example epq essay aqa

How To Write An EPQ Essay (Step-by-Step Guide)

In A-Level by Think Student Editor March 29, 2019 8 Comments

Whatever the reasons were for you choosing to write an EPQ, the grade you get is most definitely important to you. That is why I have written this (hopefully) detailed guide on how to write an EPQ.

1. Think Of An EPQ Topic That Genuinely Interests You 

It’s important to choose an EPQ you’re interested in, or you may run into some problems . Many students take EPQs each year, and many students fail because they make this mistake.

If you don’t take an EPQ you’re interested in, you’ll have no motivation to work on it . This will be because you start to want to do other things, anything instead of your EPQ.

Think about revision, for example. Is it interesting? Nope. Would you rather be playing videogames, watching Netflix, or literally anything else? Yeah, me too.

If you’re not motivated to write your EPQ essay, then you’ll either not do it or do it badly. If you don’t work hard for it, you won’t get good marks – and therefore there’s less point in even taking it in the first place .

If you find an EPQ topic to write your essay on that genuinely peaks your interest, you’ll find it much easier to get better grades in it.

A more interesting EPQ essay topic will mean that your focus is better . This will result in a better EPQ, meaning more marks when you hand it in.

You’ll also enjoy the EPQ a lot more if you find it interesting . You’ll find the whole experience a lot more fun, and therefore a lot easier too.

To find an EPQ topic that genuinely interests you, you just have to think about what you like. There are lots of different things you can do, but you only get to choose once – so choose carefully.

And if you’re really stuck on ideas, take a look at this list of 600+ EPQ ideas that guarantee an A* . Any of these ideas will be great for your EPQ, so just choose one that interests you and that you’ll actually enjoy.

2. Create A Mind Map Surrounding Your EPQ Topic

A mind map is where you write down everything you know about a topic . In this case, you’d be writing down all the ideas and concepts surrounding your EPQ topic.

That way you can see everything you need to write about in your EPQ essay. You’re essentially making a mood board for whatever EPQ idea you’ve chosen, and it will help you get in the right mindset for the task ahead.

Mind maps are most commonly used to identify gaps in your knowledge . Students tend to use them when revising to work out what they don’t know, whilst also helping them consolidate what they do know.

In terms of your EPQ essay, a mind map will provide a loose structure for you to follow . You’ll come up with lots of different things you can write about, and that will make the essay a lot easier.

In addition to this, whilst creating your mind map you may even decide to change your topic entirely. You might find that the topic you’ve chosen isn’t giving you any idea inspiration, and so you move on to a different topic. 

To make sure you get your mind maps right, you might want to follow this helpful guideline . It’s mainly about studying, but the same things can be said for planning your EPQ essay.

Don’t try rushing in to your EPQ essay without first creating a mind map . Mind maps are more useful than most students think…

Mind maps will help you avoid getting lost in what you’ve written, what you’ve missed, and what you’re planning on doing. You can use your EPQ topic mind maps as a sort of checklist as you write your EPQ essay.

3. Use Your Mind Map To Think Of A Question Related To Your Main EPQ Topic

Many students forget to think about this, but it’s probably the most important part of your EPQ . If you get this bit wrong, you can say goodbye to a good grade in your EPQ.

The question relating to your EPQ topic of choice is what you’ll spend your time working on . The 5000 words you write will be about this question, and so it really needs to be a good one.

If you don’t make it a question that interests you, then you’ll find it harder to write as much about it. Find a question that genuinely peaks your interest (relating to your EPQ of course) and the rest will come naturally.

It’s also important, however, that you choose a question where there’s a lot to write about . If you choose a question with lots to write about, you can use that to your advantage when trying to reach those 5000 words.

However, if you don’t choose a question where there’s a lot to write about, you’ll find that your EPQ is slow and drains you. Not only that, but it’ll probably be worse in terms of grade too.

I’d suggest doing a little background research into your question before you start writing your EPQ essay . Just check that there’s lots to write about and then you can avoid starting something you can’t finish.

As a general rule, you’ll want questions that don’t have definitive answers. If you can find a question that is inconclusive, you’re onto a winner.

If you can’t be bothered to look up EPQ questions, then there’s an alternative . Take a look at this list of 600+ EPQ ideas that guarantee an A* .

4. Write Down Subtitles That Relate To Your Main EPQ Question

Writing down subtitles for your EPQ question means that you’ll have a better idea of what’s actually going into your EPQ essay .

When you create your subtitles for your EPQ essay, you’re essentially writing down all the mini-topics you’ll write about. You split up the massive 5000 word count into smaller, more manageable parts.

I’d suggest making as many subtitles as you can that relate to your main EPQ question. Just go for a massive brainstorm ( potentially using your mind map ) to try and come up with lots of subtitles.

That way you maximize the chances of you making some actually good subtitles. You’ll have lots of options to choose from, and your EPQ will benefit from having such a varied range of points.

You also put yourself in the right mindset for your EPQ essay . You’ll be much more open to different ideas and approaches whilst actually writing the EPQ, and examiners will see this and give you extra credit.

However, you need to make sure that the subtitles you’re writing actually relate to your EPQ question . If they don’t, you could run into some serious problems.

If you choose to work on a subtitle that doesn’t wholly relate to your EPQ question, you risk filling up your word count with irrelevant information. That means less room for the important stuff, and less marks for you.

Make sure you check all your subtitles before you start writing . Work out what the plan is before you start writing, so that you don’t have to rewrite a large portion of your EPQ essay.

So grab a pen and paper, sit down, put on some nice music, and get to writing those subtitles.

5. Triple Check That Every Subtitle Question Actually Relates To The Main EPQ Topic

By this point, you should have around 16 subtitles that you want to include in your EPQ essay . 16 subtitles will give you a nice 300 word per subtitle guide, give or take a few.

Any more subtitles, and you run the risk of overcomplicating your EPQ. Any fewer, and you’ll struggle to reach that gargantuan 5000 word count.

It’s essential that you break down your EPQ essay into smaller modules like this, to make it easier for you in the long term. 16 subtitles will mean the best productivity for you when you actually come to write your EPQ essay .

The next step is to order your subtitles, for easier reading. You’ll want to make the layout of your subtitles as sensible and as easy to follow as possible for your examiner .

If you please your examiner like this, they’ll be more inclined to give you more marks. They mark you on your written communication, and therefore you’ll want to make sure you’re communicating the most effective way.

Try ordering your subtitles by the order of most important to least important . Laying out your subtitles this way will show your examiner that you’ve really thought about your EPQ and understand what they want to see.

Alternatively, you could lay out your subtitles chronologically . What I mean by this is that you start with your question, move onto research, then explanations, and finally a conclusion.

This is probably the best way to lay out your EPQ essay subtitles . It’s the easiest way to follow the process you went through, and examiners like to see EPQ essays that are laid out like this.

It’s how I laid my EPQ essay subtitles out, and I got an A* – so I’d suggest doing the same.

6. Allocate A Word Count To Each Element Of Your EPQ Structure

You’ll want an introductory paragraph to start with, and that should only take about 200-300 words . Don’t go overboard with your introduction, as you should aim to make the bulk of your essay about your EPQ question.

I’ve already mentioned it, but you want to write about 300 words per subtitle . This is the perfect amount of words to write if you want the EPQ essay to go as smoothly as possible.

16 subtitles at 300 words each will put you at just under 5000 words – 4800, to be exact. That will leave you just enough room to add a short introduction too.

You can go for less subtitles, but that means a higher word count for each individual subtitle . If you make your word count per subtitle too high, then you’ll struggle when it comes to actually writing your EPQ essay.

You could also try more subtitles if you want, but that then means you’d write less per subtitle . That means there’s less room for all your explanation, and less marks when you hand it in.

I’d recommend keeping your subtitle count between 14 and 18 . That way you give yourself the best chances of your EPQ being easier to write.

You also make it easier for you to enjoy, too. Making your EPQ essay subtitles this long means you’ll find it easier and less monotonous, and therefore you’ll enjoy it more.

The word count of each element in your EPQ essay has an impact on your productivity and focus, too . Generally, the shorter the piece of writing you have to do, the more productive you’ll be.

Setting yourself short-term goals like this will help you stay focused and make your EPQ that little bit better. It’s worth setting effective word counts for your EPQ essay elements for those extra marks .

7. Research, Research ( And A Little Bit More Research )

Research should make up about 40%-50% of your total EPQ essay . That’s a lot of research, and you can see from this figure that quality research is crucial to your success.

