ll be keeping my printouts handy for quick reference when I need it. Thanks again for your service and good luck in the coming year.

Mike.

From: Matthew *****
Subject: patent bar

Dear Mr. Meeks,

I just received my letter today indicating that I had passed the exam. Your materials are far and away the best out there. When I was first deciding on what review course I should use, I honestly thought that since your course was so cheap (in comparison to other courses), it couldn’t have been as good. But I decided to try your course (because it was so cheap in comparison) and thought that if I didn’t pass the exam, then I would enroll in one of those more expensive courses. During my studies, I had the opportunity to look over the material that is supplied by one of those other, more expensive patent review courses and I was disappointed as to the general treatment those courses took concerning important area of the exam. It was only your course book that had all the extensive details that eventually showed up on exam day and helped me pass. It turns out I made the right decision. I just wanted to say thank you and let you know that I will definitely recommend your course to anyone I know that may be interested in taking the patent bar exam. Thanks again.

Matthew

From: Denise *****
Subject: I passed!!!

Ya-hoo!! Just got my pass notice in today’s mail - what a thrill. Thanks so much for your help. I wrote you earlier, right after the exam, saying I couldn’t be absolutely sure I had passed - but that I felt better than many of the others, most of whom were using other prep program material. NOW I’m absolutely sure!! Thanks again. Your materials were great. By the way, do you know the pass rate?

Denise *****

From: Raymond *****
Subject: Patent Bar Preparation Materials

Dear Mr. Meeks:

I have just taken the exam and although I am uncertain as to my status I am most comfortable in saying that your materials are arguably the best suited for the examination. I found many participants that had elected more expensive courses bogged down by unnecessary texts and voluminous notes and strategies, whereas I found that although I may not have ever saw a similar question I well understood the philosophy of the prosecution process and was able to draw reasonable conclusions based on the facts.

Should it be necessary to retake the exam I will again employ your services. The fact that the materials clearly elucidated the subject matter and that you made yourself personally available was truly outstanding. Despite the fact I would have liked to see an expanded index for the study guide, I most highly recommend your course. I would be most interested if you made a lecture series available to your clients that had completed the 60 modules as a prerequisite for attendance in such a program.

I shall make you aware of my status subsequent to the test. Please feel welcome to share my sentiments in your promotions.

Sincerely,

Raymond *****

From: Michael *****
Subject: Exam

Hi David,

Just wanted to let you know that your Patent Bar Exam materials were not only great for preparing for the exam, but were a huge help yesterday during the exam. I finished each section with about 45 minutes remaining (while looking up a few questions on the way) and then spent the remaining time looking up questions that I wasn’t sure about. I ended up finding 3 or 4 on each section. Anyway, thanks for providing a low cost and effective way to study for the exam and I’ll let you know if I passed in a month or so (pretty sure I did). Michael *****, Ph.D.

From: Denise *****
Subject: The exam is OVER!!!!

Dear Mr. Meeks,

Just finished the exam yesterday - have you had any other feedback? My take was that it was more difficult than before, but not TOO bad. I have never experienced a test situation quite like it - there were actually people in tears outside the testing room at the end - and frustration being expressed by many. I didn’t feel that negatively. There were some areas tested - particularly correspondence address rules - which weren’t covered much on earlier exams. Also - nearly every question included an answer choice of ‘none of the above’ - which, of course, requires that one make an in-depth analysis of every choice and prevents confidently settling on an answer because it is the ‘best’ - requiring, instead, having to be absolutely sure. Time constraint was a commonly voiced frustration. I’m not 100% positive I passed - but I’d bet on it. I can’t imagine there were 30 questions I missed. Your materials were great. The ONLY thing I couldn’t find quickly when needed was any detailed reference to the use of abbreviatures, defensive publications and abstracts as prior art. There was a question pertaining to this that required more than cursory knowledge. You needed to know whether they could be used, and if so, could they be used in combination or alone - and what kind of prior art rejections could be made on their basis. Oh well. THANK GOD it’s OVER. Denise *****

From: David *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

Director:

Just finished the Patent Bar exam. It was very different in that about 10 questions covered Reissue applications... I am glad I had taken your course and studied hard. The pattern of your study questions and advice to take/take/take past exams in Exam-like settings really helped!

