EPQ Ideas and Examples: How to Choose a Title That Scores Well

A strong EPQ idea is a focused question that can be argued and answered within the word count, with enough published sources to evaluate and a conclusion the student has to reach for themselves. The example titles below are grouped by subject and written as illustrations of what a workable title looks like; they are not past students' projects.

The choice of title shapes the marks, because most of them reward the process: planning and managing the project, selecting and using sources critically, and reviewing it at the end. A title that allows a reasoned conclusion gives the student more to show against every assessment objective.

What is the EPQ?

The Extended Project Qualification is a stand-alone Level 3 qualification, usually taken alongside A-Levels in Year 12 and 13, built around one piece of independent research chosen and planned by the student. Under AQA's and OCR's specifications the qualification totals 120 guided learning hours, of which around 30 are spent on taught skills such as research methods, referencing and project management, with the rest given to independent work and supervision meetings; Pearson Edexcel also sets a 120 guided learning hour total but recommends around 40 hours for the taught element.

A project can take different forms. Under AQA and OCR, a project that consists only of a research-based written report, such as a dissertation, should be approximately 5,000 words; where the product is an artefact, a performance or an event, it is accompanied by a written report of at least 1,000 words. Pearson Edexcel structures the EPQ as four units a centre chooses from: Dissertation, Investigation/Field Study, Performance, and Artefact.

Every project also needs a record of the process, called the Production Log and Assessment Record by AQA and the Project Progression Record by OCR, which covers the formal proposal, the research carried out, meetings with the supervisor, changes to the plan and the reasons for them, and a review of the finished product. Students also give a live presentation to a non-specialist audience, and AQA requires the supervisor to record the questions asked and the answers given.

How is the EPQ assessed and what is it worth in UCAS points?

The EPQ is marked against four assessment objectives, and the weighting given to each varies by exam board. AQA and OCR both weight AO1 (Manage), AO2 (Use resources) and AO4 (Review) at 20% each, with AO3 (Develop and realise) weighted at 40%. Pearson Edexcel weights the same four objectives differently: AO1 (Manage) at 17%, AO2 (Use resources) at 22%, AO3 (Develop and realise) at 44%, and AO4 (Review) at 17%. Across all three boards, AO3, which covers taking decisions and producing the final outcome, carries the largest share of the marks, and the qualification is graded on a six-point scale from A* to E.

The EPQ carries half the UCAS Tariff points of an A-Level at the same grade:

• Grade A* = 28 points
• Grade A = 24 points
• Grade B = 20 points
• Grade C = 16 points
• Grade D = 12 points
• Grade E = 8 points

What makes a good EPQ title?

A good EPQ title is phrased as a focused question that can be argued and answered, not a subject area or a statement of fact. It should be narrow enough to research properly within the written report's word count, giving scope to compare sources, weigh evidence and reach a conclusion beyond simply describing what is already known. A workable title also gives the student room to demonstrate the process the assessment objectives reward: planning and managing the project, selecting and using sources critically, producing a developed outcome, and reviewing what was learned.

Titles that work well tend to include a comparison, a contested claim, a specific case study, or a named constraint (a place, a time period, a population, a technology) that keeps the project bounded. A title with no arguable element, or one broad enough to fill a book, is difficult to mark highly against AO2 and AO3 because there is no clear basis for evaluation or a defined outcome to realise.

Example EPQ titles by subject

These are illustrative examples written to show what a workable, researchable EPQ question looks like in each subject area; they are not titles taken from real students' projects and should be narrowed further to fit a student's own reading and interests.

