About Jonathan Foster: I’m Jonathan, a trainee patent attorney in our Leeds office. I have a background in Physics, Nanotechnology & Biophysics, and am particularly interested in the use of physics in the medical field. Alongside my training, I am also the Welfare Officer to the CIPA Informals, a committee member of the Institute of Physics Early Career Members’ Group, and an advisory board member for the charity Jonathan’s Voice.’
About Emily Bevan-Smith: I’m Emily, a trainee patent attorney based in our Leeds office. I graduated from Cardiff University with a master’s degree in Chemistry. I now work with a range of clients across the chemical and medical industry to secure and maintain protection of their IP. In my free time I enjoy travelling and exploring new places, always with my dog in tow, and trying out new foods and recipes.
With the European exams now over, and the PEB exam results day fast approaching, March can be a particularly stressful time of year for trainee patent attorneys. With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to provide some information relating to the PEB exam results, to help trainees, and those around them, know what to expect.
When?
On 28March 2022, the results for the PEB exams taken in October 2021 will be issued.
How?
the results will be sent to you by email to the address you supplied upon registration. Note that this is often a personal email address, so do be surprised if they turn up there!
What to expect?
For each examination, you will receive the marks awarded by question or section. To pass the exam you will need to score at least 50 marks on each paper. In previous years, candidates have received two separate emails, one containing their marks, and one containing their marked scripts. Normally, you’ll receive the overall marks email first, however, this hasn’t always been the case.
Exam resources
It is normal to feel worried about exam results, especially if you’re under pressure from employers, colleagues or family members.
It is important to keep everything in perspective. Exams can help you take the next step in your professional career; however, results are not the only measure of success. In addition to this, it’s absolutely normal for trainees to fail exams – they’re really tough, and are not really comparable to exams during school/college/university etc.
However, if you start to feel overwhelmed or the stress of results is beginning to affect your daily life (for example your sleeping or eating habits) you are not alone, and it’s important to address the cause of these symptoms.
It can be helpful to talk to someone, such as a friend, a family member, a colleague or a Mental Health First Aider. The CIPA Informals have a support email (informalswelfare@gmail.com) specifically for trainee patent attorneys. Your firm may also have an internal support network – for example, Appleyard Lees have a number of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
There are also various helplines that can be found on the Yellow Sheet Blog Welfare and Wellbeing tab.
Remember, you don’t have to be in a crisis to reach out, and, in reality, you won’t be alone in how you’re feeling!
Unhappy with your results?
If you are unhappy with your results, PEB advises that in the first instance you consider your answer script with your training supervisor alongside the mark scheme, the examiner’s report and the sample pass scripts. However, if you remain concerned, the PEB Enquiries about Results Policy sets out what steps you can take, such as requesting an investigation by an independent person (appeal).