I found myself able to answer about 25% of the questions w/o look ups, had time to look up most of the other questions...feel like I got about 35 right for sure each session. Glad I did not think I could ‘Ace’ it... it would have been really frustrating then.

Exam room was mostly in shock after the Morning session due to the number of Reissue questions. Old favorites like timing of mailings, fees, appeals; proper wording of claims; how to overcome xxx rejections, and other usual suspects were there. Plus there were several ‘triple negative’ situations ... “which of the following are not reasons for improper rejection by examiner”... and all examples actually were proper!!

Thanks for the help and advice.

David *****, Captain US Navy

From: Chris *****
Subject: exam

David,

Thank you for your help getting ready for today’s exam. While I am unsure concerning my status, I will wait until December, hoping for the ‘thinvelope’. Between now and then I have plenty of Contracts, Property and Torts to study.

The information in the supplements was needed; questions on hyperlinks, prior art on the internet and recapture showed up. I would say between 8-12 questions from the old exams were there as well, distributed between the two sessions.

Your program helped me get the most out of each 3-hour session, by using a simple organization and a reasonably sized font. I hope your update follows the same pattern. And keep emphasizing practice tests and questions: I found that my best preparation was taking questions and searching through the manual on my own. No matter what question that was thrown at me today, I knew whether it was in the manual and if it was applicable. A number of answer choices read verbatim from your notes.

Hopefully, the next time I write I am letting you know about a pass - however, if I don’t, it will be to renew my membership.

Sincerely,

Chris

From: Matt *****
Subject: Exam

I just wanted to let you know that after taking your review course I passed the patent bar on the first try, as did my friend *****. Thanks for your help and for providing a quality program at a reasonable price.

Matt *****

From: Charles *****
Subject: great news!

Hello everyone,

The mail brought a letter from the US Patent & Trademark Office today. After overcoming a little anxiety, I opened it. The letter mentioned that I had PASSED the patent bar examination. I now hold a provisional patent agent number. The hard work studying this spring paid off. Have a good weekend!

Sincerely,

Charles *****

From: Lekha *****
Subject: Patent Bar

Hi David:

I just wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar. The preparation with the PatBar program definitely paid off.

Lekha *****

From: Michael *****
Subject: Thanks

David:

Received my pass notice yesterday - couldn’t have done it without your material and your assistance.

Thanks, Michael *****

From: Charles *****
Subject: in case you need it

Hello David,

I have filled out my data sheet to enter the register of Patent Agents. After law school, I’ll upgrade to Patent Attorney. I credit your program with assisting me to pass the Patent Bar on the first attempt. You have a satisfied customer here. If potential customers would like a reference on your program, they can call me at *****. If I hear of other potential customers, I will send them your way. Have a pleasant day.

Charles

From: James *****
Subject: Thanks, I passed the bar.

Hi David,

Just wanted thank you all and if you’re keeping track I wanted to let you know that I passed the Patent Bar Exam.

To be honest, when I started the materials, I had some reservations about both the review course and the patent bar itself. In the end, I felt pretty confident taking the exam, and the bottom line is that I passed.

I found the Beginner’s Lectures extremely helpful, and found your e-mail responses to my questions both prompt and thorough. I think the practice questions materials could have used some explanations, especially since they were the first questions you would see after reading each module. If you’d like any more comments on how I felt about the course, please feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks again.

JAMES

From: Amy *****
Subject: Thanks!

David,

As you already know...I PASSED! First, I want to thank you for the prompt responses to all of my many questions. The customer service that I received from you AFTER I purchased your course was worth the $500 alone.

Second, I would like to share my experiences so that others may benefit. I have no legal background whatsoever and found the material a bit difficult to follow initially. A quick trip the the law library at the university I attend helped immensly. There I found a copy of McCarthy’s Desk Encyclopedia of Intellectual Property which proved absolutely invaluble. The Encyclopedia has many terms specific to intellectual property law that one can’t find in Black’s Law Dictionary. In addition to a brief definition of the terms, there are examples of usage and pertinent case law which serves to both solidify your understanding of the terms and makes the reading much more interesting. I can’t recommmend this book enough to your students who lack a legal background and find that they aren’t grasping the MPEP material fully.

