The Extended Project lasts for a year and is considered as half an A Level. It will sit alongside your normal A Level choices and offers an extra dimension to your programme of study. It is possible to get an A* grade for this option. The Extended Project can be in the form of either a dissertation, an investigation/field study with statistical analysis, a performance or an artefact. You will have to track your progress with an activity log and also give an oral presentation at the end about your Extended Project discussing the research process and your experiences. The Extended Project has been devised to develop a range of skills such as independent learning skills, investigation/research skills, how to be a critical thinker, oral and written communication skills. It has also been developed as a response to universities’ and employers’ concerns that young people do not have these skills. Students tend to gain most marks on the processes involved in the Extended Project rather than the outcome (the completed project itself). The topic/research question that you select can either complement current studies or be based on future interests, perhaps career aspirations such as medicine.