The reason research takes up so much space is because you need to explore all opportunities within your question. Research will help you develop ideas and improve your knowledge of the subject, helping you to better answer your EPQ essay question.

And besides, who doesn’t want help reaching the massive 5000 word count?

There are many ways to research, with the most common being the internet, and books . Both ways of researching are valid and useful, but you still need to be careful.

Especially with the internet, you may come across facts and information that isn’t entirely accurate. This is because anybody can access anything, and usually the information you see online is edited by people who aren’t professionals.

Try to stay away from websites like Wikipedia, where anybody can change the information you see . There are much better alternatives out there, like Google Scholar for example.

Whereas with books, they have to go through a long-winded process to ensure they’re accurate . Books tend to be slightly more reliable than the internet, especially if they have an ‘exam-board approved’ label on them.

I’d also recommend keeping track of all the sources of your information, as you’ll have to write a bibliography at the end of your EPQ .

What that basically means is that you have to reference each individual source of information after you’ve written your EPQ essay. That’s just so examiners can check to see if you’re plagiarising any content, in case you were wondering.

8. Check That Your EPQ Structure Still Makes Sense

You should have around 16 subtitles ready to go, in chronological order or order of importance . I’d suggest chronological order, but that’s up to you.

You should also have space to add an introduction and conclusion paragraphs . They shouldn’t take up too much space, but still leave some room for you to add them in.

You’ll actually want to wait until the end of your EPQ essay to write either of these paragraphs, so it might help to add placeholders until you get to writing them.

Around 7 of your subtitles should be based on research . You’ll want to leave yourself a nice amount of in-depth research, whilst also allowing room for all that explanation.

If you don’t give the right proportions for your research and explanation subtitles, your EPQ can become lopsided. Examiners will easily spot this and take away precious marks.

You’ll want your conclusion to be longer than your introduction, as you’re essentially summing up all that you’ve written . Your conclusion should be about the same size as your subtitles, but maybe just a little bit bigger.

If all else fails, just read through your structure and think about it from an examiners’ point of view. Does it all make sense? Are the subtitles in a sensible order? Have you left space for your introduction and conclusion paragraphs?

If you reckon you’ve got all these elements in the right order and the right sizes, you should be good to go. Just keep a clear focus on your EPQ essay question, and you can’t go wrong.

9 . Write Down The Answers To Each Of Your Subtitles

Start with your subtitles to get the main bulk of your EPQ essay underway . The quicker you get your subtitles done, the sooner you can finish your EPQ.

Starting your subtitles first is a good idea, as they make up most of your EPQ. You’ll want to get them done first, and then you have time after that to work on the finer details.

As I’ve said, your subtitles should be around 300 words long . This will allow you just enough space to answer the subtitle, without repeating yourself or going overboard.

If you go too far over 300 words, you risk either repeating yourself or just extending your points so much that your words become empty. Empty words = no marks, which is what you definitely don’t want.

If you don’t write 300 words, the points you make are likely to be underdeveloped. This means you can’t get into the top band of marks no matter how good what you’re saying is – there’s just simply not enough of it.

Of course, if you think you can express yourself in more or less than 300 words, go for it . Everybody’s different, and some people have better writing skills than others.

The amount of words you write per subtitle can also depend on how many subtitles you have . If you have less subtitles, you write more words per subtitle, and vice versa – simple maths.

Try to explore every possibility within your subtitle. The more routes you go down and the further the detail you go into, the more marks you’ll get from the examiner.

10 . Write The Introduction And Conclusion Paragraphs

Your introduction paragraph needs to be slightly shorter than your average subtitle paragraph . Usually about 200-300 words, the introduction will basically talk about what’s to come in your EPQ essay.

If you make your introduction too long, you waste space that you might need for your research/explanations. You also take up space that could be used for your conclusion, which is very important.

It’s a good idea to write your introduction paragraph after you’ve written all of your subtitles . It may sound odd, but there’s method to the madness.

If you write your introductory paragraph last, it’ll be a lot more accurate than if you’d have done it at the start. You’ll know exactly what’s in your EPQ, and therefore your introduction can accurately ‘introduce’ your essay .

Your conclusion paragraph should be slightly longer than your average subtitle, and definitely longer than your introduction . I’d say about 400 words, your conclusion should sum up everything you’ve talked about in your EPQ essay.

Your conclusion should essentially answer the question you asked at the start of your EPQ essay. You should aim to include everything you talked about in your other subtitles (that’s why it’s a little bit longer).

You’ll obviously want to write your conclusion paragraph after everything else, or you’ll have nothing to conclude. Once you get on to your conclusion, you’re on the home stretch.

11. Get Someone To Proof Read It To Make Sure There Are No Errors

Proof reading your EPQ essay is so, so, SO important to your success . If you don’t proof read your EPQ essay, you may miss some pretty crucial mistakes…

I’m not just talking about the spelling mistakes you may have made (although you might want to fix those too). I mean the mistakes where you contradict yourself, go off topic, or even just get your facts wrong.

I’m sure I don’t need to explain it, but these mistakes will cost you dearly when your EPQ gets examined . Sometimes just a few marks can be the difference between an A and an A*, so you need to maximize your chances of success.

A good way to ensure your EPQ essay is perfect is to get someone else to look through it. Having a second opinion ensures that everything you’ve written is accurate and concise, and it’s better than just checking through it yourself.

If you rely on your own methods of checking through your work, you’re more likely to miss mistakes . Having a fresh perspective on your work broadens the chances of catching every mistake you make.

It doesn’t matter who you get to check your work . You can ask friends, family, or even your teachers/tutor – just get it proof read before you send it off to be marked .

If you need to check through it for spelling mistakes or wording issues, there’s a handy little trick I used for my EPQ essay. Paste your entire essay into google translate, and have it read out to you .

That way you can listen and check for anything that’s not quite right, and sort it out in time for your EPQ essay to be examined.

Thanks so much for the help !

This is so, so helpful, thanks so much!

How many resources should I have for my EPQ?

20-25 should be the right number

Hi, thanks for the cool tips! I will definitely keep it for myself

Hello, thanks for the cool advice, but the most difficult thing for me is 1 point – to think through the topic itself. Therefore, already at the first stage, I give up and turn to the college essay writing service. This service helped me more than once or twice. My friends also use it. Also, it is difficult for me to create a mental map, which is in point 2. Therefore, I would rather spend my writing time on purposes that are useful to me.

This is so useful! I have been working on my EPQ over the past few weeks and have had a few big quandries about how I should go about forming an answer to my question and this has made it much clearer. Thank you!

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Art-based Artefact FULL Essay & Sketchbook Example

Jennifer Leigh | 28th September 2019

Many students are warned before taking on an EPQ, that artefact projects are substantially harder and score substantially lower than full essay projects. The key difficulty with artefact EPQs is making them research-based and the biggest task I had to overcome was insuring my artefact complimented my research, rather than the other way around. I was the only student in my year group to attempt an artefact EPQ and there was very little help as to the structure my EPQ should take.

During Sixth Form, I completed an art-based artefact EPQ on the significance of light and colour in Impressionist art. This EPQ followed obtaining full marks in my Art GCSE, so I chose to take a very similar process in creating my EPQ project and sketchbook.

In the end, I obtained 48/50 in my EPQ in June 2019 (AQA EPQ A* boundary = 45/50).

Looking for top EPQ tips? Check out my EPQ advice article here! This article features my EPQ essay and sketchbook in full that helped me achieve my A*. All the art below was submitted collectively as my artefact, with mini essays, artist studies and my final pieces being documented in an A3 sketchbook.

My EPQ essay (ft. photos of artefact)

Is use of light and colour the sole feature that defines the impressionist art era, or are there more significant motives behind the movement.

Impressionism can be described as “a style or movement in painting originating in France in the 1860s, characterised by a concern with depicting the visual impression of the movement, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and colour”. Today, the Impressionists are some of the most popular artists whose artworks are readily seen by the public, namely due to the expressive use of colour and unique depictions of interesting compositions of light. However, this project aims to explore whether use of light and colour really is the defining feature of Impressionist art, or whether there are other reasons why this movement of art is so unique from other movements. Furthermore, I also explored whether some of the most famous “Impressionist” artists today can be defined as “true Impressionists”, based on their techniques and motives.