I started studying for me April bar exam in November and spent approximately 10-12 hours/week on the material. I worked steadily and consistently doing approximately 3 modules/week. I used the IPS mini-review at the beginning of each module as a starting point for an outline of my own wherein I included additional specific details from the MPEP. The final length of the outline was approximately 100 pages. The time spent on my own outline helped in remembering the material and the outline itself served as an initial quick-reference during the exam. I finished all 60 modules with about 1 month to spare. During that time, I went over and over old exam questions paying particular attention to why I answered incorrectly. During the last few weeks before the exam I took both the April and November exams under "real test" conditions. I am certain that doing as many old exams as possible is the key to passing the exam.

Finally, I want to thank you again for creating a patent bar study course that is affordable. As a graduate student, there is no way that I could have afforded $2500 or more for the other review courses and I doubt that they would have enhanced my chances of passing the exam.

Thanks again,

Amy *****

From: Jason *****
Subject: Patent Bar

David,

I just found out that I passed the patent bar, and i wanted to thank you for all your help while I was studying. I don’t think I could have done it without you!

Sincerely,

Jason *****

From: D’Arcy *****
Subject: Thanks

David-

Just returned from the PTO’s web site where I learned the passing rate for the exam was 52%. Frankly, I’m surprised it was this low as I found the exam to be something of a breeze. In the afternoon session, I finished with 30 minutes to go.

When I started with your materials, I had virtually no background or experience in the field. I went through the 60 modules two times, with the first review being thorough and the second review being swift (i.e., I didn’t listen to the lectures twice). I did your module questions on the second review and the Simulation Suite exams after finishing with your materials. This approach seemed to make many of the module questions more meaningful, as I understood the context of the questions.

Your index was also quite useful. There were probably 5 to 8 questions where I used the index to find the answer popping right out at me in your materials. Hardly seems fair to the rest ... But this exam isn’t about fairness - it’s about passing.

Thanks-

D’Arcy

From: Lica *****
Subject: April patent exam

DAVID:

I have been meaning to drop you a line to thank you for your help during my patent bar preparation. I received notification that I passed the exam a couple of weeks ago.

I also wanted to tell you that your program is great. There was more than one question on the exam where I was able to recognize the answer word for word in your study material. I did not take any patent classes in law school and was able to pass the exam on the basis of the information in Manual 1 alone.

Thanks again.

Lica *****

From: D *****
Subject: I got my results today!

Dear David:

I received a very slim letter from the PTO today, informing that I had passed the Patent Bar Exam. Needless to say, I’m thrilled and relieved to put this very difficult ordeal behind me.

I could not have passed the exam without the PatBar review course. No doubt in my mind...

While the review study material, lectures, and prior exam questions were excellent preparation for the exam, I was perhaps most impressed with the customer service I received after I had purchased the course. When I first purchased the course, I was admittedly leery -- I was afraid that once I purchased the course and PatBar ‘had my money,’ that I would be swept under the rug and forgotten. My initial fears were TOTALLY unfounded...

The MPEP is a very difficult tome, and frequently requires a little guidance and clarification... I am so grateful that every time I called, I was courteously helped... every e-mail I sent was promptly answered... I could not have passed without your help -- both via the course materials and via the phone calls and e-mails that pointed me in the right direction.

I would not hesitate to recommend your home study course to anyone!

Thanks again,

David

ps: since the last time we spoke, I accepted a job with the PTO as an examiner in AU 3619... Your course has been helpful not only in passing the exam, but every day on the job as well!!

Thanks again,

D

From: Nancy *****
Subject: Exam Results

Just got the results today - I passed the patent bar exam.

Thanks for all your help. Your study program obviously worked for me - since I had never looked at any patent law materials before picking up your materials in August.

If you are interested, I have some suggestions as to how to improve it.

