21st March 2023

At this time of year 11 students often ask us whether they should do an EPQ in sixth form. We can’t decide that for you, but it’s worth discussing the benefits so you can make an informed decision.

Firstly, what is an EPQ?

EPQ stands for Extended Project Qualification, and it’s designed to help students prepare for university study, either as part of a full-time degree or degree apprenticeship.
It can only be taken as an extension of other Level 3 qualifications (A Levels and Level 3 BTECs) and is worth half an A Level graded A* to E. e.g. 28 UCAS points for an A*. As such, many universities will make lower entry offers to students who are undertaking an EPQ or who have done so already.

The other great benefit of the EPQ is that it allows students to develop their own research projects on a topic they have chosen. It could be related to a subject you were reluctant to drop after GCSE or a specialist topic you’ve touched on in class (especially if you intend to study it at further or higher education) or it can be completely unrelated; Do you want to study something at 18 which is different to your current subjects? If so, an EPQ is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your passion via your application, personal statement and interview.

The work itself can either be a written report, dissertation or in the case of practical projects, a design, artefact or a production. It can also be a group project if the topic is approved. A presentation is also required at the end (don’t let this put you off!).

According to AQA the awarding body, ‘By taking responsibility for the choice, design and decision making of an individual project (or an individual role in a group project) students:

• become more critical, reflective and independent learners.

• develop and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills.

• increase their planning, research, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentation skills.

• learn to apply technologies confidently.

• demonstrate creativity, initiative and enterprise.

Interested? Ask your school for more information on how they structure the EPQ – e.g. when it’s taken, how they support you and how it is assessed.
In the meantime, take a look at what some universities are saying about the EPQ:

This additional offer reflects our confidence in the EPQ as an excellent preparation for the kinds of independent study necessary for students to succeed at a research intensive university such as Southampton.

The University of Southampton

An EPQ can benefit your application as applicants who take the EPQ and meet our offer criteria will be made the standard offer for their course, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade A in the EPQ (though please note that this excludes our Medicine (A100) and Dentistry (A200) courses).

The University of Birmingham

We welcome the Extended Project and would encourage applicants to undertake one as it will help to develop independent study and research skills valuable for higher education

University of Cambridge

Some topics students we have chatted to recently include:

Women and The Hollywood Studio System
Japanese Culture & Food
The Evolution of the Games Console
AI and its role in Green Technology
Euthanasia
Technology and depression
A Victorian Corset (artefact)
The Jury System

For further research and guidance:

www.ucas.com

Pearson EPQ Examples

Thanks to Cranleigh School and Down House School for allowing access to these resources:

Cranleigh EPQ examples

Downe House EPQ examples