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EPQ Guide: Expressing your ideas

• The Inquiry Process
• Developing a line of inquiry
• Finding and selecting sources
• Working with ideas

Expressing your ideas

This is the stage you have been building towards - writing your report. Although that is largely the focus of this page , it is not all there is to the EPQ.

Your EPQ will be assessed on:

• Your completed Production Log
• if your project is a research based written report of any kind (e.g. a science investigation or an essay) it should be approximately 5,000 words long
• If your project is an artefact, it must be accomapanied by a research based written report of a minimum of 1,000 words. For artefacts, you may include photos showing various stages of the production process as well as the final product. You do not need to submit a large artefact as evidence - photographs or other media are fine.
• If your product was itself a presentation then you still need to produce a presentation about the process of producing it!
• Your presentation must be delivered live to a non-specialist audience and might use flipcharts or posters, presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Prezi or short video clips. The evidence for your presentation will  include a record in your Production Log of questions your supervisor asked and how you responded.

Am I ready?

Am I ready to start writing my essay?

Before you start writing, think:

• Is my investigation largely complete? As you write you may find that you need a few additional resources or information to support your argument, but you should not sta rt to write until you are largely sure where your argument is going.
• Have I filled in a Research Organiser (which you will find on the Working with Ideas tab)? This will help you to organise your thoughts and make sure you understand the argument you intend to make and have the evidence to support it. While not compulsory, it makes writing your final essay significantly easier.
• Do I understand how to write in an appropriate academic style? Guidance is given in the Academic Writing box below.
• Do I know how to import my sources from my Investigative Journal? Don't waste time putting all your citation data in again! Import all your sources as you set up your document. There are helpsheets in the Resources for PC / Mac users boxes to the right.

You should use the Oakham APAv3 Academic Writing Template (below) rather than a generic Word template to set up your essay.

(The image below is taken from the EE LibGuide, but the template is just as useful for EPQs)

Citing and referencing

There are many different ways to acknowledge the sources you use. These are called referencing styles . You are free to use any recognised referencing style you wish for your EPQ, but Oakham's 'house style' is APA. We suggest you use this because we already have a lot of support in place for it. APA is an 'Author-date' system, meaning that you show which source you have used by putting the author and date in brackets after it in your text, and then put the full reference in an alphabetical list at the end of the essay. The Library does not support 'footnote referencing', where you put all the information in a footnote at the bottom of the page. If you want help with this then please talk to the member of staff who suggested that you use it.

For detailed information and guidance on how to use sources in your writing and how to cite and reference them accurately using the tools in Microsoft Word, consult the Citing and Referencing LibGuide . This site includes information about how to reference all sorts of different kinds of sources, including videos and works of art, and what to do if you are using a source written in a language that is not the language of your essay. It also gives some examples of how to use in-text citations , whether quoting, paraphrasing or just referring to a source more generally, and how to use the automatic citing and referencing tools in Word .

Academic writing

Stages in an academic essay

Your thesis is the point you want to make. It emerges from your research and your task is to use the evidence you have found to establish it as the most reasonable response to that research.

In both approaches, you must state the research question in your introduction, and make sure you return to it in your conclusion .

Sections required in your essay

Have a look at the Formal Presentation guide in the sidebar for a guide to laying out your essay.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraphs themselves have a structure - the most common you will have come across is likely to be PEEL. The letters often stand for slightly different things in different subjects, but the idea is largely the same - introduce your main idea for the paragraph ( Point ), justify it with Evidence and/or Examples , and Evaluate this evidence. Finally, Link back to the Research Question and/or Link forward to the next paragraph.

This is not the only way to write a paragraph and, with experience, you will soon find that your argument develops a flow of its own that does not require a formula - indeed, your essay would be very dull if every paragraph followed exactly the same structure. However, this structure can be a useful scaffold to get you started and make sure you don't miss anything important.

The structure of academic writing

Note that the following graphic was originally produced for the IB Extended Essay, but is equally applicable to the EPQ.

Planning your essay

It is vital to plan your essay before you start writing. An essay plan provides an outline of your argument and how it develops.

What sections and subsections do you need?

