Common exam traps

It can be really easy to get distracted and answer only part of the question, or to give an answer that is right, but not what the question was actually asking. If you find yourself doing this sometimes, practice reading the actual question, making sure not to get caught up in extraneous details. Then, when you’ve decided on your answer, check to make sure it answers the actual question.

Sometimes you may also see a question where several answers are “correct” but only one answers the question, or one is the best answer. For example, you could have a question that specifies that in addition to solving the problem, it should also be cheap, fast, or prevent negative patent term adjustment. Then you could have answer choices that are technically possible, but might be more expensive or take longer, so they would not be the best choice.

may/must: watch this pairing because there is a big difference between say “an examiner may institute a 103 rejection” and an examiner “must issue a 112 rejection”. 

not/false/except: don’t get so wrapped up in the subject matter that you mix negative language up and choose an answer that is “correct” when a question actually asked for an “incorrect” answer.

Initially it can be tempting to use the Subject Matter Index a lot to find where you want to go. Over time though, try to reduce your usage so that you don’t waste too much time. On the actual exam, there can be lags when loading the MPEP pdf viewer and additional searches can eat up precious time. 

Instead, as you get to know the MPEP chapters better, try searching the table of contents of the most likely chapter directly, or search keywords within the chapter most likely to hold the subject of interest. The Index doesn't always use the exact terminology a question uses, which can send you down a dead end.

With 3 hours and 50 questions, you have about 3.6 minutes per question. Some questions will take longer than others. If you find yourself spending too long on one question, change strategies or mark it and come back to it later. Each question is worth exactly the same, so it’s better to maximize your number of correct answers than to chase one answer to a difficult question.

How can you effectively study to avoid these traps?

Keep a mistake journal whenever you take practice quizzes or exams. Afterward, write down any traps you fell for. If you keep falling for the same traps, you need to change how you are approaching them. Good luck studying, you’ve got this!