Preparation for Paper M3 2027 courses offered as on-site and/or online training

The EQE candidates will sit the first Paper M3 in March 2027. Paper M3 2027 will take place on 8 and 9 March 2027 and is intended for those candidates who fulfil the requirements to present themselves to this examination (see the new Regulation on the EQE; Supplementary publication 3 – OJ EPO 2024). Candidates must have performed at least three years of professional activity and have passed paper F in order to take the new paper M3. Alternatively, candidates can take all papers M1-M4 after gaining 3 years of practice, but then they need to pass M2, and M1 or M3.

Paper M3 is defined in Article 1(5)(d) REE. It assesses whether the candidate can evaluate, draft and develop patent documentation and submissions, based on documents and instructions from the client. It consists of three parts (drafting of claims, defending of a patent application or a patent, attacking a patent application or a patent). Each part requires a free-text answer. Total duration of 7,5 hours, spread over two days. All parts must be passed in one sitting.

CEIPI organises a 5-day seminar preparing for paper M3 2027, either onsite in Strasbourg (including, however, a mock exam part online) or exclusively online in October and November 2026. This seminar is complemented with a mock examination course in February 2027, to help candidates in preparing themselves for paper M3.

The seminar preparing for paper M3 will take place from 26 to 29 October 2026, completed by the correction of a M3 mock exam on 9 and 10 November 2026 (afternoon online sessions).

The October part of the seminar will be offered either as a "Strasbourg seminar" on-site, or remotely. Experience has shown that the on-site training format prepares candidates most efficiently for the examination, because it intensifies interaction between tutors and participants and among the course participants. The CEIPI therefore recommends to give priority to the on-site training format. However, in order to also prepare those candidates for the EQE who cannot attend the on-site seminar, the course preparing for Paper M3 of the EQE 2027 will also be offered as online training. Both training formats will include the correction of a M3 mock exam, exclusively online.

Participants are expected to have reached an advanced stage in their own preparation for the examination.

The methodologies to tackle Paper M3 are discussed and further developed, using exercises developed by CEIPI, under the guidance of a tutor. Essential topics such as prior art, novelty, the problem-and-solution approach, priority, unallowable amendments, clarity, sufficiency of disclosure, dependent and independent claims, argumentation and prior use are also discussed further.

After the introductory part on general and procedural knowledge, participants have the opportunity to apply the strategies and methodologies discussed in the seminar with multiple exercises which are discussed in class with the tutor. An M3 exam is taken (all three parts) by the candidates on their own after which online classes are organised to discuss the solution. The seminar will take into account the specificities of the e-EQE.

This seminar will be organised in the three official languages of the EPO  (German, English and French).

Mock exam course preparing for paper M3 2027

The mock exam course preparing for paper M3 2027 will take place on 2 and 3 February 2027. It will exlusively be organized online.

Candidates wishing to improve their skills in respect of paper M3 are strongly advised to also enrol for this mock exam course. In this course, candidates put themselves under examination conditions and write a full paper M3 at home within the same time as available in the EQE examination and according to the format of this paper.

This concept has been developed over the recent years for papers F, M1 and M2, and previous papers A, B, C and D.

The aim of the course is to give the candidates the possibility, close to but also sufficiently in advance of the EQE 2027, to exercise their skills in sitting a paper under examination conditions. With the feedback of a tutor following afterwards and the possibility of asking last-minute questions, candidates will have a better idea of whether certain issues need closer study and/or which skills should be further trained. 

The course is offered in English, German and French language.

The course is open only for candidates who have enrolled for paper M3 of the EQE 2027.

See our complete price offer for 2026-2027

Please note that early enrolment is advisable.

For organizational reasons, the number of participants has to be limited. Applications will be treated on a first come, first served basis. If the seminars are oversubscribed, names will be put on a waiting list.

Closing dates for the submission of applications:

For seminar M3:  26 September 2026

• Enrolment fees: 2 000 €

For the mock exam course M3: 8 January 2027

• Enrolment fees: 800 €

The below registration form must be completed and returned by email to CEIPI with the documents indicated.

You will then receive an agreement, which must be signed and returned to us in order for your enrolment to be confirmed.