Nancy

From: Patrick *****
Subject: Passed the patent exam

David,

I received my results today and I passed the November 3rd exam. Thanks for all of your help. This was the best $500.00 I have spent in recent memory. I feel like Christmas arrived early. There are a few classmates that intend to take the patent exam. I advised them that your program is the only option as a study companion. You should be getting a few orders in the near future.

Again, thanks for providing me the best chance to pass the patent exam.

Also, thanks for the fair price (I have some Christmas gift money left).

Sincerely,

Patrick

From: Todd *****
Subject: Regarding the Nov. 3 Exam

David,

I just wanted to let you know that I just received notice that I passed the exam, and this was on my first try. I want to thank you for all your help in answering my e-mail questions, and in sending me your update of the previous exam questions. I found the pointers to the section in the manual where the answers could be found to be very helpful. I also particularly appreciate the encouragement that you gave me when I was having some doubts about my readiness to take the exam.

I would recommend the course to others, particularly for those like myself who have difficult schedules. As a suggestion for improvement, I think more model answers to exam questions (like the ones the Patent Office provides) would be helpful.

Thanks again, David.

Regards,

Todd

From: Karen *****
Subject: Passed the exam!

David,

Thanks for the message about receiving a little letter v receiving a big manilla envelope, because when I saw that little letter my hands were shaking too much to open it! 

It’s been great, thank you for all your overnight replies to PCT and other mysteries of the patent universe. Your annotated MPEP was super-valuable and really a terrific organizational and learning guide. Gotta go, must notify the rest of the free world about my news!

I’ll be in touch,

Karen

From: Aaron *****
Subject: Exam Results

David Meeks -

I just received a letter from the Office of Enrollment & Discipline informing me that I passed the examination to practice before the USPTO. 

Using your materials helped a great deal in my preparation for the exam. As you know, the preparation requires dedication and time. It also requires help on those occasions when the applicable statute, regulation, and MPEP sections do not appear crystal clear. And I commend you for providing prompt help in response to email questions. 

Based on my experience, I recommend that people plan on spending MORE than 3-4 hours per session, commit as much as possible to memory (since there isn’t really time to look things up during the exam), and work hard to develop an efficient (i.e., fast and accurate) approach to the exam by taking (and timing) all of the sample tests provided with your materials. 

Thank you,

Aaron

From: Pete *****
Subject: RE: questions

David, much to my surprise, I passed! Thanks for all your timely answers to my many questions.

Pete

Subject: Pass

David,

Received my exam results on Dec 18. I think there are 2 words that can sum up the efficacy of your program.

I passed.

Pure and simple. Thank you very much for providing the materials and answers to many questions to enable me to do this. The materials that you had provided were more than adequate to prepare for the exam. Evidence - I finished both sections of the exam in less than 2 hours, and I passed. My colleagues who used other expensive programs passed, but it cost them a whole lot more to do it. And then there were those who unfortunately did not pass with the expensive programs. So long as one is willing to put in the time, it doesn’t matter how much or little a program costs.

This is the best investment I have made and would strongly recommend it to anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort to pass this exam.

So not only did you save me money, but your materials allowed me to pass. I was quite impressed at the speed that you reply to questions, whether phone or e-mail. It shows that you are committed to your students. Your attention and advice is easily worth the price of the program.

Did I mention that I passed? I’m pretty excited about it. Thanks again.

Respectfully,

Arthur

Provisional Registration Number P-##,###

Also, if any potential buyers want direct contact with an alumni, they can me at ###-###-#### daytime.

But I may not be here too much longer since I’m looking for a new job.

From: Steve *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

Dear David,

I just wanted to let you know that I received in the mail yesterday the small thin envelope from the Department of Commerce which informed me that I passed the patent registration examination. The only preparation which I had for the test was your course. I work at ** and the people I work with were impressed that your course provided me with the knowledge (with appropriate study time which totalled about 180-200 hours) to succeed. Usually people at ***** tend to go to Kayton’s course. Maybe you will have more customers at ***** in the future. 

Anyway I just wanted to let you know that I was successful. Passing the test the first time I took it was incredible. The best part (not for you, of course) is that I don’t have to take it again!

Thank you again. Your course notes were terrific.

