Study Skills

Course summary

Coordinated by Extended Project Qualification mentors, the EPQ is a qualification that all Sixth Formers can take to show what they are capable of when given the chance. There is no formal teaching, and there are no exams. Students choose the topic they wish to investigate and will be entirely responsible for the project content. A tutor is assigned to teach the basic skills required to realise the project. Some skills will be relevant to all projects: time management, research, and organisation, but others will be very specific to the project carried out by a student. The project, once finished, can be either a 5000-word written investigation or a ‘production’ by the student: this could be an artefact, a website, a performance, a novel, the organisation of an event, a blog, directing a play… in that case, a 1000-word document will complement the project. Students also have to submit a production log which records planning and progress, including the review meetings with their supervisor. Finally, students will need to make an oral presentation of their project in front of an audience. The students’ work is assessed and moderated by the teachers, before being submitted to the board. Marks are awarded as follows: • Project Management Skills: 20% • Effective use of resources: 20% • Developing and realising the project: 40% • Review / evaluation of own performance: 20% The project is equivalent to half an A level and is graded in the same way. So an A* grade would give 28 UCAS points, an A 24, a B 20, a C 16, a D 12 and an E 8. Embarking on such a project is a very good way for students to prepare themselves for university-style learning and can be a means of distinguishing between equally good students when it comes to University applications.