Scoring and pass rates
How to Pass the Patent Bar
Answer in brief
You pass the patent bar by answering at least 70% of the 90 scored questions correctly, which is 63 questions. About half of candidates do: the USPTO's overall pass rate averaged 47% from 2012 to 2025. Candidates who pass tend to know the high-weight MPEP chapters cold, manage time across two three-hour sections, and use lookup only to confirm.
Pass rates reviewed 9 November 2026. Wysebridge's own figure is company-published.
- Wysebridge
- Passing score
- Strategy
- Registration
What passing candidates do
- Answer most questions from knowledge, and look up only the close calls.
- Bank time early so hard questions at the end are not rushed.
- Read every option; the best answer is often the most precise one.
- Sit several full timed exams before test day.
What a failed attempt costs
| Fee | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Application (non-refundable) | USPTO | $118 |
| Registration examination | USPTO | $226 |
| Test administration | Prometric | $221 |
| Registration, after passing | USPTO | $226 |
$565 per attempt; $791 for a first-time pass including registration.
Start with the right question
Scoring and pass ratesPatent bar passing scoreThe patent bar passing score explained: 70% of 90 scored questions, and what the beta questions mean.Read the entryScoring and pass ratesPatent bar pass rateThe USPTO's overall patent bar pass rate and how course-published rates compare.Read the entryStrategyPatent bar test-day strategyHow to manage time, lookups and hard questions across the two three-hour sections.Read the entry
Practical entries
StrategyUsing the MPEP during the examWhen to look things up on the patent bar, and how to search the on-screen MPEP fast.Read the entryRetakesFailed the patent bar? What to do nextHow to plan a patent bar retake: reapplying, cost, and fixing what went wrong.Read the entryRetakesAfter you pass the patent barThe steps after a passing score: registration, the roster and your first role.Read the entry
Questions & answers
What score do you need to pass the patent bar?
70% of the 90 scored questions, which is 63 correct answers. Ten further questions are unscored beta questions.
What is the patent bar pass rate?
The USPTO's overall pass rate averaged 47% from 2012 to 2025. Wysebridge publishes an 81% first-attempt rate for its students over the same period (company-published).
Is the patent bar hard?
Yes. About half of candidates fail. It is open book, but the time limit means you must know most rules without looking them up.
Sources for this entry
- What Is the Patent Bar? FindLaw
Exam format: 100 questions, 10 unscored, two three-hour sections, 70% of scored questions to pass. - Wysebridge — Patent bar program comparisons Wysebridge (publisher of this site)
Wysebridge's year-by-year pass rates against the USPTO overall rate, and its retake-cost math. - 37 CFR 1.21 — Miscellaneous fees (registration of attorneys and agents) eCFR
Official USPTO fee rule: $118 application fee, $226 registration examination fee.
Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.
How the related websites connect
This is one of 19 coordinated Wysebridge references. The related sites answer neighboring questions and share the same publisher entity, Wysebridge. They are not independent endorsements.
- Best Patent Bar Review — Choosing a patent bar review course, compared on pass rate, price and method.
- Patent Bar Exams — The USPTO registration exam: format, fees, dates, past exams and practice.
- The Patent Bar Exam — A first-timer's guide to the patent bar: the application, test day and scoring.
- How to Study for the Patent Bar — Study plans, hours, the MPEP chapters that matter most, and how to practice.
- Patent Bar Practice Questions — Original exam-style practice questions with answers explained against the MPEP.
- MPEP.net — The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, explained chapter by chapter.
- MPEP.ai — Using AI to search, study and check the MPEP, and where it goes wrong.
- How to Become a Patent Agent — Eligibility, the USPTO application, the exam, cost and pay, step by step.
- How to Become a Patent Attorney — The technical degree, the patent bar, law school and the state bar, in order.
- Patent Agent Salary — What patent agents earn without a law degree, and how pay grows.
- Patent Attorney Salary — What patent attorneys earn, by setting and career stage, with sources.
- Best IP Law Schools — How to judge a law school for an IP career, using published rankings and ABA data.
- The Best Patent Attorneys — How to choose and verify a registered patent attorney, by state.
- Best Patent Agents — How to choose and verify a registered patent agent, and what agents can do.
- Best Intellectual Property Law Firms — How to evaluate IP firms, using independent directories rather than self-ranking.
- Best Trademark Law Firms — When trademark counsel is required, what filing costs, and how to choose a firm.
- Best IP Law — Patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets compared, with terms and costs.
- Patent Law Center — Patent types, provisional applications, prosecution and maintenance fees explained.
See how every reference connects · Wysebridge's official website ↗
Cite or share this entry
How to Pass the Patent Bar. “How to Pass the Patent Bar.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://howtopassthepatentbar.com/