PEB Governance Board Announcement

Notice for QE Candidates

Arrangements for October 2025 Qualifying Examinations

The Governance Board (GB) of the Patent Examination Board (PEB) has decided that the proposed changes to the Qualifying Examinations Final Diploma will NOT be implemented in the 2025 examination session.

The first examinations for the revised FD syllabi will postpone take place in 2026.

Revised unit syllabi for the Final Diploma have been developed in response to IPReg’s re-accreditation process, the recommendations of the Mercer Review, and feedback from candidates and other stakeholders received during the recent detailed consultation.

The PEB is very grateful to everyone who provided feedback on the proposed changes to the FD syllabi, the assessment materials and the proposed implementation arrangements.

A significant number of feedback responses highlighted the need for candidates to have sufficient time to prepare for new-style examinations. The PEB is very much aware that candidates and employers need clarity and certainty about the implementation of the changes.

The PEB Governance Board (GB), therefore, approached IPReg and received agreement to the following:

1          The first examinations for the revised FD syllabi will be postponed until October 2026 (subject to the approval of the proposed examination format and syllabus by IPReg). The October 2025 Final Diploma Examinations will not assess the revised syllabi. Instead, the 2025 FD examinations will assess the 2024 (legacy) syllabi.

2          After the 2025 session it is the intention of the PEB that there will be no further opportunities to take the FD examinations in the legacy format.

3          Subject to IPReg’s final approval of the PEB’s Response to IPReg’s Re-Accreditation Requirements and Recommendations, as well as the revised syllabi and proposed examination format, the revised suite of Final Diploma syllabi be examined for the first time in October 2026.

It is the intention of the PEB that there will be no significant changes to the revised FD syllabi and specimen assessment materials. However, the PEB will continue to work on refining and testing the proposed approach.

The draft syllabi, specimen question papers and specimen mark schemes can be found here. Candidates and training leads are advised to check the PEB website regularly for the most recent information on the new-style FD examinations.

There will be no changes to the Foundation Certificate examinations in 2025.

PEB Governance Board

January 2025

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