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FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions on the How To Pass FD2 Training Programme.
Preparation
At a minimum, you must have read the CIPA Study Guide To FD2 before you start the Programme. Any preparation you’ve done on top of that is a bonus.
Absolutely. But please understand that this Programme doesn’t teach you how to draft a patent specification; it teaches you how to pass FD2. It assumes that you have some familiarity with patent drafting.
That’s not a problem. FD2 is intended to be suitable for candidates of any technical background. Experience suggests that the main concern from candidates without a mechanical background is not having mechanical terminology at their disposal. The FD2 Examiners stress that all of the claim terminology should be found in the FD2 question paper, so this in itself shouldn’t be a concern. We cover useful claim wording and formulations that can help with mechanical drafting too.
Materials
This means that the materials are accessible via the How To Pass FD2 website. You’ll need to log in to view the materials. The materials will not be available to download.
How To Pass FD2 Training Programme vs Revision Course vs Self-Study
Some benefits the How To Pass FD2 Training Programme are:
- Extended learning over a number of months, providing time to digest one topic before moving on to the next.
- Different packages available to suit different candidates’ needs.
- Individual feedback available on three past papers.
- Fully online – no need to be away from home or work, or incur travel or accommodation costs.
When might a revision course offer benefits over The How To Pass FD2 Training Programme:
- If you specifically want an in-person course (assuming that option is offered); the How To Pass FD2 Training Programme is fully online.
- If you want to compress your external revision help for FD2 into just a day or two, rather than have that extend over a longer time period.
Some of the key benefits of the How To Pass FD2 Training Programme over self-study are:
- Learn about exam technique before you start attempting past papers.
- Try some of the warm-up exercises in the exam technique materials before you start attempting past papers.
- The most important benefit: individual feedback on past paper attempts, which is likely to be more objective than reviewing your own answers against the Examiners’ Reports.
Past Paper Reviews & Debriefs
The feedback is primarily intended to identify strengths and areas for improvement in your past paper attempts. The feedback will include an indicative mark level, namely “likely fail”, “borderline”, or “likely pass”. However, it intentionally will not include a score.
Please can in touch with us if you’d like to discuss this; we can consider this on a case-by-case basis. We’re more likely to be able to provide feedback on a batch of past paper answers, rather than on a single past paper answer in isolation.
We aim to provide feedback within three weeks of receiving your past paper attempt.
They are the 2013, 2014 and 2019 papers. They’re relatively recent papers that test a range of skills and present a variety of challenges. Debrief notes are also available for the 1999 and 2016 papers, which present other challenges.
These are notes on a given past paper to supplement the Examiners’ Report, Mark Scheme (where available) and Sample Scripts. They may include ideas for alternative independent claim wording to that given the in the Examiners’ Report, they may highlight key challenges of the paper, they may pose question for self-reflection, and so on. They aren’t detailed walk-throughs.
Other
While we’ll do as much as we can to help candidates pass FD2, we can’t guarantee that all candidates on the Programme will pass FD2.
No, you must purchase that separately. Here is a link to CIPA’s online shop.
The content overlaps because both provide tools and techniques to help pass FD2. While some of the tools and techniques are common to both resources, they each include examples that aren’t in the other.
The How To Pass FD2 Training Programme is specifically focussed on the FD2 exam. Previous participants on the How To Pass FD2 Training Programme have said that they have picked up tips for day-to-day practice; that’s a bonus rather than the main aim.
Currently, only UK-based customers can sign up via the website. If you’re based outside the UK and are interested in signing up, please contact us and we can discuss sign-up options.
Yes. All of the exam technique materials will be available online until the FD2 exam, so you can access them from when you sign up to the day of the exam itself.
We allocate one past paper per month from May to August for candidates to attempt and, in some cases, receive individual feedback on. We prefer candidates to attempt past papers based on that timeline, but will try to accommodate exceptions where possible, for example for candidates joining the Programme after May.
This may be possible, depending on the number of candidates on the Programme and when you decide to upgrade. Please contact us if you’re considering upgrading and we’ll do our best to accommodate this.