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Will I be able to do EPQ in A2

I am currently an AS student, and I'm aiming for Oxbridge. My first career choice is medicine, but I am already participating in debate club, performing arts club, and planning to volunteer in a care home and do D of E. Therefore, I don't think I'll have much time to do EPQ and all those other stuff at the same time. Will there be time to do EPQ and study for the BMAT and UCAT test at the same time in A2 or will it be better to finish all the supper curricular activities in AS?
Original post by tyjang23
I am currently an AS student, and I'm aiming for Oxbridge. My first career choice is medicine, but I am already participating in debate club, performing arts club, and planning to volunteer in a care home and do D of E. Therefore, I don't think I'll have much time to do EPQ and all those other stuff at the same time. Will there be time to do EPQ and study for the BMAT and UCAT test at the same time in A2 or will it be better to finish all the supper curricular activities in AS?

Check with admissions whether they give a discount for EPQ if not then dont do it mo unless you have spare time and it sounds like you do not if you are doing doe. You have to get the experience (check and try for more than care home, get NHS experience)and UKcat
. Primary issue is getting the A*AA grades or whatever it is at first sitting. Get as much out of the way in year 12 as you can plus use the summer for experience. You might not need doe either.
Original post by 999tigger
Check with admissions whether they give a discount for EPQ if not then dont do it mo unless you have spare time and it sounds like you do not if you are doing doe. You have to get the experience (check and try for more than care home, get NHS experience)and UKcat
. Primary issue is getting the A*AA grades or whatever it is at first sitting. Get as much out of the way in year 12 as you can plus use the summer for experience. You might not need doe either.

Thanks for the reply!
Original post by tyjang23
Thanks for the reply!


Your priority is A levels, UKcat and making sure you have the right experience in time.
Reply 4
One advantage of a (medicine related) EPQ is that it gives you something obvious to talk about in an interview. If you want to do one I'd recommend trying to do most of it before the Autumn of Year 13 (e.g. over the Summer) as then it will not add to the pressure of term time and you will have stiuff to talk about.


If you're only planning to do D of E then I wouldn't bother. I think an EPQ would be more help.
DofE and EPQ are really good ways to show qualities you have, especially in my case EPQ. You 100% need to focus on grades as it is completely down to getting those A*s, and spend time thinking about what would really help you getting into uni. Volunteering is excellent, but debate club may not help you out when it’s medicince you apply for. Try and prioritise what you do, how it can help, what you can learn from it and how that would help you get into medical school. E.g performing arts could teach you commitment that EPQ couldn’t, however you EPQ would display your determined interest in the subject. Either way it is 100% down to you and what you think you can manage. I’m currently doing A2 and EPQ, most admission tests are over and done with before any work actually starts on EPQ so it’s all fine there, but DofE is basic (a lot of people have done it) but still really good to write about, remeber it’s not what you do, or how much you do, but what it taught you and how you learnt from it. Hope this helps :smile:)

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