The necessary academic qualifications and qualifying examinations (“QE”) referred to in Chapter 3 of the Core Regulatory Framework, are set out in the Examination and Admission Rules 2011.
Prospective students should contact the relevant university or examination board directly if they have any queries regarding their circumstances or the university's course or examination. Only the university or examination board can verify whether an individual meets their entry requirements and whether any exemptions might apply (see below). IPReg cannot provide exemptions to examinations, or provide advice or become involved in these assessments.
REGISTERED TRADE MARK ATTORNEY - QUALIFYING COURSES
To qualify as a registered trade mark attorney an applicant will first need to successfully complete one of the IPReg-accredited foundation certificate trademark courses:
Bournemouth - Postgraduate Intellectual Property Certificate current fee £5,634
Bournemouth - Intellectual Property LLM current fee £9,500
Brunel - Postgraduate Intellectual Property Certificate current fee £4,580
Brunel - Intellectual Property Law LLM current fee £13,750
Queen Mary London - Postgraduate Trade Mark Law and Practice Certificate current fee £10,500
Queen Mary London - Postgraduate Intellectual Property Certificate current fee £10,500
Queen Mary London - Management of Intellectual Property MSc current fee £19,800
Followed by the IPReg-accredited advanced level (professional practice skills) course:
Nottingham Trent University - Trade Mark Practice Certificate current fee £9,300.
PATENT ATTORNEY - QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS AND COURSES
To qualify as a patent attorney an applicant will first need to successfully complete one of the patent iterations of the Postgraduate Intellectual Property Certificates identified above (as offered by the universities of Bournemouth, Brunel and Queen Mary London) or the IPReg-accredited foundation certificate examinations - see here for the foundation certificate examinations syllabus, as provided by the Patent Examination Board - of which there are 5 potential examinations - current fee £375 x 5 = £1,875.
They will then need to successfully complete the IPReg-accredited advanced level examinations - see here for the final diploma examinations syllabus, as provided by the Patent Examination Board - of which there are 4 potential examinations - current fee £550 x 4 = £2,200.
There are commercially available courses to prepare candidates for the patent attorney examinations. These are not accredited by IPReg.
Important note for 2025 PEB Examinations
The PEB has opened registration for the 2025 Qualifying Examinations as planned on Monday 23 June 2025. The IPReg Board's final decision on reaccrediation of the 2025 FC exams and accreditation of the FD exams will be made at its meeting of 10 July 2025.
EXEMPTIONS
Exemptions are set out in Schedule 3 of the Rules for Examination and Admission. It is for the relevant university/examination board to verify if any exemptions apply to an individual's circumstance. IPReg cannot advise on or become involved in individual cases.
European Qualifying Examinations
IPReg is undertaking work to understand the new EQE framework and will work with relevant stake holders, including the PEB and CIPA, to determine the nature of exemptions recognised to PEB Final Diploma examinations. The exact nature of any exemptions will not be known until the EPO have released sample papers of the relevant examinations which we expect in the upcoming months.
The historic Joint Examination Board examinations and the pre-2013 course offers of the universities of Bournemouth, Brunel, Manchester, and Queen Mary are no longer recognised for the purposes of entry on to the IPReg register(s). If you wish to rely on these historic qualifications, you will need to apply to IPReg for their recognition on the basis of extenuating circumstances using the waiver application form (you must have an IPReg account to make this application so submit your application for registration first). Please see paragraph 12 of the Admission and Authorisation SOP. Annex 1 to the FAQs provides further information.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have prepared a document containing Frequently Asked Questions which addresses many of the common questions we receive. Please refer to this document before getting in touch with IPReg to make an enquiry, as in many cases your question will be answered here.