A student's guide to the daunting, yet empowering EPQ

This guide covers the EPQ process, with each section including thorough examples and tips that are sure to help you achieve your goals.

What is the EPQ?

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a Level 3 independent research project. It's worth half an A-level or an IB standard level qualification. Completing an EPQ will develop your skills in planning, research, and academic writing. Most students complete it in Year 12 or Year 13, but it is possible to do one earlier in high school.

Assessment objectives (AO1-AO4)

Many think the EPQ is always about the product, but most marks can come from the process of the project.

AO1 is normally 15-20% of your final mark. It covers your planning, PPF, activity log, and organisational skills.

AO2 is usually 20-25% of the mark, governing your sources and how you analyse and evaluate them.

AO3 is the most important part, usually up to 40-50% of your grade. It relates to your arguments and critical thinking skills, i.e. the actual essay itself.

AO4 is the part that most students lose marks on, but it makes up around 15-20% of the marks. It includes your evaluation, presentation and even parts of your activity log where you show reflection.

Topic selection

Start with a broad area, and then narrow it down to a specific research question. It can be about anything, but make sure that it interests you. 

Example:

• Broad topic: Free will

• Narrow topic: If we are determined, do we have free will?

• Rejected working titles from this project:

  • "The history of free will" (too broad and simple)

  • "Does free will exist?" (too simple)

Tip: Pick a topic you actually enjoy. If you pick a topic that you do not like, the next year of your life is going to be unpleasant. 

Project proposal form (PPF)

The PPF is the first section of the project. You complete it at the beginning and have it approved. This will form part of your grade for AO1, which governs your project management skills.

It typically includes:

• Your proposed project title

• A rationale explaining why you chose the project 

• What you hope to achieve

• Objectives of the project

• A proposed timeline

• Planned resources and research methods

• If relevant, ethical considerations or risk assessment

• Supervisor signature for approval

Tip: Write in lots of detail to ensure that you have covered everything for which the examiner can award you marks.

Activity log

The Activity log is where you track your progress throughout the project, referencing the timeline you presented in your PPF. You should add entries every week or every two weeks to score marks for consistency and organisation. This will form part of your grade for AO1, which governs your project management skills.

It typically includes:

• Date and duration of activity

• What you did

• Problems encountered

• Solutions and changes made

• Reflections on how your project is going

• Next steps

Tip: Be consistent! Most students will lose marks on this because they can't be bothered. This is normal, but recognise the importance of this in your project: it could bring you from a B to an A as it's so easy to do well yet so little do it.

Recording your research

A key part of the EPQ is research, as you cannot write a coherent discussion without it. Keep a record of:

• what you cover in each research section

• the sources read and key quotes

• an analysis and evaluation of the source itself, e.g. how it fits in with the project and the source's reliability

Not all sources are equal. It is very important to note the following in your research:

• The author's level of authority in the field

• The type of publication and why this affects reliability

• Potential bias

• Whether the source is a subjective opinion, speculation or objective fact

Tip: Source descriptions should be shorter than your analysis section for each source or evaluation section. You won't get many marks for explaining the source as that is simply paraphrasing. But you will get marks for explaining why this source is useful for your EPQ and why it may be reliable or unreliable. For each source evaluation, discuss relevance, reliability, credibility, etc.

Structure of the essay

This is what normally works for top-mark EPQs:

• Abstract (150-300 words)

• Introduction (500-800 words)

• Literature review or research (1500 - 3000 words)

• Discussion and conclusion (2500 - 3500 words)

• Bibliography 

Crucial tip: Always use words from the highest marking band of the mark scheme. 

For example, to get into the top category for AO2, it might say: "The learner distinguishes between fact, speculation and subjective opinion". Then, in your research, write: "This source is a subjective opinion, as it covers X, but the previous source, Y, is factual". 

This forces the examiner to give you top marks, as you make it ever so clear that you deserve the top mark. Marking schemes differ depending on the exam board, which is often AQA or Edexcel. They can be found online easily.

Writing method

To avoid procrastination...

• Set a weekly word or section target (e.g. 300 words, finish a quarter of research)

• Use the Pomodoro method: include consistent break periods to reduce fatigue

• Keep a seperate document full of scrap writing that might be useful to include later, but doesn't fit right now

Tip: You need a first draft for proper feedback. It doesn't need to be good or complete, but should be done.

Evaluation

The evaluation is often the difference between an A and an A* grade, and is required in your dissertation. Do not skip this.

It must cover:

• limitations of your research, e.g. unanswered questions, missing sources, biases

• what you would do differently

• skills developed

• strengths of the project, e.g. what makes your work outstanding 

Tip: Examiners want honesty and genuine reflection, so do not just state "I learnt so much". Be detailed and think critically.

The presentation

Deliver a 5-10 minute presentation followed by 5-10 minutes of Q&A. Focus on the process of the EPQ, rather than just the results.

• Why did you choose this topic? 

• Why is the topic relevant?

• How did your research question change?

• What are some major sources?

• What could you do differently?

Tip: Ask your friends to ask meaningful questions which you know beforehand. Memorise good answers to them. This demonstrates reflection and critical thinking skills to your tutor-assessor. This also puts off your tutor-assessor from asking as many questions.