4 a level and EPQ?!

I am considering should I take EPQ. I am taking further math, math psychology, biology. And thinking of taking psychology in UCL. But I am not sure if EPQ skills would benefit me in psychology. And should I drop further math if I am choosing epq because I actually don’t need it.

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Rianne.-.

I am considering should I take EPQ. I am taking further math, math psychology, biology. And thinking of taking psychology in UCL. But I am not sure if EPQ skills would benefit me in psychology. And should I drop further math if I am choosing epq because I actually don’t need it.

Doing four A levels and an EPQ is a lot of work. Although some universities "reward" an EPQ by dropping the grade requirement by one (e.g. from A*AA to AAA), UCL does not. Having said that, it (like almost every university) doesn't "reward" the fourth A level either, it simply ignores it.

So don't take the fourth A level and/or the EPQ in the hope of improving your chances of gaining entry to UCL. Instead do so (if you're going to) because it will benefit you in some way.

Although there's quite a bit of Maths in Psychology at degree level, it's all statistics and isn't really at Further Maths level. However, Psychology is very essay-heavy and places an emphasis on research. That being the case, doing an EPQ might help you in that regard.

So, there's no need to do either. But if you were keen to do one, then the EPQ would likely be of more benefit.

Reply 2

erin11

Debate & Current Affairs Helper, Study Forum Helper

16

Original post by Rianne.-.

I am considering should I take EPQ. I am taking further math, math psychology, biology. And thinking of taking psychology in UCL. But I am not sure if EPQ skills would benefit me in psychology. And should I drop further math if I am choosing epq because I actually don’t need it.

4 A levels and EPQ runs the risk of spreading yourself too thinly.
I am currently in y13 doing 3 A levels and finishing an EPQ - I feel EPQ has benefitted me more than a 4th A level would've done

Reply 3

freyafredriksson

3

Original post by Rianne.-.

I am considering should I take EPQ. I am taking further math, math psychology, biology. And thinking of taking psychology in UCL. But I am not sure if EPQ skills would benefit me in psychology. And should I drop further math if I am choosing epq because I actually don’t need it.

Heyy I'm in Year 12 and am doing 4 A-levels and an EPQ, I am nearly finished with it and am predicted an A*! Everyone was worried that I was spreading myself too thinly but honestly as long as you're organised (which I'm sure you are) and stay on top of it by doing 15/20 minutes of work on it everyday (for me I did this before I went to school) and also worked on it a bit the summer holiday before I started Year 12 so you can make the most of your upcoming summer holiday and work on it? And for me an EPQ was an amazing way to learn about what I wouldn't have otherwise been able to learn in the school curriculum. It really comes down to how interested you are in the topic of your EPQ otherwise it will be so difficult to find time and motivation to work on it, hope this helps and please ask if you need ANY help!!

Reply 4

natsslanguages

3

Original post by Rianne.-.

I am considering should I take EPQ. I am taking further math, math psychology, biology. And thinking of taking psychology in UCL. But I am not sure if EPQ skills would benefit me in psychology. And should I drop further math if I am choosing epq because I actually don’t need it.

Hi there! I took four A levels (Music, History English and a BTech in Music Technology) and I did an EPQ. I'm in year 13 at the moment, so I've pretty much finished all of these, and my offers have all come in.

The situation might be a bit different for a stem student, but coming to the end of my qualifications it just doesn't feel as if the fourth A level was worth it for me. When my offers came in, they all only asked for three A levels, which left me feeling a bit as if the fourth wasn't worth all of the work over the years - it has been a huge workload and a bit of a nightmare to manage everything. Initially I needed to take both music qualifications, since I was hoping to go into music, but I changed my mind about halfway through Year 12. Looking back I think that it would have been better to drop down to three at that point, to allow myself to really focus on getting the grades that I need. All of my subjects are coursework subjects, which means that the crunch time has just about passed for me by now, but I know that for subjects with a lot of exams it only gets worse as you have to start revising for them all.

I think that doing the EPQ was seriously worth it. I am hoping to study a subject which wasn't available at A level, so this gave me a great opportunity to research into something out of the box and add some extra spice to my personal statement. It also gave me a lot more confidence when I was talking in interviews, and the experience of doing intensive work on the EPQ allowed me to work out whether or not I really wanted to study this subject. Plus, two of my unis lowered their offers dependent on the EPQ, which was good!

Whatever you choose, good luck with your sixth form and your applications!

4 a level and EPQ?!

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