Initially, I researched Claude Monet, as he is frequented described by art historians as “epitomis[ing] most closely the values of Impressionism”1. Monet frequently used varied colour palettes in his paintings, such as in “The Cliff Walk at Pourville” (1882) and “Red Boats, Argenteuil” (1875), which helped create a powerful mood and atmosphere for the viewer. For example, in “Le Grand Canal” (1908), he primarily used more muted, cool colours to emphasise the bright morning, which focuses the viewer on the reflections and varied hues of the water. Studying the painting up close, one can see how the hints of pinks and yellows contrasts with the muted colours, creating a sense of calmness and tranquility. In series works such as his Haystacks, Monet painted many similar, simplistic scenes so that “nothing distracts the attention from his harmonies of colour and atmosphere”2. Taking a random selection of paintings from this collection, such as “Haystacks, Hazy Sunshine” (1891) and “Haystacks at the End of Summer, Morning” (1891), it is clear to the viewer that the real interest is in Monet’s manipulations of light through the medium of colour.

However, use of light and colour is not the only technique that Monet demonstrated that is considered typically Impressionist: Monet also frequently varied his style of brushstrokes, working very loosely and liberally in paintings such as in his Waterlilies series. This technique, combined with frequently working in plein air, led to many of Monet’s paintings creating a feel of a “moment in time” for the viewer. Indeed, many of the revolutionary techniques Monet demonstrated had the same key purpose: to create a sense of a moment or impression of a scene for the viewer, rather than a full, still representation of a period of time.

Considering Monet as a “true Impressionist”, I then began to compare his techniques and works to those of other artists during a similar period of art history. I initially researched Edgar Degas, who separated himself from most Impressionists by outwardly describing himself as a Realist, rather than an Impressionist, with a “lack of interest in plein-air painting, his abiding passion for the art of the great masters, and his experimentation in different media, including photography” 3 . However, it is clear by studying his works that Degas aimed to create an impression of a person’s life rather than Monet, who aimed to create an impression of a scene. One way that he demonstrated this was how Degas “began experimenting with off-centre compositions, and figures cut in half by the picture frame” 1 , which can be considered a way that Degas allowed the viewer to glimpse “an unexpected slice of Parisian life”. This is comparable to how Monet used sketchy strokes and varied colours in his paintings; both artists used these contrasting techniques to give the viewer an impression of the scene in front of them, whether it was a landscape or a group of people.

Some critics have argued that “Degas never allowed himself to be called an Impressionist, and, affirming the supremacy of drawing over colour, was often highly critical of his colleagues [the Impressionist artists he frequently exhibited with at the Salon des Refusés]” 4 yet, despite this, he did show very similar motifs to other Impressionists like Monet. Indeed, a majority of written sources on Degas were in books containing a wide range of other Impressionist artists, implying that many art historians do draw great similarities between Degas’ and other Impressionists’ work. Studying Degas’ sketches and paintings as a modern viewer, it is clear that the theme of capturing a moment for the viewer was a theme of Impressionism that Degas consistently demonstrated, along with other Impressionists.

Another artist prominent at the time of the Impressionists was Paul Cézanne, whom I also researched as part of my project. Like other Impressionists, Cézanne presented his work at the 1870 Salon de Réfuses, however he drifted away from the Impressionist movement and focused on creating more carefully structured compositions, with a unique crystal-life appearance. In paintings such as Tall Trees at the Jas de Bouffan (1883), Cézanne used “constructive” strokes, consisting of flat strokes of a consistent scale, shape and direction, “giving the picture an overall coherence … through slow methodical brushwork” 5 . Art historians can infer that rather than attempting to create atmospheric conditions, he sought to create spectrums of colour that more realistically replicated the conditions of the day.

Some critics argue that Cézanne was key to the Impressionist movement, while others, such as Hajo Düchting, claim “once the heyday of Impressionism dawned, Cézanne had already put both Paris and Impressionism far behind him” 6 . In this case, it is important to note that Düchting is writing with the purpose to persuade the reader that Cézanne was a truly unique and revolutionary artist of his time, so the author avoids crediting the origins of Cézanne’s style to any artist or movement, such as the Impressionists, throughout the book. Despite potential bias in his work, it is difficult to ignore Düchting’s argument that Cézanne was unlike the Impressionists; indeed, even sources specifically covering Impressionist artists describe Cézanne as relinquishing Impressionism, “insufficient for [his] purpose and inadequate to [his] aims” 4 .

Many of the sources I did study as part of my research gave a general overview of Impressionism, such as “Great Artists of the Western World: Impressionism”, considering how many artists of the same period of history used Impressionist techniques; this suggests that the authors may be biased in looking at Cézanne and Degas from a purely Impressionist viewpoint, rather than considering techniques which made both artists stand out from classic Impressionists like Monet. Despite this, visiting galleries and exhibitions such as “Drawn in Colour: Degas from the Burrell” (National Art Gallery) and “Corteau Impressionists: From Manet to Cézanne” (National Art Gallery) offered the opportunity for first hand research in seeing these artists’ work up close, supporting evidence from these texts regarding to what extent Degas and Cézanne really were “Impressionists”. The Corteau Impressionists exhibition at the National Art Gallery 5 featured a range of artists from a similar period of art history, such as Manet, Renoir and Seurat. However, the paintings themselves and their descriptions were clear evidence of how differently these artists worked; for example, Seurat was described as being “dissatisfied with Impressionists’ intuitive responses to light and colour” and thoroughly discarded their style of thinking, despite being exhibited as one of them in this exhibition, suggesting that not all those artists considered “Impressionists” by the public can truly be considered one by art historians. Generally, the Impressionist exhibitions proved more useful sources than the texts, which were prone to producing bias to make the artist seem more original in their techniques (and therefore less “typically Impressionist”), while seeing the paintings and annotations up close allowed for a more critical judgement of the methods used.

Using the research I had gathered from these three key artists, I began to develop an idea for a final piece which incorporated what I felt were the key features of Impressionism. I focused on a series of works, taking inspiration from how both Monet and Degas created multiple, similar paintings which showed subtle changes in composition and/or atmosphere. I chose to focus on landscapes, picking compositions from my garden in order to give me the change to work en plein air, trying to pick images which worked together in a series, yet also showed some compositional interest, taking inspiration from Degas. Eventually I chose a set of two compositions that complemented each other with similar viewpoints. Throughout the painting process, I focused on capturing all the colours reflected in the light of the scenes, while preserving the spontaneous, loose feel of the Impressionist artists, taking note of what I’d learnt in my research. This can particularly be reflected in the portrayal of the trees, where I used broad brushstrokes to capture the constant movement of the leaves. I also used subtle variations of colour to reflect the slight changes in light and impression for the viewer: while the first painting has a strong, warm tint to reflect the calm twilight, the second painting consists of slightly cooler tones to suggest the vibrant daytime. This was an ode to Monet’s many series works, containing multiple similar scenes with strong variations in light and atmosphere. Overall, these paintings reflected and supported what I’d learnt during my research regarding the techniques and aims of Monet and Degas.

In conclusion, there is clear evidence for colour being a key feature in Impressionist art, yet this cannot be prioritised over the real motive behind the artist’s work: the reason for “Impressionist” art being given its name is due to whether or not the aim of the piece is to suggest a moment in time, inflicting some sort of emotion or atmosphere for the viewer. Despite this, it is accurate to suggest that “the Impressionist group in France falls into several sections” 4 . Monet and Degas both shared the same intention to capture an impression of a scene, despite doing this through different techniques; in comparison, Cézanne shared similar technical qualities in his painting style to Monet, yet his overall aim leant towards capturing a representation of a longer period of time. In this way, it is clear Monet and Degas demonstrate their Impressionist qualities to a much greater extent than Cézanne, which can be noted in viewing their work. In this way, the significance of colour in Impressionism is limited to simply being a means through which artists, such as Monet, can create these atmospheric effects and feelings for the viewer.

• Anon. (1987). Great Artists of the Western World. London: Marshall Cavendish.
• Mannering. (1998). The Masterworks of Monet. Bristol: Parragon.
• Drawn in Colour: Degas from the Burrell. The National Gallery, London. (Exhibition February 2018)
• Francia, d. (1961). Movements in Modern Art: Impressionism. Vienna: Brüder Rosenbaum.
• Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cézanne. The National Gallery, London. (Exhibition November 2018)
• Duchting. (1996). Cézanne. Taschen America Llc.
• Sagner-Duchting. (1992). Claude Monet. Taschen America Llc.
• Reyburn. (1997). The Art of the Impressionists. Grange Books Ltd.
• Gariff. (2008). World’s Most Influential Painters and the Artists They Inspired: Stories and Hidden Connections Between Great Works of Western Art.

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See your students flourish with an EPQ

Community link: Warwick University [warwick.ac.uk]

Discover the resources and support available to support your EPQ qualification at Warwick University Library.

