Extended Project Qualification

‘The Director of Admissions at Cambridge has praised the EPQ for developing insight, clarity of thought, and analytical ability’

 

In addition to the core A Level subjects, students are encouraged to undertake an Extended Project, especially when students drop down to three subjects.

Research from the University of Southampton has demonstrated that students who undertake an EPQ are more likely to achieve a first or an upper second at university than students taking A Levels only.

The Extended Project Qualification offers an opportunity to use your study periods to explore in depth an area of academic interest to you, leading to an AS Level qualification graded up to A*.

The EPQ usually takes the form of a dissertation, but it is also possible to base it around a performance, work of art, experiment or field study. There are very few restrictions on subject matter, and the choice is down to the individual student in consultation with their appointed supervisor or the EPQ coordinator. 

What is involved?

Students chose a research topic and frame their own question early in the Autumn Term of the Lower Sixth. They are supported in this process and when proposals are approved, research can commence. By the Spring Term, projects are well under way and students will have regular meetings with a supervisor. Each supervisor is responsible for a small group of students enabling them to build strong working relationships and give personalised guidance.

Work on the EPQ pauses when examinations take place early in the Summer Term and recommences at their conclusion. By the end of the Summer Term, the project is nearing completion.

The EPQ culminates early in the Autumn Term of the Upper Sixth with our poster presentation event where staff, students and members of the KES community hear from the students who are now experts in their field of research. The topics are hugely varied and cover areas such as gene therapy, sports technology, medical ethics, international politics, psychopathy, architectural megaprojects and deglobalisation.

Who can apply?

Any student can apply to study for the Extended Project, and the school strongly recommends it for those applying to competitive universities.The EPQ usually takes the form of dissertation but it is also possible to base it around a performance, work of art, experiment or field study. There are very few restrictions on the subject matter, and the choice is down to the individual student in consultation with their appointed supervisor or the EPQ coordinator.

Most often students decide to take further an area of one or more of their existing academic subjects. Alternatively, the EPQ is an excellent way of proving interest in an area that a student wishes to study at university but that is not being taken at A Level, for example Law, Medicine or Architecture.

Why should you take the Extended Project Qualification?

The EPQ will allow you to research an area of interest in some depth, give you a foretaste of undergraduate study and also demonstrate to universities that you have many of the skills and aptitudes they require. For example, it shows admissions tutors that:

• You are interested in your subject and academic work in general
• You are willing and able to take on additional study
• You have developed important undergraduate study skills: research skills, independent study, planning, critical thinking, reflection / self-evaluation
• The Director of Admissions at Cambridge has praised the EPQ for developing insight, clarity of thought, and analytical ability, and he, along with many senior admissions tutors, encourages candidates to undertake one. Some universities will also make modified Higher Education offers to students, for example accepting a lower than usual grade in an A Level subject, when accompanied by a strong EPQ result.