Patent Examiner Employment Application

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Grade: 07
The next question will require you to select the response that best describes your experience and/or
education related to the basic qualification requirements of a Patent Examiner (Professional
Engineering). Refer to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for a
detailed explanation of the basic qualification requirements for this position.

*

1

Select the response that best describes your experience and/or education related to the
Basic Qualification Requirements for a Patent Examiner (Professional Engineering), GS1224. Refer to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for
a detailed description of the basic qualification requirements.

I possess at least a bachelor's degree in professional engineering. This degree
was obtained in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by
the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional
engineering curriculum.
I possess at least a bachelor's degree in professional engineering. The curriculum
included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than firstyear physics and chemistry) in at least five of the following seven areas of
engineering science or physics: (1) statics, dynamics; (2) strength of materials
(stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics;
(5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating
particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (7) any other comparable
area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer,
soil mechanics, or electronics.
I have a combination of education and experience. I have completed college-level
education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished a thorough
knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional
engineering AND a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the
engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to engineering. (Refer
to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for
specific examples demonstrating the adequacy of your background in this area).
I will complete the qualifying education within 9 months from the date of
application.
I do not possess the education and/or experience described above.

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Candidates for the GS-7 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent
to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as
experience performing at least one of the following functions: (1) Interpreting and applying basic
electrical engineering and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the
evaluation of technology; (2) Planning and conducting technical research to draft technical papers; or
(3) Applying appropriate references and case law to claimed inventions. Examples of qualifying
specialized experience can be found in the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job
announcement.

*

2

Select the response which best describes your possession of the specialized experience
requirements defined in the statement above.

I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade
level in the Federal service as defined in the statement above.
I have a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum and superior academic
achievement demonstrated by my grade point average (GPA). I have a GPA of
2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on my transcripts based on 4
years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final
two years of the curriculum.
I have a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum and superior academic
achievement demonstrated by my grade point average (GPA). I have a GPA of
3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses
completed in my major field during the final two years of the curriculum.
I have a bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum and superior academic
achievement demonstrated by (1) My class standing in the upper third of my class
or major university subdivision OR (2) My election to membership in a national
scholastic honor society.
I have 1 full year of graduate level education that provided the knowledge, skills
and abilities necessary to perform the work of this position. One year of full-time
graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school
attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study (If that number
cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered an academic
year of graduate study).
I have a combination of education and experience. I have less than the full
amount of education described in "2" above and less than the amount of

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experience described in "1" above, but have a combination of the type of
education described in "2" above and experience described in "1" above.
I do not have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5
grade level in the Federal service as defined in the statement above.

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Grade: 09
The next question will require you to select the response that best describes your experience and/or
education related to the basic qualification requirements of a Patent Examiner (Professional
Engineering). Refer to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for a
detailed explanation of the basic qualification requirements for this position.

*

1

Select the response that best describes your experience and/or education related to the
Basic Qualification Requirements for a Patent Examiner (Professional Engineering), GS1224. Refer to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for
a detailed description of the basic qualification requirements.

I possess at least a bachelor's degree in professional engineering. This degree
was obtained in a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by
the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional
engineering curriculum.
I possess at least a bachelor's degree in professional engineering. The curriculum
included differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than firstyear physics and chemistry) in at least five of the following seven areas of
engineering science or physics: (1) statics, dynamics; (2) strength of materials
(stress-strain relationships); (3) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (4) thermodynamics;
(5) electrical fields and circuits; (6) nature and properties of materials (relating
particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (7) any other comparable
area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer,
soil mechanics, or electronics.
I have a combination of education and experience. I have completed college-level
education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished a thorough
knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional
engineering AND a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the
engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to engineering. (Refer
to the "Qualifications and Evaluations" section of the job announcement for
specific examples demonstrating the adequacy of your background in this area).
I will complete the qualifying education within 9 months from the date of
application.
I do not possess the education and/or experience described above.