Steve

From: S. *****
Subject: Re: Patent Examination

Dear Mr. Meeks:

I graduated from Fordham University law school in 1988. I have been practicing law for all these years. In recent years, with the explosive growth in the IP area, I wanted to explore how a patent exam. may be like. I checked several patent bar review purveyors’ web sites and was really insulted by implied comments that if one is out of law school for a long time, one should not expect to pass the patent exam. first time around. I felt that this message was sending a wrong signal. Particularly when these bar review courses are extremely expensive, they ought to prepare both fresh law graduates and practicing lawyers well. But, obviously, that’s not the case( in my opinion, these expensive courses are priced on what the market will bear rather than what the course contents are). They’re being marketed to make the purveyors rich in a hurry.

I’m glad that I discovered your web site and eventually ordered your home study program last June. I took the November patent exam. and passed easily. This goes to show all that glitters isn’t gold and one can do well by avoiding those expensive programs. Thank you and please keep your program affordable to all, both new and old graduates.

Sincerely,

S. *****

From: Misha *****
Subject: Thank you

Dear IPS,

After studying your course since June, I sat for the Patent Bar and passed. Your course was thorough, well planned out, easy to follow, and the audio portion helped put things into perspective. 

Having only finished one year of law school I am a complete neophite to the world of legal lingo, your course helped alot. I cannot thank you enough. 

My best for a Happy New Year,

Misha 

From: Peter *****
Subject: IPS Homestudy Program

Hi David:

I just wanted to let you know that your course assisted me greatly, and as a result I passed the exam. I am now provisionally registered with the USPTO.

Thank you for your course.

It is reasonbly priced compare to the rest and it is enough to get the exam passed.

You may not remember me, but we met in Boston during one of your courses. We walked down to that dinner and got some coffee. We both worked for Union Carbide. I am currently working as an engineer.

Sincerely,

Peter

From: Alan *****
Subject: FYI

Hello David,

I just got back from Philly where I took the patent bar, I have to say a very challenging test indeed. I feel pretty good though, the morning session had approx 23 recycled questions from previous exams while the afternoon session had only about 17-19 questions recycled. The other 60 questions, well who knows. I’ll e-mail you with my results in Jan or whenever I recieve them. Just thought you’d be interested. --Alan

From: Arthur *****
Subject: Thanks

David,

Thank you for all your help over the last few months in preparing for the patent bar. The exam seemed to take on a different format than the past, and but your modules had covered all of the topics. There were some unusual questions regarded transition rules, and color drawings, which had not been seen in the past exams. Those were easily looked up. Exam adminstrators (in Chicago) said that results will be mailed in 6 to 8 weeks, so perhaps even befor the Dec 31 deadline, but I’m 95% confident that I won’t need to register again. Also, the exam format did not change. The extra 1/2 hour was for adminstrative things. Thanks again for your help, and quick e-mail responses. I’ll let you know what happens.

Arthur

From: Dr. *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

The exam I took was a breeze. The old exam questions were key in whizzing through about 20-30% of similar or exact copies of questions in the exam.

Regardless, I have no sympathy for the other students foolish enough to pay for the other courses. I am very happy with the materials provided by your company, and wholeheartedly recommend you to my friends and colleagues. I am confident that I passed, which is the bottom line in all prep courses.

Thanks again.

Dr. S

From: Patrick *****
Subject: A note of thanks

Dear David,

I just received my letter today that I passed the Patent Bar on my first shot. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and PatBar for the tremendous review course you put together for me. I followed your lesson plan diligently and did my homework every night. I think your course had the right balance of lecturing and student participation and self-teaching, reinforced by the practice questions, to make everything work just fine. What is more amazing, you did it on a shoestring budget compared to courses my friends took. You were helpful with my e-mail questions, and I never felt for one second that I was wasting my time with your course. I would recommend IPS instantly to any burgeoning patent attorney, for its high quality and its thorough review strategy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yours very truly,

Patrick

From: Howard *****
Subject: A satisfied student

Hi David,

I just heard from the PTO that I passed the patent bar exam. I used your course as my major study tool, exactly according to the instructions, and felt that I was very well prepared for the exam. All I took to the exam was your manual, pencils, my law dictionary and a few pages of outlines of a few areas that seemed important.

