Instructions to candidates concerning the conduct of the examination
Having regard to Article 7(2) of the Regulation on the European qualifying examination for professional representatives (REE) as worded in the text dated 9 December 1993 (OJ EPO 1994, 7), the Examination Board has amended its instructions (OJ EPO 1995, 145) which entered into force on 1 February 2002, to read as follows (OJ EPO 2002, 116):
1. Candidates who fail to comply with instructions given by the Examination Board or, on the basis thereof, by the invigilators, may be disqualified from the examination. The Board will take a decision on the matter as soon as possible after the examination. However, if candidates disturb other candidates the invigilators are empowered to suspend them at once from the paper during which this occurs.
2. After they have taken their seats in the hall but before the starting bell rings, candidates may ask questions orally regarding the conduct of the examination. After the starting bell has rung, any questions must be asked in writing. Questions relating to the text of papers will normally not be answered.
3. In the hall, each candidate will be supplied with:
(a)1 a single copy of the relevant papers in German, English and French, which contains in the case of Paper B an additional copy of the claims with the title "Working copy (for cutting and pasting)",
(b) a sufficient supply of paper,
(c) a coloured sheet and an envelope,
(d) on the morning and afternoon of the second day, upon request a copy of the papers in (a) technical specialisation(s) other than that (those) indicated on the enrolment application form.
4. Candidates must bring a black pen and are advised to bring the material and documents as listed under 4.1 and 4.2. These will not be available at the examination centre. They are free to bring any additional material or documents, except for the items mentioned under point 6.1. None of these materials or documents may, however, be inserted in the answer paper.
4.1 A yellow highlighting pen, scissors, a staple remover, paper clips, glue and transparent gummed tape;
4.2 The documents mentioned below in the versions valid as at 31 December of the year preceding the European qualifying examination in question:
(a) Convention on the Grant of European Patents (European Patent Convention)
(b) Implementing Regulations to the Convention on the Grant of European Patents
(c) Protocol on the Centralisation of the European Patent System and on its Introduction (Protocol on Centralisation)
(d) Protocol on Jurisdiction and the Recognition of Decisions in respect of the Right to the Grant of a European Patent (Protocol on Recognition)
(f) Notice of the President of the EPO concerning the arrangements for deposit accounts
(g) Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
(h) Regulations under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
(i) Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
(j) List of the contracting states to the European Patent Convention and of the contracting states to the PCT.
5.2 Candidates are requested:
5.1 to occupy the place they have been allocated in the hall throughout the examination unless otherwise advised;
5.2 when the starting bell rings, to write their full name (legibly!) and usual signature on the separate coloured sheet;
5.3 to number the sheets of their answer paper at the top in consecutive arabic numerals;
5.4 to write on one side of the sheet only;
5.5 to write legibly! Scripts that cannot be read cannot be marked. Candidates have to bear in mind that their answer papers may be marked by examiners whose mother-tongue is not the language in which the paper is written;
5.6 to write in black only and to use only yellow highlighting pens. Candidates have to bear in mind that their answer papers will be photocopied for marking;
5.7 (deleted)
5.8 when the closing bell rings:
(a) to stop writing immediately,
(b) to place the answer paper together with the duly filled-in coloured sheet in the envelope provided. No other documents must be placed in the envelope.
(c) to hand in the envelope promptly to an invigilator.
(d) Should a candidate realise, before leaving the examination room, that he has forgotten to place part of his answer in the envelope, he should inform the invigilator immediately. The forgotten part should be placed in a separate envelope signed by the candidate, indicating his name as well as the date and time when the forgotten part was handed in. The closing bell will be announced 5 minutes before it rings.
6.3 Candidates are not permitted to:
6.1 bring to the examination any electronic devices, unless express prior permission to use such device has been given by the Examination Secretariat;
6.1a use staplers or any other material that may disturb other candidates;
6.2 look at the examination paper before the starting bell rings, unless instructed to do so by an invigilator;
6.3 cheat or attempt to cheat;
6.4 communicate with each other between the starting bell and the closing bell;
6.5 write their name or initials anywhere other than on the coloured sheet;
6.6 smoke in the hall;
6.7 leave the hall without the consent of an invigilator, which may be withheld in particular if the examination is being conducted at more than one centre at different times.
7. Complaints concerning the conduct of the examination will not be entertained by the Examination Board unless a written statement of the facts is submitted to an invigilator at the latest half an hour after the closing bell has rung on the final day of the examination.