EPQ advice

hi,
im just looking for anyone who’s done an EPQ (even better if it was to do with education) to give some advice as im feeling pretty lost.
my question is to do with private schools, but isn’t finalised yet and ive done a survey on private school experienced for this (if you attended one lmk and i can send you the link).
- how is it supposed to be written? do you separate it per section/ argument or is it just like one massive essay, also do you include any bits about what research you’ve done or is it just your findings
- when is it due? im currently year 13, and my school wants 1000 words by october half term

if anyone else has any recommendations/ advice ill take anything i can get.
thanks so much,
C

hi,
im just looking for anyone who’s done an EPQ (even better if it was to do with education) to give some advice as im feeling pretty lost.
my question is to do with private schools, but isn’t finalised yet and ive done a survey on private school experienced for this (if you attended one lmk and i can send you the link).
- how is it supposed to be written? do you separate it per section/ argument or is it just like one massive essay, also do you include any bits about what research you’ve done or is it just your findings
- when is it due? im currently year 13, and my school wants 1000 words by october half term

if anyone else has any recommendations/ advice ill take anything i can get.
thanks so much,
C

Hi, I got A* in my EPQ, so I may be able to help.

Obviously you have to have paragraphs, and a logical way of splitting up the essay. I did mine on the impact of religion on mental health. I did a section, on the positive impact, and within this, did paragraphs on each mental health disorder, I repeated this for the negative impact, then did my intro and conclusion at the end. I didn’t get help with this structure, it’s just whatever works best for your question, so don’t worry about following a set structure that someone has created.

Regarding the research you have done, I was told not to do my own research (because it’s time consuming). However, with the research I found online, I wrote briefly about who the participants were: e.g. “Smith found in elderly women…” . Then I did the results combined with a bit of a conclusion, I then wrote about what I could infer from it. Don’t put too many stats.


Your school will have an internal deadline- your teachers mark it, and some will be sent off for standardisation.It’s best to ask when this is.

Here is some other advice:
-I’m guessing you’ve only just started the EPQ. It’s important that your title “offers debate” so to speak. It must not be descriptive, but analytical. For instance, a question, or a “how far do you agree?” Sort of thing. Your teachers will hopefully tell you this?
-Make sure you keep every bit of planning evidence, even if it’s a mess. The exam board likes seeing your thought processes.

Thanks so much
By planning evidence do you mean the actual notes/ thoughts or just a record of when you do each bit of research?

hi,
im just looking for anyone who’s done an EPQ (even better if it was to do with education) to give some advice as im feeling pretty lost.
my question is to do with private schools, but isn’t finalised yet and ive done a survey on private school experienced for this (if you attended one lmk and i can send you the link).
- how is it supposed to be written? do you separate it per section/ argument or is it just like one massive essay, also do you include any bits about what research you’ve done or is it just your findings
- when is it due? im currently year 13, and my school wants 1000 words by october half term

if anyone else has any recommendations/ advice ill take anything i can get.
thanks so much,
C

Hey I got a perfect score for the EPQ this year and as others have suggested, you note down every single aspect of your journey in EPQ. One thing to note is that the exam board appreciates any attempt made at primary research even if you choose not to incorporate this research in your final essay. Simply stating how you carried out the research and how you evaluated the results (perhaps deeming it inaccurate) is sufficient. I did an EPQ that revolved around medicine and I mentioned how I talked to doctors during my work experience to discuss certain questions I have in regards to drug use in post-operation care. With this I also explained how I tried emailing doctors internationally but did not receive a response. The most common essay format would be an intro, followed by several paragraphs addressing different sub topics, and a conclusion where you indirectly answer your question. However the essay format does vary from student to student. For any research/info you have gathered online you should take note of the following: website link, author, date published etc. Referencing and in text citations when it comes to essay writing are crucial. Using a variety of resources is also something you should take note of. Lastly, keep in mind that the essay itself makes up only a small part of the EPQ. The most important aspect of the EPQ is your production log. Take note of skills you have gained throughout the project and how you have evolved as a student having been given this opportunity. Every change you make, your thought process, how your other studies revolve around the EPQ (this could be talked about in terms of time management), and how you show commitment is something to think about.

Alongside this, I attended a private school and would be happy to take the survey. Hope this helps!