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Teaching guide: the project presentation for Project Qualifications

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Teaching guide: work with third parties on Project Qualifications

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Teaching guide: ethics and safeguarding in Project Qualifications

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Teaching guide: the project product for Project Qualifications

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Teaching guide: the taught Element of Project Qualifications

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Teaching guide: the project process and production log for Project Qualifications

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Community link: Oxford University [libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

A set of guides about research skills, referencing, academic writing, how to use public libraries and where to find free research resources.

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Interactive course teaching students the skills they need to support their projects and studies and how to study successfully in higher education.

Community link: Newcastle University study skills [sixthformstudyskills.ncl.ac.uk]

An interactive guide about study skills designed for sixth Form students, along with links to further support and workshops.

Community link: University of Southampton [southampton.ac.uk]

Students can access free workshops, resources and support if they're undertaking the EPQ or any other project-based qualification.

Community link: Durham University [dur.ac.uk]

The support guides will help students to focus on different aspects of research, essay planning and presenting.

Community link: University of Essex [essex.ac.uk]

Students can learn more about the key skills they need for writing their first research project, or book a support session for more advice.

Community link: Newcastle University Library [ncl.ac.uk]

Library outreach activities including research workshops for EPQ and library skills resources for sixth formers.

Community link: The British Library online resources [bl.uk]

Get ideas for project research from the British Library's articles on unique collection and expert commentary.

Community link: Wellcome Trust ethical guidance [wellcome.ac.uk]

Students can find out more about what to consider ethically, when carrying out a research project.

Community link: University of Sheffield discover programme [sheffield.ac.uk]

Year 12 and 13 students can book a place on a study skills workshop where they will learn more about EPQ.

Community link: University of Leeds skills library [library.leeds.ac.uk]

Taught students can develop their academic skills through online resources, workshops, 1-2-1 consultations and drop-in sessions.

Community link: University of Bath [bath.ac.uk]

An outline of Bath's support for EPQ including a link to their free Future Learn course 'How to succeed in your EPQ'.

Community link: London School of Economics [lse.ac.uk]

Join an introductory session at LSE library where you'll discuss topic searches, evaluation of material, referencing and academic writing.

Places on our 2024 summer school are filling fast. Don’t miss out. Enrol now to avoid disappointment

• 600 EPQ Ideas – The Ultimate List For an A*

So, this is it. You’ve decided to do an EPQ and now you’re sitting at a blank computer screen with the entire spectrum of human knowledge at your disposal. You could write about any topic on any subject in the dizzying realms of the known universe. But there’s just one problem… how do you begin?

An EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) allows A-Level students to write either a 5,000 word essay on any question or subject of their choice. Alternatively, students can create an artefact or product, and write a shorter essay explaining it. The EPQ is equivalent to half an A-Level.

EPQs are a fantastic way of proving to universities that you are the best prospective student for them, and that you deserve a place on one of their courses. An EPQ requires a huge amount of independent research (which proves that you can handle university-style work) and allows you to showcase your original thoughts and academic rigour, which is exactly what universities are looking for.

Even more importantly, an EPQ counts for extra UCAS points . This means that if you don’t get the grades you expect at A-Level, a strong EPQ grade could help you meet the conditions of a university place offer. Feeling inspired now? We’ve got 600 EPQ ideas for multiple different subjects, to get those ideas rolling.

What are some top EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A*?

Some strong EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A* are specific and original topics like “Should parents be allowed to genetically change their child’s gender” for an EPQ in medicine, and “Is the media making suicide aspirational?”, for a psychology EPQ.

You could also consider EPQ questions like, “Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?” for History, and “Should we legalise human organ trade?” for Economics.

We’ve got a list of 600 EPQ ideas for a guaranteed A*, so scroll down and get inspired. We’ve searched all over the internet and interviewed students to get the most pressing topics for each subject. You should just use these EPQ ideas to give you an idea of what you could research, and it’s up to you to come up with your own title.

EPQ Ideas For Medicine

• Is gene therapy ethical?
• Should parents be allowed to genetically alter their child’s gender?
• Can cannabis use in adolescence cause schizophrenia?
• To what extent does the sugar tax reduce sugar consumption in the UK?
• Why are the death-rates from Covid-19 worse in places with higher air pollution?
• Why does emetophobia primarily affect women?
• Could the legalisation of cannabis improve mental health?
• Should we allow only UK citizens to use the NHS?
• Can plastic surgery ever solve body dysmorphic disorder?
• Do care home environments worsen the affects of Dementia and Alzheimer’s?
• What are the links between obesity and parents criticizing their children’s bodies?
• If a woman who wanted a child freezes her eggs and then happens to die, should a relative be allowed to use her eggs to conceive a child?
• Is it right that mothers of Down’s syndrome babies are allowed to abort them up until birth?
• Are anti-depressants a quick fix problem in an overwhelmed healthcare system?
• Should the NHS provide IVF for women over 40?
• To what extent are Black women discriminated against when giving birth?
• Should counsellors have a qualification in psychology before being allowed to practice?
• Why are girls so chronically misdiagnosed when it comes to autism?
• Did the ancient Egyptians have a comprehensive understanding of mental health and illness?
• Could electroshock therapy be the most effective method of treating depression?
• Should we prioritise ICU places to people with children and dependents?
• What are the similarities between Reactive Attachment Disorder and Autism?
• A study of medical practices in North Korea
• A comparison of different cancer treatments: surgical removals and chemotherapy to immunotherapies.
• Is hypnotherapy ever a viable anaesthetic for surgery?

Students interested in taking medicine further should consider studying at one of our award winning Medicine Summer Schools to strengthen their application.

EPQ Ideas for Psychology

• Is the media making suicide aspirational for young people?
• To what extent does having social workers intervene in a family affect a child’s life outcomes?
• Is talking therapy nearly ineffective for treating panic disorder?
• Should children be allowed to decide if they can be taken into care?
• Are the children of alcoholics more likely to become hoarders?
• Is there a link between undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and alcoholism?
• Can non-violent psychopaths have successful relationships?
• Given how they change behaviour, should advertising and marketing be made illegal?
• How has social media altered our brains since its inception?
• Does the Stanford Prison Experiment prove that we should promote rehabilitation over punitive incarceration?
• Are attachment issues in neglected children irreversible?
• Can unschooling be classed as child neglect?
• Can authoritarian parenting styles lead to overeating in adulthood?
• Is technology making us more depressed?
• Do gender-neutral toys lead to children with less stereotypical views of gender roles?
• Can music help ease the effects of Dementia?
• What are the long term effects of bullying?
• Can studying people’s behaviours pre-suicide help prevent suicide?
• Should crime-predicting algorithms be banned for their bias?
• A study of the effects of living in an overcrowded household during Covid-19 lockdown.
• Do memories alter when we recall them?
• How does intergenerational trauma effect cortisol levels?
• Do the negative affects of racism begin in the womb?
• What can Savant Syndrome tell us about the multi-faceted nature of intelligence?
• Do all humans have some level of body dysmorphia?

EPQ ideas for Law

• Should defendants be allowed to represent themselves?
• Is the internet an ungovernable wilderness when it comes to Law?
• Why secret trials are a form of abuse
• Should CCTV be made illegal?
• Is the use of juries inevitably flawed when it comes to reaching a just verdict?
• Should mass media be banned from high profile investigations?
• Should we replace juries with AI-powered robots?
• Should Donald Trump go to prison?
• Could the police be classed as a gang in America?
• How we can stop criminalising victims of sex trafficking.
• Should we bring back the death penalty?
• How much should a child’s desire to live with one parent or another affect the court’s decision?
• Should people who see child abuse but don’t report it be subject to the law?
• Should male partners sue their female partners for abortion?
• Should organ donation be mandatory for everyone?
• When should one country legally intervene in another, when it comes to human rights abuses?
• Should marriage be banned until the age of 21?
• Should lie detector results be legalised in UK courts?
• Could the government be legally obliged to pay women for their unpaid labour that contributes to the economy?
• If embryos are capable of feelings and sensations, should abortion be forbidden at any stage?
• Should minors trafficked to the UK from a dangerous country or situation be given immediate residency?
• Could euthanasia be legalised, whether or not someone is critically ill and close to death?
• Should parents be legally obliged to leave money to their children?
• Should the inheritance tax be abolished?
• Should people with dual citizenship automatically receive diplomatic protection from both countries?

Students interested in becoming a lawyer should consider studying at one of our Law Summer Schools on campus at top UK and US universities.

