The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is an extra-curricular project of independent study, offered by the AQA exam board. The EPQ allows each student to embark on a largely self-directed and self-motivated venture. Students must individually choose a topic; plan, research and develop their idea and decide on their finished project. A project topic may be directly related to a student’s main study program, but should look beyond the specification. A finished product may take the form of a: • Research based written report • Production (e.g. a charity event, fashion show or sports event, etc.) • An artefact (e.g. a piece of art, a computer game, or realised design, etc.) Students must also record progress of their project process in their Production Log. The process of recording and completing a Production Log is as important as the finished product. Both the Production Log and the Product will be assessed. Before students begin researching and writing their projects, they receive taught sessions on how to conduct research, take notes, and keep their log and academic study skills, in general. Students are assigned a non-subject specialist tutor who will meet with them during the planning, research and writing of the project to offer guidance and support. The supervisor is not responsible for the grade that the individual student receives; their role is to provide impartial guidance and support. They will provide feedback on a draft, but the whole aim of the project is for students to follow instruction from their taught sessions and conduct independent research. Students who undertake the EPQ are all significantly challenged by the experience and they all gain a great deal from the process. Not just in terms of academic learning, but also in their study skills, time and project management and their preparedness for undergraduate study. Universities all over England are enormously keen on Sixth Form students taking on the EPQ, including the Russell Group of Universities and Oxbridge. Research intensive universities, in particular, value the skills students learn from completing the EPQ, which are developed through undergraduate study. Whilst the EPQ provides students with the opportunity to study in areas of personal interest, an EPQ qualification can be part of an attractive student profile, which may enable them to secure their first choice university. Russell Universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, are increasing giving students reduced offers if they have an EPQ because the project is hugely beneficial to a student’s research, study and academic writing skills which are required at University level study.