EPQ

Entry Requirements

Students who meet our entry requirements for Pathway 2 may take the EPQ alongside three A Level or BTEC subjects. The minimum requirement is 7 or more GCSEs at Grade 6 or higher, including Maths and either English Language or Literature. 

Exam Board: AQA

What is the EPQ?

The EPQ is a fantastic course to develop your skills for Higher Education. What we particularly love about it is that you have the freedom to choose what you want to research.

The EPQ course is encouraged by many top universities, including Cambridge, because it allows students to extend their abilities beyond the A-level syllabus and prepare for university or their future career. It gives you the chance to research and study something you are genuinely interested in or that links directly to a future degree or career path. Furthermore, an increasing number of universities include the EPQ in their contextual offers, and top institutions—including Oxbridge—acknowledge that it provides students with the opportunity to develop research and academic skills relevant to university-level study. It is also worth half an A Level (up to 28 UCAS points), which can be used to earn extra UCAS points.

"Nearly 1 in 5 successful applicants to Durham had completed the EPQ." — The Sunday Times (16 Feb 2014)

The EPQ is a largely self-directed and self-motivated project. Students choose a topic, plan, research, and develop their idea, ultimately deciding on their finished product. Creativity and curiosity are strongly encouraged. A project topic may relate to a student's main programme of study, but it should look beyond the current specification.

Students must also document their process in a Production Log. The journey of recording and completing the project is just as important as the final submission, as both the Production Log and the final Product are assessed.