The EPO is moving forwards with an online
e-EQE. In 2022 and 2023, there are likely to be technical improvements to the
current platform and relatively minor changes to the papers to better suit a
digital examination. However, the digitalisation of the EQE is being used as
the catalyst for a much more ambitious project and the EQE will change
significantly in the future.
As set out in the attached paper, the aim
is to update the EQE to a new model which better tests the “fit-to-practise”
criterion and makes the examination more effective for both students and the
profession. The key changes are to move to a more modular system with each
module lasting at most two hours. It is hoped that the new model can be in
place at the earliest from 2024.
This is not a final position. Please note
that this is a general concept at this stage and there are likely to be further
refinements and changes. By preparing this paper, the Digitalisation Support
Group (DSG) and the PEC EQE subcommittee have prepared one possible tangible
option for an EQE that is suitable for online examination, whilst maintaining a
high quality.