Should I take an EPQ? Your Questions Answered

No. Many people I know found it have been a waste of time.

Hi, does anyone know if my EPQ has to be in English?
Say I decide to write my essay on Spanish politics. Could I write it in Spanish or am I only allowed to do it in English?
I'm 100% fluent, so language barrier wouldn't be a problem for me.
Thanks

Hey are we allowed to change bits of our EPQ if we’re unhappy with it after moderation? I didn’t realise I hadn’t filled in some areas because I thought my supervisor would, but apparently she told me to do it instead. Now I have a blank area in my EPQ and it lowered my grades and I just got my moderated marks. Am I allowed to fill it in and ask them to mark the amended EPQ instead?

Plenty of people each year want to know if they should take an EPQ, so here's TSR's guide to whether you should take it!

What is an EPQ?
An EPQ is an extended project qualification. It is a level 3 qualification, so you typically take it while doing A levels/Level 3 BTECs etc. It is an independent research project, which you can do on any topic as long as it is not something directly covered in qualifications you are completing (eg. you couldn't use your coursework for a subject and your EPQ)

What do I gain from doing an EPQ?
You will gain research skills such as finding, analysing and evaluating sources, you will have to remain organised throughout the project and it will give you time to research into a topic you are interested in. Some universities will give you a reduced offer in the event you complete an EPQ in a relevant area to a good standard.

Which universities reduce offers if you complete an EPQ?
Most expect you to obtain an A*/A in your EPQ to reduce your offer, but universities such as Bath, Southampton, Liverpool, Birmingham and Sheffield often look at your EPQ

How does EPQ work in schools?
This varies depending on the school. Some complete it in year 12, some year 13 and some over the summer between the two. You typically will not have as much contact time for EPQ as you do for one of your subjects, and you won't usually have specific homework (certainly after the first few weeks) so have to be self motivating and independently working on it outside of lessons.

Should I take 4 subjects or 3+EPQ?
This really depends on how much you like your subjects and whether taking a 4th subject will lower your grades in the other 3. You should always try and get 3 grades at the highest level you can since most people take 3 so often places will only look at your first 3. If you don't need whatever your fourth subject is for the future (for instance, don't drop maths if you want to take a physics degree or similar!) then an EPQ may help both in terms of reducing your workload overall and improving your independent research skills which you often need for university courses if you want to go down that route. You should talk to someone at your school who knows you if you are unsure however

So should I take an EPQ?
Do you have a subject you are interested in researching? Do you think you could handle an independent project on top of your existing subjects? If the answer to these is yes then why not give it a go? Most schools make it relatively easy to drop if you don't like it in the first few weeks so try it

Got other questions? Ask them in the thread below

Plenty of people each year want to know if they should take an EPQ, so here's TSR's guide to whether you should take it!

What is an EPQ?
An EPQ is an extended project qualification. It is a level 3 qualification, so you typically take it while doing A levels/Level 3 BTECs etc. It is an independent research project, which you can do on any topic as long as it is not something directly covered in qualifications you are completing (eg. you couldn't use your coursework for a subject and your EPQ)

What do I gain from doing an EPQ?
You will gain research skills such as finding, analysing and evaluating sources, you will have to remain organised throughout the project and it will give you time to research into a topic you are interested in. Some universities will give you a reduced offer in the event you complete an EPQ in a relevant area to a good standard.

Which universities reduce offers if you complete an EPQ?
Most expect you to obtain an A*/A in your EPQ to reduce your offer, but universities such as Bath, Southampton, Liverpool, Birmingham and Sheffield often look at your EPQ

How does EPQ work in schools?
This varies depending on the school. Some complete it in year 12, some year 13 and some over the summer between the two. You typically will not have as much contact time for EPQ as you do for one of your subjects, and you won't usually have specific homework (certainly after the first few weeks) so have to be self motivating and independently working on it outside of lessons.

Should I take 4 subjects or 3+EPQ?
This really depends on how much you like your subjects and whether taking a 4th subject will lower your grades in the other 3. You should always try and get 3 grades at the highest level you can since most people take 3 so often places will only look at your first 3. If you don't need whatever your fourth subject is for the future (for instance, don't drop maths if you want to take a physics degree or similar!) then an EPQ may help both in terms of reducing your workload overall and improving your independent research skills which you often need for university courses if you want to go down that route. You should talk to someone at your school who knows you if you are unsure however

So should I take an EPQ?
Do you have a subject you are interested in researching? Do you think you could handle an independent project on top of your existing subjects? If the answer to these is yes then why not give it a go? Most schools make it relatively easy to drop if you don't like it in the first few weeks so try it

Got other questions? Ask them in the thread below

anyone have any ideas for engineering? i'm stuck... it can be combined with diplomacy as that's my secondary interest

Hi guys,
Lovely thread here, I did the Extended Project (specifically a dissertation) myself too and got an A in it (1 mark off an A* ), not to mention, I really enjoyed the qualification, it is tough at times but the outcome is worth it.
If anyone wants any assistance or help etc. I'm more than happy to help.
A quick reply to this post or a pm will be more than fine.

Hi there, I’m thinking of taking pharmacy on uni, therefore looking at doing my EPQ in something in medicine like depression drugs and why people tend to go for drugs straight away rather than other sources. Would you be able to help on that please?

Could you do
"The impact of anxiety/anxieties on the heart"
"Where is heart surgery going in the next 5 years?"
"This old heart of mine: analysing patterns in heart transplant patients"
"Covid and heart problems: a review of emerging research"