Although this might change as you write your essay, you should not start writing until you have your overall structure. Then think about roughly how you are going to divide your 5000 words between the different sections. 5000 words seems like a lot before you start writing, but it is much easier to write to the limit, section by section, than to try to cut your essay down once it is written.

What will the reader will expect to see and where?

Look back at your checklist and think about where in your essay you are planning to include the required information. Make sure the flow of your essay makes sense to a reader who may be a subject expert but knows little about your topic. Have you included background information? Details of experimental methods? Arguments and counter arguments?

Now get writing!

You've read all the guidance. You've made your plan. Now you have a blank screen in front of you and you just need to get started! Start with the section you think you will find easiest to write and work outwards from there, or follow the steps below to get started. Don't forget to write with the word limit in mind though.

What if you are writing lots of paragraphs but your essay just doesn't seem to be coming together?

1. Condense each paragraph into a short statement or bullet point. This is the skeleton structure of your essay.

2. Look at the order of the statements.

• Is the order logical?
• Does each point follow another in a sensible order?
• Do you need to change the order?
• Do you need to add paragraphs?
• Do you need to remove paragraphs?

3. Add, subtract and rearrange the paragraphs until your structure makes sense.

4. Redraft using your new paragraph order.  

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Willard, D. (2003) My journey to and b eyond tenure in a secular university . Retrieved from: www.dwillard.org/articles/individual/my-journey-to-and-beyond-tenure-in-a-secular-university . Accessed: 9th May 2020

Oh no! It's too long!!

If you haven't managed to write to the word limit and are suddenly faced with cutting down an essay that is over the word limit, try these tips on concise writing from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Use the menu on the left of this page from Purdue OWL to browse the four very practical pages on writing concisely and one on the Paramedic Method for reducing your word count.

AQA Guide to completing the Production Log: Expressing your ideas

AQA copyright notice

The presentation above contains slides from the AQA presentation  Teaching slides: how to complete the production log  (available from the AQA EPQ Teaching and Learning Resources website ).  These slides are Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A downloadable copy of the Production Log can be found here , on the Home tab of this guide.

Submission checklists

• First Draft Checklist A guide to make sure you stay on track and complete everything required for your first draft.
• Final Draft Checklist A guide detailing everything that needs to be completed before submitting your EPQ.

Guides for PC users

• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Windows
• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Windows
• Creating a Table of Contents in Word 2016 for Windows

Guides for Mac users

• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Mac
• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Mac
• << Previous: Working with ideas
• Next: Reflecting >>
• Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 10:05 AM
• URL: https://oakham-rutland.libguides.com/EPQ

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• How to Write an EPQ Essay

Writing an EPQ essay can seem like a daunting task, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help make the whole process easier.

In addition to the A-Levels you’re already doing, you can choose to take an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). An EPQ is an independent research project, and it’s extremely beneficial as it counts towards UCAS tariff points.

Consisting of around 5,000 words, an EPQ essay is an in-depth assignment which takes about 120 hours to complete.

That may seem like a lot of extra work to take on alongside your existing studies, however it can be hugely beneficial when applying to get into university.

Choosing to undertake independent research and reading can prove to future educators that you’re willing to take on extra work to really show what you can do academically, as well as demonstrating that you have interests that go beyond the curriculum. An EPQ sits nicely with a summer school course such as a law summer school , business summer school , engineering summer school and medicine summer school . During your course you have the chance to explore and understand your subject further, demonstrating your commitment to your studies, and develop ideas for your EPQ.

How do you write an EPQ essay?

To write an EPQ essay, you need to: come up with a compelling idea that you’re interested in, write down everything you know about the subject to generate further ideas, find the best essay question to use, reference your sources properly, write a sharp introduction and conclusion, get feedback on your essay, and make sure you double-check your work before submitting it.

The key to writing any extended document is planning, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help you write the best EPQ essay.

Read on for our top tips on how to write an extended project essay.

9 steps to write your EPQ essay

1. come up with an idea.

