Patent Agent Qualifying Examination - 2010 Report - Annexe

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Annexe A

Table 1

Statistics on the four papers for the 2010 Exam.
  Paper A Paper B Paper C Paper D
# of papers 195 204 121 182
average mark 40.4 43.5 54.8 47.1
marks 60 + 19 16 48 27
50 to 59 32 54 41 47
40 to 49 47 58 21 71
under 40 97 76 11 37
highest 72 75 80 74.5
lowest 8.5 8.5 7.5 6

ANNEXE B

Graph 1

Average Mark

Exam A
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Average 48.3 52.3 51.7 54.98 53.2 49.5 43.9 40.4
  54 52.716 51.43 50.144 48.858 47.572 46.286 45

Paper A has a high variance over time and the average mark is trending downwards

Graph 2

Average Mark

Exam B
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Average 57.20 51.60 49.30 42.62 50.80 45 40.50 43.50
  54 52.142 50.285 48.428 46.571 44.714 42.857 41

Paper B has a high variance over time and the average mark is trending downwards. The 2010 average falls near the trend line.

Graph 3

Average Mark

Exam C
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Average 55.60 54.70 54.80 53.90 49.40 50.00 61.00 54.80
  54 54.143 54.286 54.429 54.572 54.715 54.858 55

Paper C has a low variance over time. The 2010 average falls on the trend line.

Graph 4

Average Mark

Exam D
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Average 55.6 46.6 37.6 38.04 50.5 50.1 46.6 47.1
  47 46.858 46.715 46.572 46.429 46.286 46.143 46

Paper D has a low variance over time and the average mark is stabilizing. The 2010 average is very close to the trend line.

Graph 5

Overall and First Try Pass Rates (full pass)

Overall (blue) and First (yellow) Pass Rates
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Overall 30.9322 30.98039 16.42512 11.52074 27.8481 17.31602 15 13
  28 25.784 23.57 21.356 19.142 16.928 14.714 12.5
First time 8.474576 9.411765 3.381643 2.304147 5.063291 4.329004 4 2
  8 7.142 6.285 5.428 4.571 3.714 2.857 2

Overall pass rates (blue) and first time pass rates (yellow) have been declining, with overall pass rates dropping faster.

Graph 6

Total number of candidates, total full pass and pass on first try

Total Writes, Pass and Pass on First Try
  2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Total Writes 236 255 207 217 237 231 284 259
  225 229.857 234.714 239.571 244.428 249.285 254.142 259
Pass 73 79 34 25 66 40 31 27
  70 63.858 57.715 51.572 45.429 39.286 33.143 27
Pass on First Try 20 24 7 5 12 10 10 5
  20 17.858 15.715 13.572 11.429 9.286 7.143 5

The total number of candidates (blue) has a slight upward trend. The number of candidates who pass (green) has a slight downwards trend and candidates who pass on first try (yellow) remains at a fairly constant, low rate.

Graph 7

Years needed to pass the four papers

Years Needed to pass All Exams
  1 2 3 4 5
Percentage 29 41 16 8 6

The average successful candidate takes 2 years to pass all four papers. 94% of successful candidates pass all four within 4 years and 86% within 3 years. 70% of successful candidates have passed within two attempts at writing the exam.

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