EPQ ideas for primary school teaching

• Should boys receive exclusive lessons on feminism in primary school?
• How can we teach primary school students about internet safety?
• How can we teach primary school students about their rights over their own bodies?
• Is the way we teach obesity in school harmful to overweight or obese children?
• Is the Education system indoctrinating students?
• The importance of girls in primary school having role models in STEM.
• Why banning mobile phones in school does more harm than good.
• Why our education system fails to pick up students with dyspraxia.
• Why we should allow students to move around the classroom as they learn.
• Is the Montessori childrearing method of any use in mainstream primary school?
• Should every school have access to a Forest School?
• Why primary schools should teach skills such as cooking and home management to every child.
• Are school uniforms too institutionalising for children?
• Should school uniforms be enforced as a way of giving children routine?
• The importance of failing well.
• Should school be only three days a week?
• Should children be able to choose what subjects they want to study at any time?
• How exams unfairly disadvantage girls in primary school.
• Should we abolish sets in primary school?
• How can we teach healthy eating to children?
• How can we teach anti-racism to primary school students?
• A study of anxiety disorders in primary school students due to Covid-19.
• How the education system can better accommodate students with high-functioning autism.
• Why we need a better understanding of selective mutism in primary school.
• Should primary schools in the UK become bilingual to enhance language learning?

EPQ ideas for Secondary School Teaching

• Should school start and end later for teenagers?
• Why students should never have to ask to go the bathroom.
• Could a four day school week improve mental health among secondary school students?
• Is the secondary school curriculum creative enough?
• Why we should be teaching healthy communication to secondary school students.
• Should parents be allowed to choose for their children not to receive sex education?
• Should sports be compulsory at secondary school?
• When does strict teaching become bullying?
• Should modern languages be compulsory at secondary school?
• Could Pathological Demand Avoidance explain why students who are bright aren’t meeting their potential?
• Should we ban school uniform in secondary school?
• Should we decolonise the secondary school curriculum?
• Are their enough teachers of colour in secondary schools?
• What is the effect of divorce on a student’s learning and development?
• How to narrow the technology poverty gap among secondary school students.
• How to create educational support for looked-after children.
• How does having less money than your peers affect your identity as a secondary school student?
• The effects of overcrowded and poor housing on educational attainment.
• The effects of homelessness and insecure housing on educational attainment.
• What effect does the assessment and exam structure in UK schools have on students’ mental health?
• Are exams an unfair form of assessment for students with a specific learning difficulty like dyslexia or dyspraxia?
• How does ADHD link to cleverness and giftedness in students?
• Is our method of diagnosing autism in students informed enough?
• How can we tackle perfectionism and fear of failure in female students?
• Do exams unfairly advantage boys, and why?

EPQ ideas for Biology

• Why we don’t have enough evidence for evolution.
• Is Covid-19 more deadly than Ebola?
• Are animals as intelligent as humans?
• Is abortion murder?
• Is homosexuality genetic or social?
• What can the oldest living creature on earth teach us about biological immortality?
• Does incest always create biological issues?
• The use of parasites in weight loss attempts
• How long would it take you to die if you ate the same thing and nothing else for years?
• What causes diseases in trees?
• Could we ever grow food on walls?
• If your spouse died, what would the ethical implications be of cloning them?
• A study on identity crises in identical twins.
• Is obesity a genetic issue?
• How does sepsis attack the body?
• Will artificial hearts ever be a viable solution to chronic heart problems?
• Could brain transplants ever be a viable option?
• How do certain drugs affect cellular interactions?
• A study of courting behaviours in different species.
• How did different cellular mechanisms regulate different physiological processes?
• Is obesity a modern phenomenon?
• Can gene therapy cure Cystic Fibrosis?
• Can gut microbiota influence host appetite?
• What is the impact of invasive species on ecosystems?
• What is the biology of laughter?

EPQ Ideas for History

• Why poor dental hygiene in the middle ages was a myth.
• Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Justified?
• Is it right to topple the statues of slave owners, in order to erase history?
• Who does history belong to?
• Why did the USA join World War Two so late?
• How have male and female romantic relationships changed over time?
• How has the role of marriage changed over time?
• Should a country be allowed to teach its own history?
• How did the British Empire expand so much?
• Should museums return all their historical artefacts to their country of origin?
• Were the Suffragettes the biggest force in women getting the vote?
• Is religious warfare ever Justified?
• How medieval fashion influences our outfits today
• Was Anne Boleyn the main reason that Henry VII left the Catholic church?
• Did Henry VII suffer from a genetic disease that prevented him from conceiving healthy children?
• Why do we hold on to so many myths in History?
• A study of propaganda in History textbooks in UK history.
• Why is History important to the future?
• To what extent did the purchase of commissions affect the fighting power of the British army between 1760-1860?
• What is the validity of historical fiction and romance?
• How did secret churches operate in Mao’s China?
• How did 19th Century attitudes towards madness affect society’s treatment of ‘hysterical’ women?
• What is the holocaust’s relationship with literature?
• Were the liquidators who helped clean up the Chernobyl explosion used as human collateral?
• How did the pill help women’s liberation?

EPQ Ideas For Economics

• From an economic perspective, should we legalise human organ trade?
• Can an increase of wealth directly influence happiness levels?
• Could stock analysts be replaced by artificial intelligence?
• How do socio-economic factors determine someone’s health in adulthood?
• Who is to blame for the 2008 financial crisis?
• Is illicit trade with China the only factor preventing the North Korean economy from total collapse?
• How would we recover economically if the internet ceased to exist?
• How did the 2008 financial crisis make house buying impossible for the majority of millennials?
• Is the poverty trap impossible to get out of?
• Can we compare the trickle-down economy to a pyramid scheme?
• Does a lack of wealth in childhood really hold you back in life?
• Is the gig economy leading to job insecurity a myth?
• To what extent does women’s unpaid labour prop up the UK economy?
• How has Brexit affected the UK economy?
• Should we legalise a Universal Basic Income?
• How quickly did the UK economy recover from the effects of World War Two?
• Are all socialist economies doomed to fail?
• How would the legalisation of Marijuana affect the world economy?
• How does a lack of free speech negatively affect China’s economy?
• Should there be a minimum wage?
• Should there be a maximum wage?
• Should billionaires be allowed to exist?
• How has the global demand for oil changed over time?
• What effect does illegal immigration have on the UK economy?
• Why a lack of childcare support for women hurts the economy.

EPQ Ideas for Business Studies

• Should businesses expanding to developing countries be forced to pay their employees the same amount they would at home?
• What does Foxconn show about the human cost of business?
• How should we hold businesses to account for unethical behaviour?
• Should we have a single, global currency?
• How can companies become more eco-friendly?
• Should we lower the corporate income tax?
• Will Google kill the journalism industry?
• Why apprenticeships should pay more
• Why every business leader should take a course in empathy.
• How successful is it when businesses rebrand?
• Should companies interfere in their employees’ private lives?
• How churches like Hillsong became multi-million pound businesses.
• Should CEOs have a salary limit?
• Is the American government a big business?
• How has e-commerce affected bookshops?
• Does corporate social responsibility have an impact on company sales and profits?
• A study of businesswomen in the 18th Century
• When do business marketing practices become unethical?
• Should multi-million pound businesses have taken advantage of the government’s furlough scheme during the Covid-19 lockdown?
• How do corporations influence politics?
• Should a business ever own a town or city?
• Start your own small business – perhaps on eBay or Etsy – and write your EPQ on an aspect of it.
• Should private healthcare be allowed to exist?
• Could marketing be considered a mass human experiment?
• To what extent does colour effect audience response to branding and logos?

If you want to study economics, business or marketing to a higher level, consider joining Oxford Royale this summer for a Business Summer School .

EPQ Ideas for English Literature

• The evil stepmothers in fairy tales were actually mothers in the original texts. What does this tell us about society’s anxieties and perspectives on motherhood?
• To what extent is the state of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale based on real life?
• Is writing an act of magic?
• Can works of literature oppress their fictional, female characters?
• Can the mistranslation of literature create a liminal world – a place that is not quite one thing and not quite another?
• What does the rise of the digital book teach us about literature?
• Can we ever ‘eat’ literature?
• Do you need to be able to read and write to be an author?
• Are stories living things?
• Discuss the gender politics in George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
• How is the sensory experience of dyslexia presented in literature?
• Is English Literature considered a ‘feminine’ subject?
• As an English student, is it your job to always work out what an author means?
• Is the author dead?
• Could journalists be replaced by AI-reporters?
• Do we need to overhaul the literary canon?
• Do we really need spelling and punctuation in literature?
• Should mass media be allowed to be biased?
• How helpful is the idea of literary genres to understanding a text?
• How George Orwell hid his dissenting view of communism in Animal Farm.
• Why learning to read is a human right.
• Can a novel ever be timeless?
• Does literary form exist just so that writers can subvert it?
• Is rhythm in a poem a separate language?
• Explore Plath’s portrayal of depression in The Bell Jar.