One of the main reasons students fail their EPQ is because they’ve chosen the wrong subject matter. It’s vital that you choose a topic you’re genuinely interested in, otherwise you won’t have any motivation to work on it. Because of the extra workload, many students choose to start their EPQ over the summer holidays, and with all the distractions that summer brings (trips to the beach, sunbathing in the garden or hanging out with friends in the park) there’s even more reason to pick a subject you don’t find boring, or you’ll just look for any excuse to avoid doing it. Before finalising your topic, you might want to discuss your ideas with your supervisor so they can check you’re on the right track.

2. Write down everything you know about the subject.   

Before doing any extra reading, it’s really helpful to write down everything you already know about your chosen subject. This can help to get your thoughts and ideas – which are often jumbled up – out of your head and down onto a piece of paper or computer screen so that you can begin to organise and make sense of them. This is also useful for identifying any gaps in your knowledge. However, if the gaps in your knowledge are vast and your chosen topic isn’t giving you enough inspiration, don’t be afraid to abandon your original idea entirely and come up with something new. It’s better to start again from scratch at this stage, rather than 2,000 words in.

3. Think of a question

Whatever your chosen topic, you’ll need to think of a question to answer. This is an extremely important part of your EPQ and will form the basis of your essay, so it really is worth thinking long and hard about. The way in which you phrase your question or hypothesis will affect the structure and flow of the whole essay. For example, some typical essay question formats include ‘Compare and contrast’, ‘Critically evaluate’ and ‘Analyse and conclude’. The type of question you want to answer will affect whether you need to highlight and critique a number of theories or evaluate how useful a particular concept is. And remember that your extended project essay needs to be approximately 5,000 words long, so you should choose a question that allows for extended research and arguments. It’s also worth bearing in mind that questions without definitive answers are better as there will generally be much more to write about.

4. Research the topic

Next, you should start thinking about the main body of the essay and how you’re going to go about fleshing out your ideas. Ideally, this step should take up half the amount of total time you spend working on your EPQ essay. You should spend a good deal of time reading books, papers and online journals that have been written about your chosen subject. The Internet is an excellent source of information, but anyone can write anything and publish it online, so make sure your sources are credible and recognised by the examining body. Wikipedia, for example, should be avoided as a reliable source of information as anyone can edit the text that’s been written there. While doing your research, you’re going to come across many different opinions and arguments and it’s all going to come from a variety of sources. So now is also a good time to think about how you’re going to organise it all.

5. Remember to reference your sources

As with any piece of academic work, referencing your sources is vital so the examiners can check you’re not plagiarising. It’s also good to demonstrate that your information has come from a range of places so the person marking your essay can see that you’ve researched your topic widely and have considered several different viewpoints. You’ll need to provide a bibliography at the end of your EPQ essay and if you can’t say where your information has come from, you’ll be unable to use it, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of doing this as you go along. Whether you choose to create a spreadsheet on your computer or annotate photocopies and clippings with a pen, it doesn’t matter how you go about doing this as long as you remember to do it. It’ll make your life so much easier in the long-run!

6. Create subsections

Splitting your essay up into sections can help to make sure you’re writing enough and exploring the topic in as much depth as possible. Keep your word count in mind when dividing up your essay and try to split each section equally. But while mini topics are good for breaking the 5,000 words down into more manageable chunks, you have to make sure each one relates back to your original question, otherwise you could risk wasting some of those words on irrelevant information. Don’t sacrifice the important stuff by shoehorning facts and figures into your chosen subsections. It’s worth thinking about the order of these sections too. It’s usually best to write in a ‘news story’ format, with the most important subtitles at the top and the less relevant stuff filtering down to the bottom, however you could consider working chronologically if that works better for your chosen topic.

7. Write an introduction and a conclusion

As strange as it sounds, it can be helpful to write your introduction and conclusion paragraphs once you’ve completed the main body of the essay. This is because your thoughts on the subject matter are more likely to be more organised, therefore it will be easier to summarise the main points clearly and concisely. Your first paragraph should introduce the subject matter, briefly expanding upon your question and how you’re going to go about answering it, while your conclusion should refer back to the title and answer the question you asked at the beginning of your essay. Ensure that both paragraphs are as direct and succinct as possible, in order to show that you have a clear understanding of your topic.

