How I got an A* in the EPQ | Tips to get top marks

Summary

In this video, the creator shares their tips for achieving an A* in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a challenging academic project that includes a 5,000-word essay and an artifact. The creator, who earned 48 out of 50 marks, offers practical advice on staying organized, choosing a passion-driven topic, maintaining consistency, and using a logbook to demonstrate critical skills. Emphasizing the importance of planning, research, and presentation, the creator highlights how their project on lucid dreaming not only boosted their academic profile but also provided insights into personal development and university applications.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start your EPQ early: Begin by choosing your topic and creating a basic structure to avoid leaving things until the last minute.
• 😀 Choose a topic you're passionate about: This will keep you motivated and engaged throughout the project, making the research process more enjoyable.
• 😀 Create a clear plan and Gantt chart: Organize your tasks and deadlines in advance, and regularly update your schedule to stay on track.
• 😀 Consistency is key: Work on your EPQ a little each week to prevent stress and allow yourself to finish well before the deadline.
• 😀 Use your logbook effectively: Document all changes, decisions, and justifications to demonstrate your planning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• 😀 Don’t stress about finding perfect sources: It’s more important to analyze a range of sources and provide clear reasoning for your selections.
• 😀 Keep your presentation simple: Focus on talking about your process and findings, using slides as a guide rather than reading from them.
• 😀 Don’t worry about the reliability of every source: As long as you analyze them well, the source’s reliability is less of a focus.
• 😀 Reflection in the logbook helps with marks: Explain why you made changes to your project or structure, and how these decisions led to improvements.
• 😀 Take time to review and refine your work: Even if you don’t meet all the deadlines, adjust your plan and explain any delays in your logbook for better marks.

Q & A

What is the EPQ and what does it entail?

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a research-based project that requires students to write a 5,000-word essay or a 2,000-word essay along with an artifact. The project involves independent research and culminates in a written report, a logbook, and a final presentation.

How did the speaker perform in their EPQ, and what was their result?

The speaker submitted their EPQ in March 2020 and received their results in August. They achieved 48 out of 50 marks, which equates to an A* grade. This result helped them secure reduced university offers.

What is one of the key benefits of completing the EPQ, according to the speaker?

One key benefit of completing the EPQ is the development of critical skills that are valuable for university applications, such as research, problem-solving, and time management. It also helped the speaker secure reduced offers from universities.

What makes the EPQ unique compared to other qualifications?

The EPQ is unique because students can choose any topic they are passionate about, making it a highly personalized project. The freedom to explore a topic of interest makes the EPQ a valuable and engaging experience.

What was the speaker’s chosen topic for their EPQ, and why did they choose it?

The speaker chose to focus on lucid dreaming for their EPQ. They were passionate about the subject and wanted to explore its practical uses for developing real-world skills. The speaker found it to be an enjoyable and interesting topic, which motivated them to put in the necessary work.

What is the first tip the speaker offers for succeeding in the EPQ?

The first tip is to get organized. The speaker emphasizes the importance of planning early, creating a structure, and using tools like a Gantt chart to manage tasks and deadlines effectively.

Why does the speaker suggest creating a Gantt chart for the EPQ?

The Gantt chart helps students plan their time and tasks from the start to the final deadline. It provides a visual roadmap of when specific parts of the project should be completed and helps demonstrate strong organizational skills to the project supervisor.

What does the speaker recommend when selecting a topic for the EPQ?

The speaker recommends choosing a topic that is genuinely interesting and enjoyable. Since the EPQ is a long-term project, selecting a subject that the student is passionate about will make the research and writing process more engaging.

How important is the logbook in the EPQ, and what should it include?

The logbook is extremely important as it documents the student's thought process, planning, changes made to the project, and justifications for those changes. Keeping detailed records helps demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving, and planning skills, all of which are necessary for earning high marks.

What is the speaker’s advice for maintaining consistency during the EPQ?

The speaker advises students to schedule a few hours each week to work on their EPQ. Consistency is key to managing the workload and staying on track. The speaker was able to complete a large portion of their project well before the deadline by working consistently.

What is the speaker’s stance on source reliability when writing the EPQ?

The speaker advises not to stress too much over the reliability of sources. While a range of sources is necessary, the key to achieving high marks is providing thoughtful analysis of the sources rather than focusing solely on their reliability.

How does the speaker recommend handling the presentation component of the EPQ?

The speaker recommends keeping the presentation simple with minimal text on the slides and using the slides as a guide for the speech. It’s important to speak confidently and enthusiastically, focusing on the process and findings rather than the slides themselves.

What is the overall advice the speaker gives for achieving an A* in the EPQ?

The speaker’s overall advice for achieving an A* is to get organized, plan ahead, choose a topic you're passionate about, maintain consistency, keep a thorough logbook, and focus on demonstrating critical thinking and analysis in both the written work and logbook.