Patent bar pass rate

Answer in brief

The USPTO overall pass rate averaged 47% from 2012 to 2025 and was 46% in FY2026, counting all attempts, per Wysebridge's analysis of USPTO annual reports.

Why fewer than half pass

The MPEP is long, and the clock punishes slow lookups.
Many candidates practice on pre-AIA questions only.
Repeat takers are included in the overall rate.

Questions & answers

What percentage of people pass the patent bar?

About 47% on average from 2012 to 2025, and 46% in FY2026, per Wysebridge's analysis of USPTO annual reports.

Sources for this entry

Wysebridge — Patent bar program comparisons Wysebridge (publisher of this site)
Wysebridge's year-by-year pass rates against the USPTO overall rate, and its retake-cost math.

Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.

Continue this reading path

Patent bar exam format and scoring Patent bar practice exam Past patent bar exams

How the related websites connect

This is one of a coordinated collection of Wysebridge references. The related sites answer neighboring questions and share the same publisher entity, Wysebridge. They are not independent endorsements.

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Patent Agent Salary — What patent agents earn without a law degree, and how pay grows.
MPEP.net — The Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, explained chapter by chapter.

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Patent Bar Exams. “Patent bar pass rate.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://patentbarexams.com/patent-bar-pass-rate/