You did a good job with the course. 

I’ll send off a written testimonial in the next couple of days.

Regards,

Howard

From: Jessica *****
Subject: april exam

hi again! six days after i successfully defended my PhD, i passed the patent bar!!! this was entirely thanks to your program (with a little help from Landis on Patent Claim Drafting) and i’d like to thank you again for all your work in creating a streamlined program. i got to the exam to see all these frantic looking folk with their tote bags from the expensive courses. Thanks to your study program, i only needed to look up a few times, the rest was in my head!

thanks again!!

jessica

From: Loretta *****
Subject: good news

Dear David, 

I finally opened my letter from the Patent Office today. I confess I haven’t opened it for a few days because I didn’t want to receive bad news. But I just opened it and I passed. And it feels wonderful. Thank you so much for sending me the updated materials. They were very specific. During the test, I found I had enough time to look up in the MPEP all the answers that I was unsure of and all the answers I needed were there. It was a much more focused course this time and more directed materials. 

Hope you hear good news from all your students.

Very truly yours,

Loretta

From: Brian *****
Organization: FPLC
Subject: April Exam

I passed the Exam thanks to your materials and support throughout the process. I will recommend your course to all who ask at Franklin Pierce. That was the best $500 I ever spent. Thanks again! Regards,

Brian

From: Jerry *****
Subject: Patent Bar Exam

Dear Dave,

I can’t begin to tell you how delighted I was to hear that I had passed the exam on my first try. There is no question in my mind that without taking your course that I would not have been able to pass the exam. When I initially compared your course to others that were out there, I was a little bit nervous - realizing that your course was much less expensive than the others. However, your brouchure explained how this was possible - by eliminating extranous material, etc. Your advertising materials also emphsized that the only way to study for this exam is via self study - that the exam is much better conqured using a very methodical paced program as opposed to trying to assimilate the voluminous material by attending a week-long course. 

Well, Dave, you were right on target. The material can be very overwhelming if you let it. Your structured program, however, organizes the material into very managable bite-sized chunks. Especially helpful were the prior test questions that your course has systematically organized and arranged alongside the respective modules to which they apply. 

Other persons at my school took the exam having used other, more expensive courses to prepare. None of them passed the exam. I can’t say enough about your course. If you would ever like to use me as a reference for your course, feel free to do so at any time. Thanks again. 

Sincerely,

Jerry M., R.Ph., J.D.

From: DJ *****
Subject: Re: PTO EXAM

David:

There were quite a few obscure questions but for the most part the material was pretty standard. I think it was designed more examinee friendly than previous exams but some of the questions were really focused on very subtle, what I generally considered, less important material covered in the M.P.E.P. I was slightly intimidated, prior to the start of the exam; I talked to several people who were there taking the exam for a 2nd time. As I was taking the afternoon section, I ran accross answers to the morning section that I could not find when looking for them and, as a result, am sure of 3 questions I missed on the morning section.

Talked to some friends at the post office, They have Monday July 5 off as it is a Federal Holiday. I would not have gotten this question but for seeing this situation in previous exam questions provided by the course. All in all it was a tough experience, my children are glad it is over.

DJG

From: Vinnie *****
Subject: Re: Tapes

David,

I felt very good about the exam. Your condensed outline was great. I really liked the way you covered the material. I like the modules concept and how you broke up the old exam questions to tie directly to the module. The modules were just the right length to keep your interest but still convey adequate material. I also liked the summary at the beginning of each of the modules. I felt as good as I could of hoped and I appreciate all of your effort and help. Also, thanks for the quick responses to my email. You have always been very helpful to me whether it has been on the phone or by email. Do you have any idea when we will see the results to the exam?

Vinnie 

From: Jessica *****
Subject: hi!

well, i took the test last wednesday. everything looked familiar thanks to your prep materials. i will let you know how i did when i find out, and will be happy to write a recommendation of your program if you would like. i found it clear, usable, and thorough. if i (who is an almost PhD with no prior patent experience) can take the exam and feel ok about it, then i think you should consider your course a success. (granted more so if i passed...).

anyway, thanks for the help!!

jessica