EPQ ideas for Art

• Should Banksy be allowed to graffiti on walls?
• Who decides the value of art, and should we standardise it?
• Has photography always been a form of art?
• To what extent is mathematics art?
• Why do people consider art to be an easy subject?
• Can art reverse the effects of mental illness?
• Can anything be art?
• Is all graffiti a form of art?
• Why the common perception of medieval people being bad at art is misguided.
• How does the commercialisation of the art industry change art itself?
• How does the perception of a career in art as worthless affect the life choices of students?
• Does an audience’s gaze change a piece of art?
• Are art and beauty essentially related?
• Is art supposed to be a visual and sensory experience, or something that we think about and define a meaning for?
• Who decides that a piece of art is ‘good’?
• Does art have a purpose?
• Can art help fight climate change?
• Why does it matter that children are exposed to art?
• What is the effect of producing art on a child’s brain?
• If nobody ever saw your artwork, would it be worth creating?
• Does a piece of art necessarily have a relationship with its creator, or can it detach itself?
• Is art a language?
• What does the disdain for modern art teach us about people’s stereotypes of art?
• Are philosophers artists?
• Could the world itself count as a work of art?

EPQ Ideas for Foreign Languages

• Where did language come from?
• Do idioms prove that languages can never truly be translated?
• Is body language universal across all countries?
• Should everyone be made to learn sign language?
• Why did Esperanto fail as a language policy?
• Which is the hardest language to learn and why?
• Do multi-lingual children grow up to be more economically successful?
• Why does having dyspraxia make language learning difficult?
• Should the whole world be made to speak one language?
• How does an influx of immigration alter the language of a region?
• What is the effect of trading on local dialects?
• Should everyone be made to learn a foreign language at school?
• What does the Korean language, when compared in North and South Korea, teach us about the evolution of language?
• Is there such a thing as a ‘correct’ way of speaking a language, when languages never stop evolving with culture?
• Could a language be classed as a living thing?
• Why is English such a dominant language across the world?
• Is Latin a dead language?
• What caused the English language to evolve so drastically over time?
• What is the hardest language to learn, and why?
• What does baby-talk in different foreign countries teach us about the acquisition of language?
• Why does China have several dialects, but only one alphabet?
• Did grammar always exist?
• What is the link between being good at maths and being good at language learning?
• Why are young children such natural language learners?
• Is learning a language cultural appropriation?

EPQ Ideas for Sport

• How sports stars experience an identity crisis after they retire
• Should soldiers be paid more than footballers?
• How do psychological factors influence performance in sport?
• What do fans react to their team winning a football match as though they won it themselves?
• Are national and international sports a misuse of resources?
• How does struggling with sports in primary school affect children’s self esteem?
• Should women be allowed to compete against men in professional sports?
• Is the ability to run fast purely a genetic advantage?
• Why do we fail to take women’s sports seriously as a society?
• Should children be forced to do sports in school?
• How can the presence of media affect the outcome of a game?
• Should referees be replaced by AI-powered robots, to decrease bias?
• How does a lack of female representation in sport prevent girls from seeking it out as a career?
• What is the effect of parents’ motivation a child’s enjoyment of sport?
• What are the long term effects of the Olympics on the host country’s tourism?
• How does a lack of ability at sports correlate to bullying?
• Why do we have less interest in women’s sports?
• A history of sport in pandemics
• How does a long-term sports injury affect an athlete’s mental health?
• Can a star athlete succeed without a coach?
• Should cheerleaders be banned?
• Is racism being taken seriously in sport?
• Can you still be a top athlete with a poor diet?
• Who decides when something is a sport?
• Why is netball predominantly considered to be a sport for women?

EPQ Ideas for Architecture

• How does the design of a building influence its inhabitants emotions?
• Should city-dwellers without gardens be given free access to national parks at all times?
• What is the link between Brutalist style architecture and anxiety and depression?
• What is the link between mathematics and art in Architecture?
• How is a building affected by the people who live in it?
• How does the style of council housing feed into class stereotypes?
• Can architecture cause social dysfunction?
• Would smart cities be a breach of privacy?
• Could we create a building the size of a city, to house an entire population?
• Make an architectural model of a zero-carbon home and write an essay describing how its functions avoid the use of carbon.
• Should the local government have the right to pull down a building if the community who live there oppose it?
• Is it ethical to spend millions of pounds creating a building in a city with high levels of quality?
• Were houses built in the 1930s of superior quality?
• Should councils have been allowed to remove tenement dwellers from their homes in the post-war era, when the enforced move was traumatic?
• Can we adapt Japanese smart space efficient buildings to western buildings?
• What were the influences on architecture in China?
• How did communism during Mao’s China change the country’s cityscapes?
• How can we build environmentally-friendly housing in LEDCs?
• Can zero carbon housing ever really exist?
• Should public playgrounds exist for people of every age?
• Was Grenfell tower a total architectural failure?
• What house styles in different areas tell us about gender forms of the time.
• How does technology affect architecture?
• What was the effect of feminism on architecture?
• Should houses worth over a million pounds be built with some benefit to the whole neighbourhood?

Join our Oxford Architecture Summer School for the chance to learn architecture amongst the dreaming spires of the city of Oxford.

EPQ ideas for Maths

• Is the golden ratio a racist idea?
• What is the maths behind cryptocurrencies?
• What are the links between foreign language learning and maths?
• What are the links between mathematics and art?
• Has maths always existed?
• How can we use statistical analysis to predict a child’s outcomes in life?
• Should children be forced to take maths at A-Level in the UK?
• Should maths be optional at secondary school in the UK?
• Why do some people say that maths is beautiful?
• Does money really exist?
• An exploration of chaos theory.
• Can maths explain how the universe came into existence?
• How can calculations improve the safety of commuters who cycle in Oxford over the next 5 years?
• Explore conflict and co-operation in The Prisoner’s Dilemma.
• Which is more important, e or pi?
• Can we calculate infinity?
• An exploration of orbital mechanics.
• Is maths a pointless subject if we don’t apply it to something?
• Is learning Maths more important than learning English in primary school?
• What was the role of maths in the code-breaking of Bletchley Park?
• How do fractals work in modelling systems?
• Can we reverse dyscalculia?
• Can mathematical systems ever be illogical?
• Did people discover maths?
• Could maths ever prove the existence of a parallel universe?

Those keen on studying maths in the heart of the silicon valley can join our Mathematics programme for 15-18 year olds on campus at our Berkeley Summer School in 2024.

EPQ ideas for Physics

• How does String Theory explain the universe?
• How can physics help us prevent climate change?
• What is the relationships between maths and physics?
• What was the role of Mileva Maric Einstein, Albert Einstein’s wife, in his scientific findings?
• Build a quadcopter with remote control.
• How can emergency whistles be optimised for design and use in rural environments?
• What would happen to the solar system when the sun dies?
• How can physics help us provide electricity to parts of rural India?
• Is time an illusion?
• Discuss the different interpretations of quantum mechanics.
• Could humans ever live on Mars?
• Design and build a functioning robot.
• How soon will we have flying cars?
• What are some feasible methods for cleaning up space junk?
• Where did the universe come from?
• How can physics prove the existence of God?
• How did Einstein’s theory of relativity influence Physics?
• Now that NASA has confirmed there is water on the moon, could it be a feasible tourist destination?
• Given their devastating effects, should we eliminate nuclear weapons from the earth?
• What contributed to the Cleddau bridge disaster?
• How can we solve the pay gap in the field of physics?
• A study of star formation and star death.
• Is time travel possible?
• How far can humans realistically explore space?
• Mathematical knot theory and its applications.