• Sciences and medicine: To what extent could mRNA vaccine technology, first used at scale against COVID-19, be adapted to treat cancer? Works because it has a defined technology and a comparison between an established use and a proposed one.
• Sciences and medicine: How effective is cognitive behavioural therapy compared with medication in treating generalised anxiety disorder in adolescents? Works because it names a specific population and sets up a direct comparison between two treatments.
• Psychology: Does social media use affect body image more in teenage girls than teenage boys? Works because it is a testable comparison with a defined age group, not a general claim about social media.
• Psychology: How reliable is eyewitness testimony in criminal trials, and what reforms could improve it? Works because it pairs an evaluative question with a practical, arguable second half.
• History and politics: Was appeasement a rational response to the constraints facing Britain in the years before the Second World War, or a failure of leadership? Works because it forces a judgement between two named interpretations, beyond a narrative retelling.
• History and politics: How far did the suffragette movement, compared with the First World War, change attitudes to women's suffrage in Britain? Works because it sets up a comparison of causes that historians genuinely dispute.
• English and languages: How does dystopian fiction use the family unit to critique totalitarian control, comparing two named novels? Works because comparing two novels gives a bounded, structured argument; choosing novels outside the A-Level set texts keeps it clear of syllabus content.
• English and languages: Does learning a second language before the age of seven give a measurable cognitive advantage in later life? Works because it is a specific, evidence-based claim that can be tested against research literature.
• Economics and business: Would a universal basic income reduce or increase economic inactivity in the UK? Works because it is a live policy debate with data and arguments on both sides.
• Economics and business: What factors explain why some UK high street retailers survived online competition while others collapsed? Works because it invites a comparative case study, beyond a general essay on retail decline.
• Law: Should the UK adopt a codified constitution, and what would be lost or gained by doing so? Works because it is a genuine debate among constitutional lawyers with clear arguments each way.
• Law: Does the insanity defence in English law need reform to reflect modern psychiatric understanding? Works because it links a legal doctrine to a specific, researchable critique.
• Maths and computing: How effective are current machine learning models at detecting deepfake images, and what are their limitations? Works because it has a testable technical question with a defined scope.
• Maths and computing: Could quantum computing break current public-key encryption within the next two decades, and how are cryptographers responding? Works because it combines a technical claim with a timeframe that keeps the research bounded.
• Geography and environment: Which policy approach is most likely to help the UK meet its net zero target by 2050, carbon pricing or direct regulation? Works because it compares two named policy tools against a fixed goal.
• Geography and environment: How effective have managed retreat schemes been in reducing coastal flood risk, using one UK case study? Works because a single case study keeps the fieldwork and reading manageable.
• Arts, design and performance (artefact or performance route): Design and produce a short film that uses colour grading to convey a character's psychological state, with a supporting report evaluating the techniques used. Works because the artefact gives a concrete outcome and the report can focus on justifying specific creative choices.
• Arts, design and performance (artefact or performance route): Choreograph and perform a piece that adapts a traditional folk dance form to a contemporary theme, with a supporting report on the creative process. Works because it pairs a practical outcome with a report that can evaluate process against the assessment objectives.

How do you turn a broad interest into a title?

A broad interest becomes a workable title by adding a comparison, a constraint, or a question that has not already been answered, until the topic is narrow enough to research within the word count. Starting from a subject area is normal; the work is in cutting it down before the proposal is agreed with a supervisor.

As a worked example, a student interested in artificial intelligence might start with the topic 'AI and the future of work', which is too broad to research or argue in a single report. Narrowing it to a sector produces 'How will AI change the legal profession', which is more focused but still descriptive. Adding a specific claim and a bounded scope produces a workable title: 'Will AI-assisted contract review reduce entry-level jobs in UK law firms over the next decade, or shift the skills those roles require?' This version has a defined sector, a specific technology, a timeframe, and two competing outcomes to weigh against each other, which gives the student something to argue and conclude.

Which EPQ title patterns should you avoid?

A title is weak if it cannot be answered with evidence and a conclusion, whatever the subject. The most common patterns to avoid are set out below, with the reason each one makes the project harder to mark well.

• Too broad: a title covering an entire field (for example, 'The history of medicine') cannot be researched in depth within the word count, so the report covers everything thinly and develops no argument.
• Purely descriptive: a title that only asks 'what' or 'how does X work' (for example, 'How does the immune system work') produces a report that explains without arguing, which limits marks against AO2 and AO3, since there is no evaluation of competing evidence.
• No debate: a title with only one reasonable answer, or no genuine disagreement in the source material, leaves nothing to weigh up, which weakens AO2 (critical use of sources) and AO4 (review and evaluation).
• Too close to an A-Level syllabus topic: a title that repeats content already taught at A-Level shows little extension. AQA requires the project to be a genuine extension of the student's programme of study, and work submitted for the EPQ cannot also be submitted for another qualification.

How do universities treat the EPQ?

Universities set their own policies, so each course page is the place to check. Oxford's medicine admissions pages say that, as the EPQ is not a compulsory part of post-16 study, it is not used as a condition of entry or in shortlisting, but they encourage applicants to draw on the project in the personal statement, particularly if the topic relates to medicine. Oxford's English Faculty does not include the EPQ in conditional offers and advises candidates to prioritise their A-Levels, while describing the EPQ as a good indicator of the ability to research independently and write at length.

The University of Bristol accepts the EPQ to meet its standard literacy condition on any of its courses, but does not accept it in place of an A-Level.

How should you talk about the EPQ in a personal statement or at interview?

The EPQ is best used in a personal statement or at interview as evidence of a specific skill or finding, not as a repeated mention of the qualification's title. A student should describe one methodological decision, one source they had to evaluate critically, or one conclusion they reached and why, since this shows the independent research and academic skills that admissions tutors say they value.

Where the EPQ topic relates to the degree a student is applying for, linking the research question to the course gives an interviewer or admissions tutor something concrete to ask about; where it does not relate directly, the transferable skills, such as managing a long-term project, working with primary sources, or presenting findings to an audience, are still relevant to mention.

Related guides

• What are super-curricular activities?
• UCAS personal statement: the three questions
• University interview preparation
• University application support

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