8. Ask for feedback

Whether it’s a friend, a relative or – even better – your course tutor, it’s a good idea to have your work checked over by someone else. Because you’ve spent hour upon hour absorbed in your subject matter, you can lose sight of certain things, so it makes sense to have your EPQ essay looked at from a different viewpoint. A second opinion can ensure that everything you’ve written is concise and accurate and the person checking your work can give you advice on what to leave out or add in; especially if they already have some knowledge on the subject matter.

9. Double-check everything before submitting your work

It’s a good idea to leave it a day or so before coming back to your essay to proofread it so that you’re viewing it with a fresh pair of eyes. We recommend going over it a couple of times – once to check that you’ve covered everything in terms of the subject matter and another for housekeeping. You want to ensure that you don’t lose any marks for basic things like spelling, punctuation and grammar. You should also take this time to make sure footnotes are accurate, as well as checking over any graphs, charts, diagrams and images.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this step-by-step guide and we’re confident that you now have everything you need to go on to successfully write an EPQ essay. Good luck!

International Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) (9695)

Develop students’ transferable skills with project-based learning

The OxfordAQA International Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a project-based qualification that students can take alongside their chosen International AS/A-levels. The qualification helps students to develop independent learning skills that prepare them for university and beyond, including research, creative problem-solving and report writing.

OxfordAQA’s International EPQ is based on AQA’s UK domestic EPQ, which is by far the most popular and taken by almost 40,000 students annually. It is the first to be designed specifically for international students. This means our qualification has a proven track record as an A-level-standard, international project-based qualification which enables your students to cross academic boundaries and think innovatively.

International EPQ submissions are due by 1 May each year.

• Recognised by some of the world’s top higher education institutions, both British and American universities encourage students who have taken project qualifications to reference these in their applications.
• The International EPQ gives students the opportunity to stand out from the crowd in their university applications by demonstrating engagement with their chosen discipline beyond preparation for an exam.
• With OxfordAQA, the International EPQ allows more practically minded students the unique opportunity to produce a project around an “artefact”. This alternative to the more traditional 5,000-word extended essay requires learners to create a physical object (or outcome) of their choice in addition to a 1,000-word report. The only limit to the nature of the artefact is the candidate’s imagination. Artefacts can take the form of anything from a short film to organising an event of their choice, such as a school talent show.
• The International EPQ provides development opportunities for your staff as well as students, enabling supervisors to deepen their expertise in both the implementation and assessment of project-based learning.

You can also read our ‘extending into the future’ report to learn more about the benefits of project-based learning .

OxfordAQA International EPQ (9695)

The international epq project process.

The International EPQ requires 120 hours of study, consisting of 30 hours of taught skills and 90 hours of independent study. Student can complete the EPQ over one or two academic years.

The process works as follows:

• Students discuss their project ideas with a supervisor and an optional specialist.
• Students research and develop a project proposal for their supervisor to endorse and the centre coordinator to approve.
• Students independently develop their projects, guided by a series of taught skills lessons and supported by their supervisor, maintaining a Production Log of their progress.
• Students submit a 5000-word report and a Production Log. They also deliver an oral presentation to a non-specialist audience. Candidates can incorporate presentations into school parent evenings or ceremonies.
• Students have the option to submit a 1000-word report and an artefact (in lieu of the longer 5000-word essay). Full details on this option are in the specification.
• Supervisors grade the projects with the help of our step-by-step grading criteria and provide evidence that the presentation took place.
• The centre coordinator submits grades to OxfordAQA for moderation.
• Students receive certificates graded A*-E.

Recognition

The International EPQ is a version of AQA’s UK Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), the most popular EPQ on offer that is taken by 40,000 students in England each year.

It is valued and encouraged by all Russell Group universities, twelve of which offer different conditional offers for students who are taking the qualification.

With  the same structure and assessment approach as the EPQ , the International EPQ enjoys all the benefits of the UK qualification. These benefits have been the focus of several research studies in recent years, concluding the following:

• Students who take the qualification are 29% more likely to achieve a grade A*-B in most of their A-level subjects.
• Completing the qualification alongside A-level study is associated with better degree performance than taking A-levels only.
• Project-based qualifications give students ‘sovereignty’ over what and how they study. This helps to develop the independent study skills and self-regulated approach to learning that universities are looking for.
• Even when taking into account previous academic results, a significant positive relationship was found between qualification achievement and student motivation.
• There is also evidence that the qualification can help to lower participation barriers.