EPQ ideas for Chemistry

• What was the impact of optical isomerism in the drug Thalidomide, which led to fetal abnormalities?
• An assessment of the safety of fluoride in water.
• To what extent did the government in Louisiana cover up the danger of the petrochemical plants in Louisiana’s ‘cancer alley’?
• Should Aspartame (E951) be allowed in our food and drink?
• When do chemicals become hallucinogens?
• An assessment of hydrogen storage within Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).
• An extraction of limonene from citrus fruits.
• Make a collection of esters that smell pleasant.
• Will graphene have a significant influence on the future?
• To what extent have inventions in Chemical Engineering impacted our lives?
• As assessment of the total synthesis of natural products.
• An experiment in polymer chemistry.
• An assessment of molecular dynamics
• An assessment of solid state structure
• Could we ever create a plastic that decomposes?
• A research project on hydrogen fuel cells
• Why doesn’t plastic decompose?
• What are the chemical processes behind purifying water?
• An exploration of the chemistry behind food allergies in humans?
• What are the chemicals involved in human attraction?
• How does cortisol affect the human body?
• Should pesticides be ethically permissible?
• What are the advantages of computer aided fragment based drug design?
• How can click chemistry be used to improve drug synthesis?
• How has the discovery of pharmaceutical chemicals changed over the past 200 years?

EPQ ideas for Engineering

• Should we teach Engineering in primary school?
• Why is there a gender imbalance in Engineering, and how can we fix it?
• Is there an oversaturation of engineers in India, and if so, why?
• Was everything in the world built by an engineer?
• Do we need to expand our definition of engineer?
• Can Engineering solve the mystery of Malaysian Airlines flight 370?
• Can Engineering explain the disappearance of Emilia Earhart?
• Did Engineering faults contribute to the sinking of the titanic.
• Build your own model plane, boat or high altitude balloon.
• Could hot air balloons become a mainstream method of travel?
• Discuss the hydraulics paradox.
• How have innovations in airframe design increased safety in commercial aircraft?
• How do architects and engineers collaborate?
• Should we be allowed to develop robots that can mimic human emotion?
• What would it mean for an engineer to be ethical when building something?
• How has Civil Engineering changed over time?
• How can chemical engineers improve energy efficiency?
• How could alterations in chemical Engineering have prevented the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?
• As assessment of the sustainability of London’s tube system.
• How much of our countryside should we sacrifice for better transport links?
• Will we have enough oil for future generations?
• Would energy provided entirely by a wind farm system run the UK economy?
• What are the reasons for the pay gap in Engineering, and how can we solve them?
• How can we get pre-school children interested in Engineering?
• Design a system to enhance plastic recycling.

Prospective engineers can join our Engineering Summer Schools for a two-week immersion in the core principles of the subject.

EPQ ideas for Computer Science

• Why we should teach children how to code at the same time we teach them to write.
• Create a website design and code it.
• Is one coding language superior to another?
• How can we reduce computer illiteracy in poorer areas?
• Why internet access is a human right.
• Are AI-driven robots responsible for their own actions?
• Are Ai-assessed job interviews inevitably biased?
• How soon will handwriting become totally irrelevant?
• Are companies upskilling fast enough to cope with the digital demands of Covid-19?
• It’s more important to learn to code than to learn to write
• Is Computer Science a more relevant subject than Physics?
• How will quantum computers change our way of life?
• Should silicon valley companies be criminalised for our widespread addiction to technology?
• What would happen if all technology was wiped out?
• Will we ever be able to search Google through a microchip in our brains?
• What new jobs will Ai create in the next ten years?
• What is increased automation doing to our jobs?
• Develop your own game.
• Should we allow AI-writing assistants like Grammarly to change the way we express ourselves?
• What are the positive effects of machine learning on healthcare?
• How does AI differ from human intelligence?
• Is it ethical to use social care robots to alleviate loneliness?
• Is it ethical to create an app which offers you an AI friend?
• What is the most efficient way to track down cyber criminals?
• How do cyber criminals cover their tracks on the internet?

EPQ ideas for Ethics

• Should people be able to sue their parents for bringing them into the world?
• Do men automatically have the right to be present at their child’s birth?
• Should we be allowed to dispose of spare embryos in IVF?
• Should we be allowed to use embryos for stem cell research?
• Should machines with AI have their own rights?
• Are Siri and Alexa slaves?
• Should we be allowed to mix human and animal DNA?
• Should we be allowed to clone humans?
• Do we have the right to experiment on animals?
• Do we have the right to visit other planets and the moon?
• Should a father have rights over an unborn child?
• Should there be an assessment process before people have children?
• Is sterilisation unethical in every circumstance?
• Should we be allowed to cuddle babies if they can’t give verbal consent?
• Should an embryo have protected rights under the law?
• Do we have the right to prevent someone from committing suicide?
• The disturbing eugenics around birth control
• Should parents be allowed to edit out genetic conditions before a child’s birth?
• Should testing fetuses for Down’s Syndrome be legal?
• Are our moral decisions innate or socially conditioned?
• Should we have the right to decide when life begins?
• If you need a heart transplant and you’re hoping for a heart, does that mean you’re hoping for someone else to die?
• Should we put a limit on the number of children people have?
• Does the means justify the end?

EPQ ideas for Politics

• Why has the USA never had a female president?
• If we colonised Mars, who would govern it?
• Has Great Britain lost its status as a world power?
• Are the government’s counter-terror policies effective?
• Is it acceptable to teach British values in primary schools?
• How does nepotism negatively affect politics?
• How has Donald Trump changed politics?
• Should there be universal freedom of information?
• Why did Brexit happen?
• What are the dangerous effects of conspiracy theories like Q-Anon on the public?
• Should it be illegal to publicly shame politicians?
• Will there ever be a viable mid-ground between socialism and capitalism?
• Would global governance be a better policy than individual governments?
• How are female politicians and prime ministers perceived?
• Should there be freedom of speech at all costs?
• Should countries be allowed to ban religion?
• An assessment of the case for anarchy.
• Should the UK’s land belong to everyone?
• An analysis of political cartoons in the UK
• Should everyone have to vote by law?
• Should politics be taught in primary school?
• Should everyone be made to take politics in secondary school?
• Should National Service be mandatory in Singapore?
• How did the war on drugs affect inner city US communities?
• How was Twitter revolutionised politics?

Sociology EPQ ideas

• How can we reverse stereotypes over drug use and misuse in different communities?
• What is the impact of the media on our perception of women from Muslim communities?
• Evaluate Marx’s account on the origins of the industrial revolution in Britain?
• Is it fair for today’s feminists to criticise the lack of gender commentary in classical sociology?
• How do human ideas, customs and behaviour come together to make culture?
• How do gender, class, race and sexuality affect us and our social relations today?
• A study of the effects of polyamorous family settings on children.
• Have sociologists neglected emotion in their studies of human behaviour?
• Do emotions come from society, or from within us?
• How do different models of socialisation affect children?
• Are eating disorders a social phenomenon?
• Should we ban face-altering apps?
• Should teenage pregnancy be so vilified?
• Can upbringing create a narcissist?
• Is perfectionism more prevalent in girls than boys, and how does that relate to the way we socialise either gender?
• Should we ban gendered toys?
• How can we assuage the social causes of substance abuse?
• An exploration of the sociology of food.
• Is it right to try and get someone out of a cult?
• How racial segregation in cities enforces poverty, and prevents upward mobility.
• What is the relationship between race and class?
• The effects of interracial marriage in the 1950s.
• The cultural diaspora of mixed race children.
• How Disney made princesses key role models for girls.
• Should weddings have to be registered to be legal?

EPQ ideas for Geography

• How did Hurricane Catrina change the New Orleans community?
• Is there such a thing as collective trauma after a natural disaster?
• Does the earth belong more to humans than animals?
• To what extent should be allow deforestation?
• A study on how we will survive and adapt to climate change in 3020.
• Does the way we categorise developing countries increase stereotypes?
• How have the demand for super-crops impacted the agricultural systems in the countries where we grow them?
• Should companies be allowed to expand to developing countries if they won’t pay workers the same wage as at home?
• How does tourism affect a country’s culture?
• Should all new houses be built with solar panels?
• How can we reduce the effects of coastal erosion?
• How has global warming changed the world’s physical features?
• What are the socio-economic and political implications of migration policies for the UK?
• Should borders between countries exist?
• Are countries doing enough to meet their MDG targets?
• Can a country ever become fully developed?
• How does living as an illegal immigrant affect mental and physical health?
• To what extent is global warming caused by human beings?
• Was the civil war in Syria caused by climatic factors?
• Could the National Geographic be considered exploitative?
• A comparison of two earthquakes in different decades. to observe how advances in technology have impacted responses.
• How does climate change affect different biomes and ecosystems around the world?
• What are the environmental and social impacts of natural gas fracking?
• A prototype for the generation of sustainable energy.
• The effects of littering on marine health.

