Study Skills

Course summary

An exciting opportunity for pupils to extend their abilities beyond the A Level syllabus and prepare for university-level study. It is worth more university entrance points than an AS qualification, with the top grade of an A* valued at 28 points compared to 20 points for the top grade of an A at AS level. There is no restriction on the topic chosen or the mode of final exposition: it can be a dissertation, investigation/field study, performance or artefact. There is huge emphasis on the whole EPQ research ‘journey’, rather than just the final outcome. Pupils will write a 5000-word dissertation or present an artefact accompanied by a 1000-word report. Everyone will give a 10-minute presentation on their work. An EPQ should enhance a UCAS application: universities are looking for evidence which demonstrates a facility for independent and innovative work and an increasing number of universities are including the EPQ in their offers to pupils.