Is the EPQ Worth It? Here's What You Need to Know
What Is the EPQ?
The Extended Project Qualification, or EPQ, is a popular standalone qualification offered in the UK education system. To earn an EPQ, candidates must independently research and complete a project–either a 5,000 word dissertation, or an artefact accompanied by a 1,000-word written report.
While the EPQ is a standalone qualification, it is most frequently undertaken alongside A-Levels in sixth form (Years 12 and 13). In fact, many international schools that offer A-Levels have also started offering the EPQ to help their students round out their profiles and make them more competitive for universities.
It’s important to note that the EPQ is an independent project. While it is examined via many popular UK examination boards (including AQA, Edexcel and OCR), the nature of the project and research approach is determined by the students themselves. As well as being assessed on the final product, EPQ students are examined on their process of independent enquiry and research skills.
How the EPQ Is Assessed
Unlike most A-Levels, the EPQ is not examined by a final test in your school’s exam hall. However, there are clear assessment objectives that guide examiners to accurately assess the EPQ’s success.
Managing the project: a major challenge for EPQ candidates is the project management itself. This includes planning, researching and organising the investigation itself. Students are assessed on their ability to plan out achievable timelines and goals, and execute them to deadlines.
Using resources: this assessment objective focuses on an EPQ candidate’s research skills. It encompasses the identification and evaluation of a range of appropriate resources. It’s essential for any EPQ candidate to keep careful track of not only the resources employed, but also their evaluation of said sources.
Developing and realising the project: this EPQ assessment objective is all about the execution of the project. Whether the candidate is aiming to produce a 5,000-word essay, or an artefact accompanied by a report, the final product presented as part of the EPQ must be executed to a high standard.
Reviewing the project: in this assessment objective, EPQ candidates are asked to critically reflect on their process and outcome. This includes identifying areas of strength and weakness, as well as offering ideas for how the project could be developed further, were it to be continued.
Ultimately, students who undertake the EPQ are graded from A* to E, depending on their assessment according to the criteria outlined above. For context, an A* grade on the EPQ yields 28 UCAS points, the same as an AS-Level grade A. For students aiming for highly competitive universities and courses, the EPQ can be a great option for enhancing their application.
Why the EPQ Is Worth Doing
There are many benefits to completing an EPQ, from general skill development, to tangible benefits for university applications:
University applications: it’s worth noting that many Russell Group universities acknowledge the EPQ explicitly in their offers. Some may even include a strong EPQ grade in their offers, reducing the pressure on final A-Level exams.
Personal statement differentiation: it can be really helpful for university applicants to reflect on their EPQ in the UCAS personal statement. If the topic is related to the course the applicant hopes to pursue at university, it can help demonstrate thoughtfulness and reflection.
Interview preparation: if a candidate’s envisioned university requires interviews (medicine, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge), then a well-selected EPQ provides fertile ground for discussion in that setting.
Skill development: beyond university applications, the EPQ develops essential skills, including research, critical analysis, academic writing and project management.
Intellectual engagement: EPQs were envisioned to help students explore their curiosity in a more flexible way than within A-Level structure. It’s a fantastic opportunity to explore these academic interests, while still enjoying support from their EPQ supervisor.
Who Is the EPQ Best Suited To?
The EPQ presents a fantastic opportunity for a wide range of students, including:
Those targeting Russell Group universities, or competitive courses. These courses and institutions often explicitly value the EPQ when making admissions decisions, incorporating an EPQ grade into their offer.
Students with a clear subject interest they wish to pursue beyond the syllabus, or that will bridge to their undergraduate degree, may greatly benefit from undertaking an EPQ.
Some candidates may wish to ensure a strong personal statement. As an EPQ often forms a compelling part of a UCAS application, those students may wish to consider the extra qualification.
Finally, the EPQ is best suited to those who are motivated self-starters, or those who are confident in their time management capabilities across a sustained project.
However, it’s important to note that while the EPQ presents many students with the opportunity to enhance their skills and stand out from the crowd on university applications, not everyone is suited to it. The EPQ requires a significant time commitment, between 120 and 140 hours across the academic year, and depending on the individual, this can be challenging. Anyone considering taking the EPQ should consider it carefully, including the potential impact such a time commitment might have on existing obligations.
How to Choose a Strong EPQ Topic
The most important stage for any extended research project, including the EPQ, is topic selection. We often find that EPQs live and die on the basis of a focused, well-articulated question. This is because a research question that has a reasonable scope makes the whole project much more manageable and exciting to work on.
When determining an EPQ topic, this should be investigative, and immediately indicate potential for analysis and argument throughout the work, rather than implying description and summary. It’s important to remember that the point of the EPQ is a thorough investigation, not for it to act as an extended literature review or book report.