EPQ ideas for Religious Studies

• Why materialism can’t disprove the existence of God.
• Why science and religion are part of the same entity.
• Paley provides the best argument to issues surrounding the existence of God.
• To what extent can Freud’s view of religion and God be said to be accurate?
• Is C.S Lewis’ claim that atheism is weaker than theism correct?
• Is the belief in nothing still a belief?
• Can we reach God through the via negativa?
• Is atheism just ignorance?
• Can we prove that the universe exists outside our mind?
• Is the Catholic catechism biblical truth?
• How did the history of the church shape our society today?
• Should Religious Studies be compulsory in primary school?
• The existence of life on earth is evidence of the existence of a higher being.
• How do you explain the goodness of God in the light of the world’s evil?
• What are the boundaries between a cult and a religion?
• Should the church always be subject to the government?
• Should the Queen be head of the protestant church?
• Should the church form its own political party?
• Are expensive religious buildings insensitive to those living in poverty?
• Does baptising a baby save its soul?
• Should politicians interfere in religious conflicts?
• Is religion nothing more than a comfort blanket against death?
• Can you ever justify taking a life?
• Is religion the same as morality?
• Is religion just a set of rules disguised as something greater?

So, there you have it. 600 EPQ ideas to enhance your passion and imagination for this exciting qualification. Now get ready to kickstart your academic future with an amazing EPQ idea of your own. Don’t forget to fill out that activity log as you go along!

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A* EPQ- Summary and Reflection Exemplar

Subject: Government and politics

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

8 April 2024

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Here is a detailed, 9 paged example of a summary and reflection page for an AQA EPQ Level 3 project, which scored 47/50 (A*)

The title was ''Should we place limits on the right to Freedom of Expression and was this evident during the Covid Crisis? ‘’

Use this as a guide to identify which assessment objectives are being appropriately used.

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How to Write an A+ Extended Project Qualification Essay

Table of contents

As you start your college assignments, you will come across an independent research project that is lengthy, intensive, and takes around 120 hours to complete the assignment entirely – this is the Extended Project Qualification Essay (EPQ).

An EPQ assignment helps in developing and broadening creative thinking and analytical problem-solving skills, as well as being beneficial for getting students into their desired colleges for other further education.

Well, everything has its first time, and if you’re wondering how to approach the EPQ essay, this article will help you get started.

9-Step Guide to Write a Perfect EPQ Essay

The EPQ essay plays a significant role in building academic confidence, enhancing creative writing skills , and demonstrating your passion for a particular subject or topic.

<<Check EPQ Sample>>

While working on this EPQ essay, students learn how to manage their time, meet deadlines, work on constructive feedback, learn independently, and conduct thorough research.

Here’s how you can write an A+ extended project qualification essay in 9 steps.

1. Brainstorm topic ideas

The first thing to do before you start writing your EPQ essay is to find an engaging topic that interests you. Look for ideas and brainstorm subject matter essay topics that are significant to you and intrigue your mind.

Many students make the mistake of choosing boring topics they are not interested in. This eventually leads them to draft up an average, low-quality assignment.

Choosing an appropriate topic that genuinely interests you will help you stay focused and motivate you to work hard and efficiently on your EPQ assignment.

You would also understand your subject matter better and learn more – which would result in making this assignment a high-scoring, fun, and engaging experience.

2. Jot down your ideas

Before you start researching your topic and learning brand new information, use your prior knowledge and write down everything – thoughts, ideas, facts, statistics – you know about your topic and subject matter.

This will help you understand the pieces of information you already have and can thus assist in organizing them for easier understanding and reference. You will also be able to identify if there are any fixable gaps in your knowledge, as this will be held as the foundation of how you will proceed to the next steps for researching your topic.

If you find that you aren’t inspired, you do not have a lot of information on your topic or there are massive gaps in your knowledge, it is better to eradicate the entire idea and start afresh than to submit a half-measured, uninteresting essay.

3. Create mind maps to define the subject matter

Whether your EPQ question is from a Maths, Physics, Biology, Psychology, etc. background, you are required to create a question or a prompt through which you can write your essay.

An Extended Project Qualification essay is mostly a 5000-word essay – and drafting an interesting, engaging, and inspiring essay without a question or a prompt is almost impossible.

Many students fail to do well and get a good grade on this particular essay assignment because they give the topic and content of the essay more important than the essay prompt .

Create a mind map and fill in any idea or thought that comes to you related to your topic. Through this mind map, you can remove ideas that don't pertain to the subject and segregate interesting points to craft your essay question that genuinely piques your interest.

However, it is also a best practice to choose a prompt that has a variety of information, references, statistics, and arguments to it.

This will make it easier to do your research on this topic. Make sure to choose a question that doesn't have a conclusive answer so that you can do extra added research on it and learn more about this subject.

Here’s a video by Justin Sung on using mind maps correctly.

4. Research the topic

Now is the time to focus on the body of the EPQ essay. Try to flesh out all the information you can find about your topic, thus filling the gaps you found in your prior knowledge.

At this time, make it a point to adhere to your chosen title for the essay, the essay question, and the structure you’ve used to lay down your arguments. Check for reliable sources of information such as books, articles, online journals, and more through the internet.

Keep a note of all the references and sources you’ve used to scourge up quality information for your essay assignment. Eventually, this list of sources would be a good way to organize your reference page or bibliography.

5. Structure and organize your essay

As you’ve gathered all the relevant information about your EPQ essay topic, it is time to organize your essay to have better readability, flow, and transitions through different arguments and paragraphs.

The structure needs to provide a robust framework for your essay content and exactly express what and how you want your essay to be delivered. It also helps you stay focused on the essay prompt and the kind of research you need to do to answer it.

Keep in mind to include some essential portions in your essay structure, such as the chronological list of subtitles for subsections and a placeholder to add in the introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

6. Create subtitles for your subsections

Split your essay body into subsections to make it easier to follow a structure and keep space for adding in any new related information. Creating subsections will also help you identify any missing facts and if you’ve explored the topic in detail.

Divide the 5000-word essay into equal and manageable portions with subtitles, and make sure to keep each subsection 100% related to your essay question. These subtitles are mini-topics that will help you get a better idea of what you want to say in your essay.

To create these subsections, you could choose to divide them chronologically or even in a most-important-subsection to least-important-subsection format.

7. Allocate a word count for each subsection

It's not an easy feat to write a 5000-word essay, which is why allocating a specific word count limit to each subsection would help complete the entire essay in a much smoother way.

You must divide your subsections into 16 subtitles, with about 300 words for each subtitle. This will help you reach 4800 words, leaving 200 words for any added paragraphs, points, or arguments. You can choose to keep the number of subtitles between 14 to 18 and allocate the word count to each of them accordingly.

Writing short, manageable portions for your EPQ essay makes the experience more productive, focused, effective, and less monotonous.

8. Write the introduction and conclusion paragraphs

Once you’ve completed writing down the answers to your subtitles, the next step is to write your introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

Your introduction paragraph needs to be shorter than your subtitled subsection. It should encapsulate what your readers should expect out of your essay and a summary of what you want to express, including your main thesis statement.

Whereas your conclusion paragraph should be longer than the subtitled subsections as well as the introduction paragraph. The conclusion should essentially be able to answer the essay prompt which was asked at the beginning of the essay, and aim to include essential points from each subtitled subsection for clarity of understanding.

As a best practice, it is recommended to build your introduction and conclusion paragraphs once you’ve completed writing your main body, as you will have all your arguments and points in place and have a better grasp of how you answered your EPQ essay question.

9. Review and ask for feedback

Lastly, whether it's a friend, parent, or peer, you should get your EPQ essay reviewed and proofread by someone else to receive a fresh perspective and a different opinion on your content and framework before submitting your final draft.

Neglecting to proofread your work would invite unnecessary errors, grammatical issues, and spelling mistakes. Reviewing and proofreading your essay could help identify and fix wrong academic vocabulary , vague arguments, incomplete sentence structures, accuracy, contradictions, incorrect facts, and more.

For students aiming at standout grades, an A+ Extended Project Qualification Essay can be the game-changer. While it requires a high degree of knowledge-sourcing, meticulous application, and strong conviction to write an impressive piece, the above suggestions will go a long way in easing the path.

From the time you zero down on a riveting topic to the final moment you press the submit button, this should be your handy to-do reckoner for surefire success.

We at Writers Per Hour can help you write a stellar EPQ essay. Our professional essay writers are subject matter experts in their respective fields and hail from leading universities across the US, UK, and Australia.

All you have to do is fill out the order form, give us your requirements, and we’ll assign the best writer for the task. With our safe payment methods and transparent policies, we’re an essay writing service you can truly trust.

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