All about Paper M1
Paper M1 Basics
Date: 2 March 2027
Length: 3 hours, with a one-hour break in between
Paper M1 is split into two parts. The first part is to be completed before the break, with the second part only becoming available after the break. It will not be possible to go back to the first part after the break.
Start time: 9:30 CET
Schedule in 2027
Topic: The EPO has published a Mock M1 exam, and the first M1 exam in 2026 was quite similar to that. The first part of the exam tests the legal elements of drafting, defending and attacking, while the second part is a small case testing defending.
According to the REE ("Regulation on the European qualifying examination for professional representatives"), Art.1(5)(b): “Paper M1 assesses whether the candidate can carry out tasks relating to the analysis and assessment of information and evaluate and act on instructions from a client. It further assesses whether the candidate can understand an invention and/or data provided by the client, assess the invention in view of prior art and analyse whether the invention and the application or patent comply with the provisions of the EPC.”
IPREE Rule 23: “Paper M1 may comprise different types of questions, such as multiple-choice questions, multi-select questions, tabular questions, questions requiring a fill-in answer, dropdown menu questions, rating choice/rank order questions, multi-point scale matrix questions and/or drag and drop questions, as well as open questions requiring a free-text answer.”
Syllabus: According to IPREE Rule 23(4), candidates are expected to be familiar with at least the documents listed in IPREE Rule 21(1)(a), (b), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), (m), (o), (s) and (t): “Unless otherwise provided, candidates are expected to be familiar with at least the following documents in the versions valid as at 31 October of the year prior to the examination:
(a) the EPC
(b) the Implementing Regulations to the EPC
(e) the Rules relating to Fees
(g) the PCT
(h) the Regulations under the PCT
(i) the PCT Applicant's Guide
(j) the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
(k) the lists of EPC contracting states, extension states and validation states, of contracting states to the PCT and of states which have ratified the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court
(m) the Guidelines for Examination in the EPO
(o) the Guidelines for Search and Examination at the EPO as PCT Authority
(s) Code of Conduct of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office
(t) Regulation on discipline for professional representatives.
Threshold for passing: between 50% and 75% of the total achievable marks in both parts of M1 (we don’t know the exact passing threshold before the exam). In order to pass Paper M1, both parts have to be passed in one sitting, like for Paper F (see IPREE Rule 6(4)).
Documents that can be printed: ⚠️ There is an important change in the EQE 2027: No part of any examination paper will be made available to candidates in advance as a printable document.
Paper M1 course
M1 study group with Khushbu Solanki
9 October – 13 November 2026 (6 weeks in total)
Meeting Time: Fridays 10-13:00 CET (9-12:00 UK time)
This Paper M1 course includes six meetings, with the first two lessons focusing on the theoretical parts of the syllabus (patentability, types of claims, priority, novelty, inventive step, added matter, unity, clarity, and sufficiency), and the remaining four sessions including practical exercises.
Click on the "Learn more" button below to read the study plan and more details.
How to deal with Paper M1?
The new M1 exam tests analytical skills, as well as the understanding and evaluation of the client’s instructions. Try to understand what was being tested by carefully reading and learning from the Examiners’ reports. You should learn how to best analyse the text; for example by taking notes in a simple table, highlighting the text with different colours, or using any other methods that work for you.
If you didn’t complete all the claims analysis exercises before your Paper F exam, those might be good practice too. You can learn how to read and analyse descriptions and claims, and compare them to the prior art.
In the old EQE exams, it was very important to follow the client’s instructions while also complying with the EPC. The client knows what makes their invention novel and inventive, but they are not really aware of the EPC and have no idea what Art. 123(2) or Art. 84 are. So, you cannot just blindly follow the client’s instructions; you have to make sure that your solution meets the requirements.
Also, don’t forget that the EQE is an artificial exam where your claim (or claim amendment, etc.) has to be novel and inventive in the exam, even though in real life you get more chances to argue with the examiner.
You should also understand and practise the problem-solution approach, as that will most likely be tested in this new exam.
By studying the EPC and PCT for M2, you will also be preparing for any legal questions that might appear in Part 1 of M1.
How to prepare for Paper M1?
Part 1
Part 1 is the most similar to the claims analysis part of the old Pre-exams. However, there are also quite a few differences. M1 is definitely more complex (although not necessarily more difficult) because it tests more skills.
Typically, the following legal topics are tested in this part: novelty, inventive step, amendments, claim types, unity, clarity, priority, basic knowledge of infringement, and the scope of claims. Therefore, I highly recommend studying these topics by reading the relevant Guidelines sections and/or answering questions from the DeltaPatents Main Exam Questions book. After you have the necessary legal foundation, you can check out the mock M1, past M1 exam(s), and a few Pre-exam claims analysis exercises.
Part 2
Part 2 is the most similar to the old Paper B. That being said, Part 2 of the M1 exam is much simpler and shorter than the old Paper B exams. The invention is easier to understand, there are fewer claims, and the prior art documents are also very short.
The legal topics tested in this part are basically the same as in Part 1. The most important topics are definitely novelty, inventive step, and amendments. They can also test smaller topics like unity and clarity, but novelty, inventive step, and amendments will likely account for about 70-80% of the marks. You're also expected to have a basic knowledge of infringement and the scope of claims. This means that you will need the same legal foundation for Part 2 as for Part 1.
After you have the necessary legal foundation, you can practise on old Paper B exams, but you don't have to worry about solving full Paper B exams under time pressure. Instead, focus on understanding the invention, identifying the relevant differences over the prior art, and choosing appropriate amendments.
However, it's very important that you always read the Examiners' Reports to understand what candidates were expected to do. They often explain why certain amendments or arguments are better than others, so they are an important part of your preparation.
Good luck with your exam preparation!