Courses

HS6 Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Level: Level 3

Examination Board:  AQA

Website:  AQA /Projects/ Project qualifications/Level 3 Extended Project Qualification

Assessment Details:

The Extended Project Qualification (or EPQ) is an A Level qualification worth up to an additional 28 UCAS points, graded A* to E.  Whilst it is worth half the number of points of an A Level, the EPQ is still marked at A2 standard.

Students decide what they wish to do.  Outcomes may be a dissertation, a fieldwork investigation, a performance or an artefact.  Regardless of the outcome, all students must also give a 10 minute final oral presentation which also forms part of the assessment.

Completing an EPQ aids the development of many key skills such as independent learning, research and critical thinking which are valued by both employers and universities.  It is an opportunity to show academic commitment to your chosen subject and also to explore a topic you enjoy for its own sake.

Practical Examinations (Unit titles, duration, % weighting, dates):

There are no examinations for this course.

Coursework (Unit titles, duration, % weighting, submission dates):

The EPQ is submitted to the EPQ supervisor by the end of the Summer Term of Year 12.    This is to ensure that students are able to focus entirely on their A2 studies in Year 13.

Students’ EPQs are entered for examination in November of Year 13 with results available in January of Year 13.

Course Outline:

Students have just one lesson per week for EPQ.  Approximately 20 teaching hours are given over to the taught skills listed below.  The remaining lesson time is spent with students working independently on their projects and having 1:1 discussion on their progress with their supervisor.

Taught Skills:

Students will develop the following:

• Research skills including the ability to search for and identify suitable sources of information in the chosen subject area
• ICT skills in the production of the final report
• Project management skills including time management and task management
• Report writing skills including learning how to format and structure a report in an academic style
• Referencing skills, such as creating consistent citations and the production of a standard bibliography
• Presentation skills

Skills / Aptitudes required to be successful in this course:

Students need to be keen, independent learners who are very self-motivated.  They will need to enjoy researching using a variety of sources including books, academic journals, newspapers, as well as online sources.  Some students may also choose to collect their own primary data.

Goes well with:

The EPQ suits all students who are committed to their studies.  Many students choose it as an ‘added extra’ to demonstrate that they have gone above and beyond expectations by taking the initiative to gain a qualification which is not a compulsory part of the A-Level curriculum.  Other students choose to do an EPQ for the simple reason that they have a genuine interest in their research topic, and want to find out more. 

Pathways – Career and /or further study possibilities, using this subject:

The EPQ is a valuable qualification, well-respected by the top universities in the UK

For further information, please contact:

Romany O’Donnell, EPQ Coordinator

odonnellr@hendonschool.co.uk