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Candidates for the GS-9 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent
to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as
experience performing at least one of the following functions: (1) Interpreting and applying
intermediate electrical engineering and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies
used in the evaluation of technology; (2) Planning and conducting technical research to draft
technical papers; or (3) Applying appropriate references and case law to claimed inventions.
Examples of qualifying specialized experience can be found in the "Qualifications and Evaluations"
section of the job announcement.

*

2

Select the response which best describes your possession of the specialized experience
requirements defined in the statement above.

I have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade
level in the Federal service as defined in the statement above.
I have a combination of education and experience. I possess at least a bachelor's
degree in engineering AND have experience applying engineering principles and
theories in the engineering field.
I have at least two years of graduate level education leading to a master's degree
or equivalent graduate degree in an engineering curriculum from an accredited
college and/or university in the fields of study as described in the Basic
Qualification Requirements of this job announcement. One year of full-time
graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school
attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study (If that number
cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours is considered an academic
year of graduate study).
I have less than the full amount of education described in "3" above and less than
the amount of experience described in "1" above, but have a combination of the
type of graduate education described in "3" above and experience described in "1"
above.
I do not have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7
grade level in the Federal service as defined in the statement above.

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*

3

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Are you the spouse of a service member with permanent relocation orders?

Yes
No

*

4

Is your spouse (service member) relocating /permanent change of station (PCS) outside
your current geographical area?

Yes
No

*

5

Have you received a permanent position under the authority for military spouse
relocation or PCS move non-competitive appointment?

Yes
No

*

6

Do you have any education/experience in intellectual property?

Yes
*

6.1

Please indicate where you obtained your education in intellectual
property and/or experience in planning and conducting field of
search for patent applications or in reviewing or analyzing patent
applications. Please select all that apply.
USPTO externships
Externships
Internships
Patent searcher
Patent law clerk

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JD with specialty in patent law
Coursework
Other
I have no experience or education in intellectual property

No

*

7

Are you a current or former Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO)?

Yes
*

7.1

Please list your dates of employment at the USPTO. (Maximum length
of 250 characters.)

No

*

8

Have you passed the Patent Bar Exam?

Yes
*

8.1

Please provide the date you passed the Patent Bar Exam. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

No

YOUR RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS MUST BE SUPPORTED IN YOUR RESUME.
FAILURE TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER(S) IN YOUR RESUME MAY IMPACT YOU OR ELIMINATE YOU
FROM CONSIDERATION.

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RESPONSES OF "NA" OR "SEE RESUME" TO THE BELOW QUESTIONS MAY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE
CONSIDERATION.
This statement and the next one contain a list of relevant technical areas. Please refer to them in
order to respond to the question following these listed areas: / 1. Power Systems (e.g. AC/DC
motors/generators, piezoelectric actuators, motor control, power grid, transmission, distribution) / 2.
Measuring & Testing (e.g. electrical sensors, battery charging/discharging, sensor diagnostic
circuits/systems, sensed data analysis, algorithmic and formulaic data processing) / 3. Light/Electrical
Wavelength Generators/Receivers (e.g. optical waveguides and sensors, liquid crystals, x-ray,
scanning probes) 4. Digital Communications (e.g. multiplex, computer networks, information
security) / continued on next list.
List of technical areas continued: / 5. Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems / 6. Memory
Access/control (e.g. EEPROM, Flash memory, volatile memory, MJT, MRAM, PRAMA, DRAM)/ 7.
Computer Graphics, Graphical User Interface, Visualization / 8. Control Systems (e.g. simulation,
modeling, emulation, human machine interface) / 9. Simulations (e.g. emulations, video gaming) /
10. Resistance Heating / 11. Biomedical Imaging (e.g. x-ray, signal Analysis, MRI, CT Scan) / 12.
Medical Robotics / 13. Medical Diagnostics. (electrophysiological monitoring, neural prosthesis) / 14.
Online Cryptography, Payment architectures, schemes or protocol, web design of e-commerce
interfaces/ 15. Radio Wave Systems (e.g. Radar, Radio/satellite navigation) / 16. Acoustic wave,
Seismic, and Sonar Systems; LADAR; LIDAR/

*

9

Do you possess any education and/or experience in conducting research, analysis, and
application of scientific principles associated with any of the technical areas listed
above?

