Patent Law University

The patent bar: the USPTO registration exam

The patent bar is the USPTO’s registration examination. Passing it, with a qualifying scientific or technical background and good moral character, is how you become a registered patent agent, or a registered patent attorney if you are also a member of a state bar.

Start with whether your degree qualifies, then how the exam works, then practice against the clock.

Start here

  1. 1Patent Bar Requirements: Who Can Take the USPTO ExamWho may sit for the patent bar in 2026: the 47 Category A degrees, the Category B science credit options, the FE route, design patents, and citizenship rules.
  2. 2The Patent Bar Exam: Format, Scoring, Fees and Pass RatesHow the USPTO registration exam (the patent bar) works in 2026: 100 questions in six hours, the 70% pass mark, what it covers, fees, scheduling and pass rates.
  3. 3How to Become a Patent AgentThe 2026 path to USPTO registration as a patent agent: degree categories A, B and C, the 100-question exam, the official fees, and the steps after you pass.

More guides

  • How to Become a Patent Attorney

    The 2026 path to becoming a patent attorney: a qualifying technical degree, law school and a state bar, and the USPTO registration exam (the patent bar).

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Patent Law University

Patent Bar exam prep

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General information, not legal advice. How we write and check these guides: our editorial policy.