EPQ

Exam Board: OCR

What is the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

EPQ is an A-level standard standalone qualification designed to extend and develop your students' abilities beyond the A-level syllabus and prepare for university or their future career.

• it can be taken as an extension of other Level 3 qualifications or vocational qualifications 
• it's worth half an A-level (28 UCAS points)
• it's recognised by universities and employers
• many universities make lower A-level offers to students undertaking an EPQ.

How it works

The EPQ allows students to lead their own projects. Students get to plan and carry out research on a topic that they've chosen and isn't covered by their other qualifications. They can take inspiration from something touched on in class or something personal and unrelated to their studies. They then use this research to produce a written report and, in the case of practical projects, an artefact or a production.

By taking responsibility for the choice, design and decision making of an individual project (or an individual role in a group project) students:

• become more critical, reflective and independent learners
• develop and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills
• increase their planning, research, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentation skills
• learn to apply technologies confidently
• demonstrate creativity, initiative and enterprise.

Undertaking an EPQ can also deliver other benefits for students and schools, such as:

• improved A Level performance for students taking EPQ
• boosting student recruitment by making your curriculum more attractive
• increasing student motivation by allowing them to study topics of personal interest
• enabling students to apply their new skills to other areas of study.

Assessment

Students need to produce a production log, verified by the supervisor, a written report, supplementary evidence and a presentation.

Requirements

Any student attending Meden College can study this course.