USPTO Patent Training Academy

Training is a vital and required part of employment as a Patent Examiner. The USPTO Patent Training Academy was established in 2006 to provide comprehensive and consistent basic training to prepare new hires for their examining career.

New examiners receive extensive training on:

• All aspects of laws, rules, practice and procedures in the examination of patent applications
• The patent process, including the impact of patents on the US economy
• Automation tools, including the most current searching and communication tools
• State-of-the art training specific to the technology areas in which examiners will work
• Interpersonal and work life skills, including stress management, financial planning basics, and time management.

Additional information on the Training Academy program:

• The new examiner training program is a 2 Phase, 12 Month program which includes lab exercises and hands-on examination of patent applications.
• Each class has up to 130 examiners who participate in large lectures given by subject matter experts.
• The class is divided by areas of technology into small learning labs of 16-examiners who are coached and mentored by full-time trainers.
• Examiners have Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to direct their learning and career goals.
• Examiners also have access to a wide range of resources:
  • A class web page that includes all training materials in an electronic format
  • Assistance from experienced examiners
  • Automation assistance
  • Library/search assistance
  • A schedule of daily lectures and activities
• During training at the Training Academy, annual (or vacation) leave usage may be limited due to the training curriculum.
• The work schedule at the Training Academy is flexible (e.g. a compressed 5/4/9 work schedule) and is determined by the training curriculum.

The ISO-9001 certified Training Academy provides new examiners with the basic knowledge and skill sets required to examine patent applications. Examiners continue to receive legal, technical, automation, and other professional training throughout their examiner career at the USPTO.