From the University of Oxford : “Where applicants have undertaken the OxfordAQA International Extended Project Qualification, this will not be a condition of any offer but the University recognises that the EPQ will provide an applicant with the opportunity to develop research and academic skills relevant for study at Oxford. Candidates are encouraged to draw upon relevant EPQ experience when writing their personal statement.”

Teaching resources available

OxfordAQA provides all the resources and advice you need to teach the International EPQ specification effectively.

• Download the  specification
• Download the updated International EPQ  candidate production log  to capture your students’ marks
• View our training courses to help you deliver OxfordAQA project-based qualifications
• Approved textbooks and resources published by Oxford University Press.

We have too many International EPQ resources to list here, so please visit our resources area for teachers  to see them all, including:

• Schemes of work to allow you to plan how to deliver the specification in a way that will best suit you and your students
• Teaching guidance to outline clearly the scope of teaching and learning
• Project exemplars and analysers that allow you to keep track of your students’ progress throughout the teaching year.

There is one entry series for the International EPQ each academic year.  The entry deadline is 21 February and the submission of grades deadline is 1 May each year. See our Exams Admin page for more details.

Students must prepare an oral presentation when they undertake an International EPQ. The presentation can be delivered in the students’ preferred language.

International EPQ provides students with an opportunity to be assessed in multiple ways. Through:

• The production log
• The project report
• The presentation

This gives students more opportunities to demonstrate their skills.

Find out more on our Fair Assessment  approach, which focuses on providing assessments that enable students to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do.

Online training: learn how to deliver the International EPQ

Our in-depth online training modules for schools looking to implement project-based learning give support to all members of your school’s International EPQ team. So whether you are a teacher, supervisor or centre coordinator, you can find a course for your needs.

• Course 1: What is required to deliver the OxfordAQA International EPQ?
• Course 2: What makes a good International EPQ supervisor?
• Course 3: What is expected of an International EPQ Centre Coordinator?
• Course 4: Understanding and applying the Assessment Objectives and grading criteria.
• Course 5: How to use the Production log.
• Course 6: Understanding artefact projects.

Find out more about the International EPQ e-learning course .

Thinking about switching to OxfordAQA?

Take a look at:

• A case study from the Rosary School in Jordan
• Research on the evidence behind the benefits of extended project work

You must be an approved OxfordAQA centre to enter students for our exams. Make sure you  become an OxfordAQA centre  before you start teaching a course.

Watch the video to find out more

International epq is recognised by the world’s top universities.

“The University recognises that the OxfordAQA EPQ will provide an applicant with the opportunity to develop research and academic skills relevant for study at Oxford. Candidates are encouraged to draw upon relevant project experience when writing their personal statement.”

The Extended Project Qualification provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop the kinds of research and academic skills demanded by the rigours of Higher Education.

Develop teacher expertise through project-based learning

As an internally assessed qualification, the International EPQ develops and recognises the skills students need to progress and supports teachers to teach and assess those skills.

This provides an opportunity for teachers to deepen their expertise in assessing project-based learning which can contribute significantly to their ongoing CPD. It is supported throughout by high quality training, from orientation to standardisation, provided by OxfordAQA.

Another advantage of this approach compared with external assessment is that it gives teachers greater flexibility when supporting students. For example, if the student’s project does not meet the required standards, the teacher and student can decide to withdraw entry or defer until another series.

In addition to this, the International EPQ does not require external approval of project titles. We believe that approving titles de-professionalises teachers. Instead, we support teachers to have a dialogue with students, so that they can arrive at an appropriate title that will allow the student to demonstrate their knowledge and skill.

Questions about this qualification?

Let us know your information below, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

* Mandatory field.

Course specification

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Level 3 Extended Project Qualification

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• What's different about our Projects Qualifications?
• UCAS Tariff points
• Specification at a glance

Introduction

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.

Performance table points and UCAS points

Our tables of information show how the EPQ counts towards Performance table points and UCAS points .

This discussion is now closed.

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