http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2021/03/a-chaotic-start-to-eeqes.html
Today is the first day of the online EQE (eEQE), following on from Monday’s online pre-EQE . Unfortunately, it seems that things have not begun well. Reports have reached this Kat that some candidates experienced significant issues with the online system during the first session of Paper D today.
The EQE Examination Secretariat has chosen to carry out the European exams using a more advanced online set-up than that used by the PEB last year for the UK patent exams (which, in the end, turned out to be nothing more than a Zoom chat room for candidates and invigilators (IPKat)). The EPO is instead using the WISEflow system in combination with the “LockDown browser”. The online proctoring system for the eEQE combines human and software based invigilation. As usual, Delta Patents has done a sterling job of keeping candidates informed in the run up to the European examinations.
| eEQE candidate |
The EQE papers are supposed to be provided to candidates at the start of each exam as a PDF in the three EPO official languages (English, French and German). Unfortunately, at the start of Paper D today, a number of candidates taking the exam in the UK report that they were only able to access the German version of the paper. It is unclear how quickly this issue was rectified. Candidates report that accessing the correct paper required a page refresh, but that they were only told this by their invigilator half an hour into the exam time. Only 10 minutes extra time was then apparently added to compensate for the 30 minute delay. Unsurprisingly, candidates complained to the invigilator that more time should be added.
With only 20 minutes of the exam left to go, candidates report that an announcement was given extending the examination time by 30 minutes. Unfortunately, there was a further glitch in the system meaning that some candidates reportedly did not even receive the extra time (or were even randomly kicked off the system during the extra 20 minutes). Despite the lengthened exam time, scheduled breaks between the parts of Paper D were not extended, giving candidates limited time to recover from this rather chaotic start to the full day of examinations.
It is as of yet unclear how many candidates were unable to access the question paper in the appropriate language, or how long it took for all candidates to receive the correct paper. There will undoubtedly be calls for the Examination Secretariat to compensate those affected.
Let’s hope the EPO are able to sort out some of these teething problems by tomorrow’s exam. At the very least, it seems that better communication from invigilators might help to alleviate some of the stress experienced by candidates during the course of the exam itself.
Good luck everyone in the remaining exams!
UPDATE: A reminder to candidates wishing to file a complaint about the exam should do this on the same day as the exam (OJ EPO 2021, A13):
“11. If a candidate wants to file a complaint concerning the conduct of the pre-examination or the main examination, they must do so as soon as possible (at the latest by the end of the day on which the examination was taken) by emailing it together with a written statement of the facts to the Examination Secretariat ([email protected]).
39. Any disruptions during the examination for which candidates are not responsible or which are beyond their control must be reported to the Examination Secretariat within 24 hours of the end of the relevant examination (via email to [email protected])”
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