Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a self-directed research and study endeavor conducted by students in the United Kingdom. 

Academic institutions widely recognize the significance of this approach in equipping students with the necessary skills for undertaking higher education and hence hold it in high regard. 

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) offers students considerable latitude in selecting a subject of interest, so affording them ample opportunity to pursue a topic that aligns with their personal passions.

The EPQ, or Extended Project Qualification, is classified as a Level 3 credential within the United Kingdom's qualifications structure. This categorization denotes its equivalence to an AS level or half of an A level.

Structure

A dissertation or an artefact

You can present your EPQ in more than one form. A dissertation is a long written piece — an extended essay or report. An artefact is something you make: a piece of visual art, a computer program, a performance, a design.

Neither is worth more than the other. Choose the form that genuinely fits what you are investigating, not the one you think looks more serious.

The production log

You keep a log throughout the project, recording how you planned it, how it progressed and how you evaluated your own decisions along the way.

Treat this as part of the work rather than paperwork bolted on at the end. It is assessed, and it is where you show your thinking — including the things that went wrong and what you did about them. A log that only records successes is less convincing than one that shows you noticing a problem and solving it.

The presentation

When the project is finished you present it: what you set out to do, how you went about it, and what you concluded.

How the EPQ is marked

There is no exam. Your grade comes from three things together: the finished project, the production log and the presentation.

The EPQ is graded from A* to E, the same lettering as A levels, and it carries UCAS tariff points that increase with the grade. As a Level 3 qualification it is worth the equivalent of an AS level, or half an A level.

How long does an EPQ take?

Around 120 hours in total, of which roughly 40 are spent with your supervisor. The remaining 80 or so are your own.

That works out at a few hours a week across the year — manageable alongside A levels if you actually spread it, and brutal if you leave it. The students who struggle with the EPQ are almost never the ones who found the topic hard; they are the ones who started late.

Why do an EPQ?

Three reasons come up most often.

It sets you apart in an application. Universities value the EPQ because it shows you can run an independent piece of research over months without being told what to do next — which is exactly what a degree asks of you.

It lets you show real interest in a subject. A personal statement claiming enthusiasm for a field is one thing. A finished project in that field is evidence.

It can soften an offer. Where a course is heavily oversubscribed, some universities will reduce their grade requirement for an applicant with a strong EPQ. That is not a promise and it should not be your reason for doing one, but it happens.

The honest caveat

An EPQ is real work, and it runs alongside your A levels rather than instead of them. Before committing, think about how it fits your overall workload. It is a genuine advantage — but not if it costs you grades in the three subjects your offer actually depends on.

Choosing a topic

You can research almost anything, which is either liberating or paralysing depending on your temperament.

The advice that matters: choose something you are actually interested in. You will be living with this topic for months, and a subject picked to impress an admissions tutor rather than because it grips you becomes very hard to sustain by month four. If it also connects to what you want to study at university, so much the better.

You are not on your own, despite the word "independent". A supervisor at your school guides you through it, keeps the project on track and helps when you get stuck. Use them — that is what the 40 supervised hours are for.

Frequently asked questions

What is an EPQ worth?

It is a Level 3 qualification, equivalent to an AS level or half an A level, and it carries UCAS tariff points that scale with the grade you achieve.

Is there an exam?

No. The EPQ has no formal exam. You are assessed on your finished project, your production log and your presentation.

How is the EPQ graded?

On an A* to E scale, the same lettering used for A levels.

How much time does an EPQ take?

Around 120 hours in total, of which roughly 40 are spent with your supervisor. The rest is your own work, spread across the year rather than done in a rush at the end.

Do I have to write a dissertation?

No. You can produce a dissertation, but an artefact is equally valid — a piece of visual art, a computer program, a performance. The format should suit what you are actually investigating.

Can an EPQ lower the grades a university asks me for?

Sometimes. Where a course is heavily oversubscribed, some universities will reduce their grade requirement for an applicant with a strong EPQ. It is not guaranteed, so treat it as a possible bonus rather than a plan.

How do I choose a topic?

Pick something you are genuinely interested in, ideally connected to what you want to study at university. You will be living with this topic for months, and a subject chosen to look impressive rather than because it interests you becomes very hard to sustain.