“THE PATKEY SHOW” is a YouTube episode series for people who have a keen interest in Indian Patent Agent Examination. This show is hosted by Cheshta Sharma and Kirtiman Sharma. In this episode, they have answered 3 most frequently asked questions regarding Patent Agent examination :
What is the eligibility criteria to give the Patent Agent Examination?
What is the scope of career enhancement after qualifying for this examination?
How hard is Patent Agent Examination?
Chestha Sharma
I’ll ask the question what is your graduation? If it’s a BA.MBA, then no you’re not eligible. If you are B.Com MBA then you’re not eligible.
Kirtiman Sharma
So what about LLB then?
Chestha Sharma
Hi friends. As promised we are doing the session of Patent Agent examination frequently asked questions every day and every day we are trying to answer your questions. So every day we have Kirtiman Sharma with us and I’m Chestha Sharma. We are picking up three questions that are asked to us on various platforms, maybe on YouTube or LinkedIn, or students are calling us and asking the question. So we have picked up three questions today to answer. So let’s begin with that.
Kirtiman Sharma
All right, I’ll tell you the question. So here’s the first one. The most frequently asked question is what is the eligibility criteria to give the patent agent examination conducted by the Indian government.
Chestha Sharma
Okay, so what is the eligibility criteria? Who are eligible? So there are three criteria. Number one is that you should be a citizen of India, that your citizenship should be of like India. You should have valid proof for that because when you will be filling up the examination form you have to upload this document. The second is that you should be a minimum of 21 years of age minimum. So there’s no upper limit. You can be 50, 60 years of age but yes minimum age is 21. For that, you need to require you need to submit your proof of maybe ten certificates, your date of birth certificate to validate your age minimum of 21. And the third criterion is that you should have a science degree from a recognized University in India. When I say science degree it means you can have a degree either BSc or MSc or B. Pharma,m. Pharma, BTech, MTech. , B. E., Ph.D., MBBS, BDS. So any of these science degrees you have, are eligible to appear for this examination. And in addition, if you are finally a student right, you are about to complete your degree. You are in your 7th semester or eighth semester right now and your result is going to be out.
Chestha Sharma
You are soon giving your final semester examination. You are also eligible to appear for the examination.
Kirtiman Sharma
Alright. So when we say 21 years of age. So I’ll just ask you the variations of the questions that people have asked. Okay. So if you’re saying 21 years of age, when is this, how is this calculated? When do I become a 21? So let’s say I’m right now 20 years of age but next year when the exam is there after the examination I’ll be 21 or what is there a date or something on the date of examination?
Chestha Sharma
On that date you should be minimum 21.
Kirtiman Sharma
Alright. Okay. So that’s the thing to remember. All right. Another variations of these questions are like I’ll ask you some questions. You can tell me if I’m eligible or not. Let’s say I’m a B. Pharma.
Chestha Sharma
Yes. You are eligible if you are a B Pharma graduate.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay. I’m a B tech.
Chestha Sharma
Yes, you are eligible.
Kirtiman Sharma
I’m MBA.
Chestha Sharma
MBA. So what is your graduation degree? MBA is a post graduation. So I’ll ask the question, what is your graduation? If it’s a BA MBA, then no, you’re not eligible. If you are B.Com MBA you’re not eligible if you are BSc MBA, that means you have a graduation degree. That is BSc, that is science, then you’re eligible.
Kirtiman Sharma
Alright. So, what about LLB then? The same thing?
Chestha Sharma
Yes, same. So people are BScLLB. So people with BScLLB are eligible. People with BA.LLB are not eligible. People with BCom, LLB are not eligible for this examination.
Kirtiman Sharma
And what if I’m in the final semester of BSc?
Chestha Sharma
Ok. Yes, you are eligible. And final semester. It’s a science degree and it’s like good to go.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay. So do I need some Marksheet or something? I don’t have it right now because I’m in this final semester.
Chestha Sharma
So you will be having your Marksheet of your previous semester. So you can upload that for now. And whenever your examination is done, whenever the registration process is going on, they will ask your documents again, they’ll do a verification, and then only they will issue you a registration code and your certificate.
Kirtiman Sharma
So let’s say I have a graduation degree from India, but right now I’m not in India. What happens then?
Chestha Sharma
That’s completely. Okay. You can be anywhere in the world to fill up the examination form. But yes, to give the examination, you have to come to India because examination for examination, you have to be physically present in India. It is on the centers. So even if you’re in France or Canada, you can fill out the application form online and you can submit your degree copy. You can upload in PDF format and your admit card will reach you.
Kirtiman Sharma
All right. And what if I’m doing Masters from UK and if I have an Indian degree, so am I eligible? Right?
Chestha Sharma
Yes. Indian science degree from any recognized Indian University is eligible. Maybe you are from other country right now or you are doing a master’s or MBA from other country. You’re eligible.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay. But I have to come to India to give the exam.
Chestha Sharma
Yes, you have to come to India to give the examination.
Kirtiman Sharma
Alright. Okay. That brings us to the second question, which is the most asked question, which is what is the scope of my career enhancement once I qualify this examination called patent agent examination conducted by the Indian government and the Patent Office of India. What is the career scope?
