Options at 16 - The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
- Sep 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 22
This is just a snippet from The Parents' Guide to Post-16 Options. If you’d like the full version, with clear, up-to-date advice, practical tips and actions you can take at home, click below.
Read the full guide: The Parents' Guide to Post-16 Options
Alongside A levels and BTECs, many schools and colleges offer the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a dissertation or project based on independent research. It's a Level 3 qualification usually taken in Year 12 or 13, and it can encourage independent learning and prepare students for university or further study.
EPQs: enjoy independent learning
There’s minimal supervision for EPQs and your teen will be expected to complete their project independently. The research, structure and composition of the project are down to your child, as is meeting deadlines. This approach is much closer to what will be expected at university, or even in the workplace, and can be a good way to help your child develop the skills they'll need when they leave school or college.
However, this style of working doesn't suit everyone, so check whether your child can cope with the added pressures an EPQ may bring, particularly if they already have a demanding school schedule.
What can my teen choose to do as their EPQ?
Students can choose the subject matter for their EPQ, and there are very few restrictions on the angle they take. This is an excellent opportunity to focus the EPQ on their interests, hobbies or future degree or career plans.
The EPQ can also take different forms. Options include writing a 5,000-word essay, building an artefact, or conducting a performance with a shorter report of around 1,000 words.
Some examples of EPQ titles include:
Is it right that footballers are paid 1,000 times more than a nurse?
Was the 2016 EU referendum legally binding?
Is it ethical to have a child to save another child’s life?
Can large-scale charity fundraising, such as Live Aid and Comic Relief, do more harm than good?
Should we use parkland in London to build housing for the homeless?
A comparative analysis of the German and British responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
What are the benefits of doing an EPQ?
It can give your child academic confidence.
It can help them prepare for further education.
It can help your child demonstrate passion for a topic, particularly helpful if they're applying for an apprenticeship or university course in the same subject area as their EPQ.
It can be a useful talking point during an interview.
It can help your child develop key skills that are useful in the workplace.
It can be incredibly rewarding.
How will my child be assessed?
The EPQ is an internally assessed qualification. Students need to produce a production log documenting their journey, a written report, artefact or performance, supplementary evidence, and a presentation with time at the end to respond to questions.
Students are assessed against four objectives, including their ability to plan and organise, obtain and select information from a range of sources, make decisions, and evaluate outcomes.
EPQ and university offers
An EPQ is equivalent to half an A level (an AS level), so it can be a useful way for your child to increase their UCAS points.
Some universities may make two offers: one without the EPQ and one including it. For example, the standard offer might be BBB, but the second offer (with the EPQ) could be BBC plus a pass grade in the EPQ. This might give your child the flex they need to meet the entry requirements of competitive universities.
What skills will your child develop taking an EPQ?
In developing their own way of working, your child is likely to improve at:
managing their time and meeting strict deadlines
conducting research
processing lots of information from a variety of sources
motivating themselves when things become challenging
presenting to an audience and dealing with nerves
reflecting and looking for ways to improve and develop
working independently with minimal supervision
responding to constructive feedback
accepting when things don't go to plan
problem solving
These can be excellent qualities to mention in personal statements, or to discuss in interviews for jobs or apprenticeships.
There’s some great advice online about the Extended Project Qualification. If you want to find out more, here are some of our favourites:
Immerse Education - ideas of what your teen can do
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