To that end, students should also try to ensure that their chosen EPQ topic connects meaningfully to their chosen undergraduate degree subject (if possible).
To ensure that your EPQ topic is strong and focused, consider making sure that it has clear reference to cause and effect or, alternatively, a clear independent variable.
An example of a weaker EPQ topic may look like:
“What is the effect of climate change?”
In this instance, we have no sense of a benchmark to measure against, nor a reasonable argument that can be articulated in under 5,000 words.
A stronger EPQ topic may look like:
"To what extent has carbon pricing been an effective policy instrument for reducing industrial emissions in the European Union since 2005?"
The weak topic is descriptive and vast. The strong topic is investigative, scoped to a specific policy mechanism, a defined geographical context, and a measurable time period, giving the student a clear analytical framework from the outset. Ultimately, although 5,000 words sounds vast, most students quickly find it challenging to keep within the word count.
Our Practical Tips for Completing the EPQ
Think ahead: candidates should begin topic selection and initial research as early as possible, ideally before the end of Year 12. This allows the EPQ to be completed without encroaching on A-Level revision periods.
Reflect as you go: keeping a detailed project log throughout the project is essential. In fact, it’s part of the assessment alongside the final product. It’s important to keep in mind that the EPQ is partially assessed on the process and reflective thinking.
Read widely: an EPQ candidate should aim to include a range of source types, and evaluate these critically.
Build a clear argument: as noted above, the EPQ is not designed to be a descriptive summary of existing literature, but rather an investigation of an argument. A candidate hoping to score highly on the EPQ should consider their argument progression carefully as they plan their project.
Leave time for self-evaluation: rather than rushing through the concluding evaluation, an EPQ candidate should leave sufficient time to complete their concluding evaluation. Its importance should not be underestimated; in this section, candidates should reflect critically on the limitations of the resource process and their sources, meaning that sufficient time needs to be allocated to the task.
Get Support From a BartyED EPQ Tutor
The open-ended structure of the EPQ is both its greatest strength, but also exactly what makes the qualification so challenging for students. School teachers are limited in the guidance that they can provide, making the project difficult to manage for those who do not seek outside support, especially if they are also managing a full A-Level timetable.
BartyED’s tutors have a wealth of experience in supporting students through an EPQ project. This starts even from providing guidance on topic selection, as well as offering advice on research strategies. We guide all our EPQ students through the qualification and offer consistent and detailed feedback at all stages. BartyED offers exceptional one-to-one EPQ support, both in-person in Hong Kong, and online globally.
If you or your child would benefit from our expert EPQ support, then don’t hesitate to get in touch via phone, WhatsApp, enquiries@bartyed.com, or fill in the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The EPQ is a standalone qualification offered under the British education system in the final two years of secondary education. It promotes rigorous and independent learning and develops students’ research and analytical skills.
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Yes, of course! A good EPQ score on your CV indicates that you have a history of seeking out opportunities for personal development and intellectual growth. It shows project management skills, and indicates that you can work independently to a high standard.
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Students aiming for highly competitive courses and universities should try for an A* or A on the EPQ. However, most universities would consider anything above a B on a candidate’s EPQ as indicating rigorous work and a successful project.
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The final product of an EPQ can be placed into 4 categories: dissertation, investigation, artefact, and performance. If a project is a dissertation or investigation, then there is a 5,000-word limit. If the project is an artefact (e.g. painting portfolio) or performance (e.g. ballet), then it must be accompanied by a 1,000-word written report.
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An A* on the EPQ gives 28 UCAS points, the equivalent of an A at AS-Level.
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Typically students spend between 120-140 hours on the EPQ over the course of the school year.
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The EPQ is valued highly by many universities, including Oxford. As Oxford offers interviews to candidates, a well-selected EPQ topic can form the basis of an interesting interview discussion.
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The EPQ is valued highly by many universities, including Cambridge. As Cambridge offers interviews to candidates, a well-selected EPQ topic can form the basis of an interesting interview discussion.
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The EPQ is valued highly by many universities, including Queen Mary University. We would advise any candidate to include their EPQ on their personal statement to help them stand out from their peers.
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All universities take a completed EPQ into consideration, but only some will include it in their offers. Ultimately, offer conditions are left to the discretion of the institution.
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No, the EPQ is not just an essay. The final product of an EPQ can include a performance, an artefact, or a 5,000-word essay. However, this essay must be clearly argued and rigorously investigated.
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An EPQ is equivalent to 50% of an A-Level, as it is intended to be completed in a single academic year.