Chestha Sharma
Okay, so this certificate, which is issued by Indian government, by Indian Patent office is of very high prestige, right? There are only a handful of, I would say people who have qualified this exam and are practicing as a patent agent. So in a career scope, you can choose that. How do you want to plan your career? You can go inside a tech or manufacturing company, you can work in an IP firm, you can work in a law firm. Or even you can start your own consulting. And regarding roles and responsibility or main agenda is to help and reach out to more innovators, to more inventors, to more scientists. Maybe they are individual person or maybe they are working in a big company and help them get their invention registered as a patent. Because patent office cannot be everywhere. Right? So they are appointing you as their agent to help them to facilitate innovation and patent in India, especially in India when startup India campaign is going on and a lot of innovation encouragement is there. So there are a lot of schemes rebates available for people, for innovators. So you are the one who will be playing a key role in this.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay, so in this I wanted to ask you said that I’ll be meeting a lot of innovators and inventors. So can I file a patent for myself or can I only file a patent for other people?
Chestha Sharma
No, definitely you can file a patent for yourself. If you are an innovator, you can file it for yourself and you can help others as well.
Kirtiman Sharma
So if I’m an inventor, would it help me to become a patent agent?
Chestha Sharma
Definitely it will help you. If you’re an inventor, you will know what are your rights as an inventor, what things can be patented, what things cannot be patented. You will get more ideas to find a new innovative solutions. And let me tell you that a lot of innovators worked in a patent office before they become innovators. Right? So this is how we are going to be a better inventor once you have this knowledge.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay, will I be getting a job or will I have to start my own business? So what’s the case here?
Chestha Sharma
Both can be done. So when the examination results are out, your name is published on Indian patent office website that these are the people who have qualified with this and these are the marks and this is the list. So a lot of companies will come to you, they will approach you that we want to hire you.
Right?
So you can choose that where you want to work with. Or you can start your own consulting with practical knowledge that you know how to file a patent, how to draft a patent which is included when you are actually preparing for the examination.
Kirtiman Sharma
Okay, but again, what kind of jobs will I get?
Chestha Sharma
So jobs, your job role will be to your designation is of patent agent. First of all, if I talk about roles and responsibility, let’s say you’re working inside a law firm. So as a law firm, you will get a lot of clients who are innovating, like maybe a startup company working on AI or maybe a big giant Pharma company who wants to get patent on their drug formulation. So you will be understanding their innovation. You will be working with CTOs of the company and then you will be communicating their invention to IPO Indian Patent Office or maybe to WIPO when you are filing in Pct application. So you act as a bridge between CTOs of company and the patent office and help them invention get recognized as a patent.
Kirtiman Sharma
All right. So again, in the career section only, what is the salary I can expect if I get a job?
Chestha Sharma
Okay. Salary is variable. It depends upon your qualification. It depends upon your experience. Let’s say you are a B.Pharma, you’re a fresher.
Kirtiman Sharma
I’m a fresher. Yeah.
Chestha Sharma
So expect around three to 3.5 LPA because you are still starting your career. But you have a pharma knowledge. Plus you have your patent certificate. So this is a good point. To start with this salary, it can grow up to like six or seven Lakh LPA. Let’s say you work with clients. Once you are filing a patent, your patent is granted. Then your authenticity, your credibility in the market increases and your salary increases and even you start your own consulting. That gives you a lot of credibility that you have filed and prosecuted so many applications.
Kirtiman Sharma
I hope all the questions on the scope of career scope especially after patent agents is cleared right. By the way all of you guys if you have any more questions please just keep on asking in the comment section and we will try to reply to them all or we’ll create a new video uh answering your questions all right moving further the final question that is the category uh is this exam tough or easy what it is?
Chestha Sharma
Okay so this examination,I would say it is easy right.
It is easy for the ones who are prepared for the examination, it is tough for those who are not prepared as simple as that right but i would say it is easy as compared to other examinations like net and gate why because net in gate examination have two vast syllabus right this examination is a very specified goal right, it has a very specified curriculum that what is a patent, how patent should be filed, what are the steps and if there’s an invention how to draft .So, these are two pillars right: understanding the patent process and understanding invention.
To get to write a parent application so it’s based on two key pillars, so if you are done if you understand these two pillars the examination is easy.
Kirtiman Sharma
Alright, so let’s say some people say that you know i’m a lawyer or you know this guy is a lawyer so it’s going to be easy for him is that so?
Chestha Sharma
I would say yes lawyers may have a little advantage because they know the legal language but yeah they will find it challenging when they have to read the invention and draft a patent. So, I wouldn’t say i was this very biased to say that it will be easy for one person or difficult for another . Again my point is it is easy for everyone who is prepared .
Kirtiman Sharma
Yeah so, what i feel about it about this is, you know if lawyers have an advantage towards you know because they have a habit of reading laws then science people you know who are not lawyers all of you guys who are going to give this examination are going to be science graduates so all of you guys also have an advantage because you are going to be able to understand whatever is written because it’s going to be a patent and patent only is granted you know it relates to technology so you guys are well versed in technology, well versed in scientific understanding, so you also have an edge if so everybody has everybody has edge everybody has some plus and minus so utilize your plus work on your minus and you are good to go.
Yeah, So that’s it for today’s blog ,please ask all your questions all your frequently asked questions whatever you want to know about patent agent examination conducted by the Indian government in the comment section below and we will answer all of your question .
We hope this blog clear your doubts and if you want to learn more about patent agent examination, we recommend our “Free Masterclass of Patkey, Patent agent examination prep.” It will help you understand on how you can push start your career in Intellectual property. Thank you this is Kirtiman Sharma this is Cheshta Sharma
Goodbye!