Yes
*

9.1

Please select those technical areas below in which you have
experience and/or training conducting research, analysis, and
application of scientific principles. Please select all that apply.
Power Systems (e.g. AC/DC motors/generators, piezoelectric actuators,
motor control, power grid, transmission, distribution).
Measuring & Testing (e.g. electrical sensors, battery
charging/discharging, sensor diagnostic circuits/systems, sensed data
analysis, algorithmic and formulaic data processing).
Light/Electrical Wavelength Generators/Receivers (e.g. optical
waveguides and sensors, liquid crystals, x-ray, scanning probes).

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Digital Communications (e.g. multiplex, computer networks,
information security).
Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems.
Memory access / control (e.g. EEPROM, Flash memory, volatile
memory, MJT, MRAM, PRAM, DRAM)
Computer Graphics, Graphical User Interface, Visualization.
Control Systems (e.g. simulation, modeling, emulation, human machine
interface).
Simulations (e.g. emulations, video gaming).
Resistance Heating.
Biomedical Imaging (e.g. x-ray, signal Analysis, MRI, CT Scan).
Medical Robotics.
Medical Diagnostics (e.g. electrophysiological monitoring, neural
prosthesis).
Online Cryptography, Payment architectures, schemes or protocol, web
design of e-commerce interfaces
Radio Wave systems (e.g. Radar, Radio/satellite navigation).
Acoustic wave, Seismic, and Sonar Systems; LADAR; LIDAR.
None of the above.

*

9.2

Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

No

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*

10

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Select the choice that describes your highest level of experience and/or education orally
communicating with a wide variety of audiences (for example, professors, clients,
patent professionals, superiors, or subordinates) on applying basic electrical engineering
principles and concepts.

I have participated in meetings/interviews to collect or disseminate technical
information from a variety of audiences in the advancement of electrical
engineering principles and concepts.
*

10.1

Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

I have facilitated discussions on the advancement of electrical engineering
principles and concepts.
*

10.1

Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

I have presented technical and/or legal information to a wide variety of audiences
on electrical engineering related topics.
*

10.1

Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

I have presented technical and/or legal information to a variety of audiences by
conveying the results of research findings, analysis, rationale, and/or
evaluations/conclusions of fact (for example, through a research project as part of
my coursework, work project, capstone project, or thesis studies) in the
application of electrical engineering principles and concepts.

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*

10.1

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Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

I do not have experience and/or education orally communicating with a wide
variety of audiences on applying basic electrical engineering principles and
concepts.

*

11

Do you have experience and/or education communicating in writing to develop
documents related to electrical engineering principles and concepts?

Yes
*

11.1

Select the responses that best describe your experience and/or
education communicating in writing to develop documents related to
electrical engineering principles and concepts. Check all that apply.
I have prepared a formal written product for a Capstone or other
research project in the electrical engineering field.
I have written reports, letters or memoranda related to electrical
engineering principles and concepts where I translated complex
technical language for review by non-technical audiences.
I have drafted patent applications related to electrical engineering
principles and concepts for clients or professionals in the intellectual
property community.
I have written technical or legal documents related to electrical
engineering principles and concepts.
I do not have experience and/or education communicating in writing to
develop work products related to electrical engineering principles and
concepts.

*

11.2

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Please indicate where in your resume this level of experience or
education is described. To receive full credit, be sure to include
specific information/examples of the electrical engineering principles
and concepts, and how this information was presented. (Maximum
length of 250 characters.)

No

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