examples of epq essays aqa

Save £500 when you enrol by 30th September! T&C’s apply

• How to Write an EPQ Essay

Writing an EPQ essay can seem like a daunting task, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help make the whole process easier.

In addition to the A-Levels you’re already doing, you can choose to take an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification). An EPQ is an independent research project, and it’s extremely beneficial as it counts towards UCAS tariff points.

Consisting of around 5,000 words, an EPQ essay is an in-depth assignment which takes about 120 hours to complete.

That may seem like a lot of extra work to take on alongside your existing studies, however it can be hugely beneficial when applying to get into university.

Choosing to undertake independent research and reading can prove to future educators that you’re willing to take on extra work to really show what you can do academically, as well as demonstrating that you have interests that go beyond the curriculum. An EPQ sits nicely with a summer school course such as a law summer school , business summer school , engineering summer school and medicine summer school . During your course you have the chance to explore and understand your subject further, demonstrating your commitment to your studies, and develop ideas for your EPQ.

How do you write an EPQ essay?

To write an EPQ essay, you need to: come up with a compelling idea that you’re interested in, write down everything you know about the subject to generate further ideas, find the best essay question to use, reference your sources properly, write a sharp introduction and conclusion, get feedback on your essay, and make sure you double-check your work before submitting it.

The key to writing any extended document is planning, which is why we’ve written this nine-step guide to help you write the best EPQ essay.

Read on for our top tips on how to write an extended project essay.

9 steps to write your EPQ essay

1. come up with an idea.

One of the main reasons students fail their EPQ is because they’ve chosen the wrong subject matter. It’s vital that you choose a topic you’re genuinely interested in, otherwise you won’t have any motivation to work on it. Because of the extra workload, many students choose to start their EPQ over the summer holidays, and with all the distractions that summer brings (trips to the beach, sunbathing in the garden or hanging out with friends in the park) there’s even more reason to pick a subject you don’t find boring, or you’ll just look for any excuse to avoid doing it. Before finalising your topic, you might want to discuss your ideas with your supervisor so they can check you’re on the right track.

2. Write down everything you know about the subject.   

Before doing any extra reading, it’s really helpful to write down everything you already know about your chosen subject. This can help to get your thoughts and ideas – which are often jumbled up – out of your head and down onto a piece of paper or computer screen so that you can begin to organise and make sense of them. This is also useful for identifying any gaps in your knowledge. However, if the gaps in your knowledge are vast and your chosen topic isn’t giving you enough inspiration, don’t be afraid to abandon your original idea entirely and come up with something new. It’s better to start again from scratch at this stage, rather than 2,000 words in.

3. Think of a question

Whatever your chosen topic, you’ll need to think of a question to answer. This is an extremely important part of your EPQ and will form the basis of your essay, so it really is worth thinking long and hard about. The way in which you phrase your question or hypothesis will affect the structure and flow of the whole essay. For example, some typical essay question formats include ‘Compare and contrast’, ‘Critically evaluate’ and ‘Analyse and conclude’. The type of question you want to answer will affect whether you need to highlight and critique a number of theories or evaluate how useful a particular concept is. And remember that your extended project essay needs to be approximately 5,000 words long, so you should choose a question that allows for extended research and arguments. It’s also worth bearing in mind that questions without definitive answers are better as there will generally be much more to write about.

4. Research the topic

Next, you should start thinking about the main body of the essay and how you’re going to go about fleshing out your ideas. Ideally, this step should take up half the amount of total time you spend working on your EPQ essay. You should spend a good deal of time reading books, papers and online journals that have been written about your chosen subject. The Internet is an excellent source of information, but anyone can write anything and publish it online, so make sure your sources are credible and recognised by the examining body. Wikipedia, for example, should be avoided as a reliable source of information as anyone can edit the text that’s been written there. While doing your research, you’re going to come across many different opinions and arguments and it’s all going to come from a variety of sources. So now is also a good time to think about how you’re going to organise it all.

5. Remember to reference your sources

As with any piece of academic work, referencing your sources is vital so the examiners can check you’re not plagiarising. It’s also good to demonstrate that your information has come from a range of places so the person marking your essay can see that you’ve researched your topic widely and have considered several different viewpoints. You’ll need to provide a bibliography at the end of your EPQ essay and if you can’t say where your information has come from, you’ll be unable to use it, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of doing this as you go along. Whether you choose to create a spreadsheet on your computer or annotate photocopies and clippings with a pen, it doesn’t matter how you go about doing this as long as you remember to do it. It’ll make your life so much easier in the long-run!

6. Create subsections

Splitting your essay up into sections can help to make sure you’re writing enough and exploring the topic in as much depth as possible. Keep your word count in mind when dividing up your essay and try to split each section equally. But while mini topics are good for breaking the 5,000 words down into more manageable chunks, you have to make sure each one relates back to your original question, otherwise you could risk wasting some of those words on irrelevant information. Don’t sacrifice the important stuff by shoehorning facts and figures into your chosen subsections. It’s worth thinking about the order of these sections too. It’s usually best to write in a ‘news story’ format, with the most important subtitles at the top and the less relevant stuff filtering down to the bottom, however you could consider working chronologically if that works better for your chosen topic.

7. Write an introduction and a conclusion

As strange as it sounds, it can be helpful to write your introduction and conclusion paragraphs once you’ve completed the main body of the essay. This is because your thoughts on the subject matter are more likely to be more organised, therefore it will be easier to summarise the main points clearly and concisely. Your first paragraph should introduce the subject matter, briefly expanding upon your question and how you’re going to go about answering it, while your conclusion should refer back to the title and answer the question you asked at the beginning of your essay. Ensure that both paragraphs are as direct and succinct as possible, in order to show that you have a clear understanding of your topic.

8. Ask for feedback

Whether it’s a friend, a relative or – even better – your course tutor, it’s a good idea to have your work checked over by someone else. Because you’ve spent hour upon hour absorbed in your subject matter, you can lose sight of certain things, so it makes sense to have your EPQ essay looked at from a different viewpoint. A second opinion can ensure that everything you’ve written is concise and accurate and the person checking your work can give you advice on what to leave out or add in; especially if they already have some knowledge on the subject matter.

9. Double-check everything before submitting your work

It’s a good idea to leave it a day or so before coming back to your essay to proofread it so that you’re viewing it with a fresh pair of eyes. We recommend going over it a couple of times – once to check that you’ve covered everything in terms of the subject matter and another for housekeeping. You want to ensure that you don’t lose any marks for basic things like spelling, punctuation and grammar. You should also take this time to make sure footnotes are accurate, as well as checking over any graphs, charts, diagrams and images.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this step-by-step guide and we’re confident that you now have everything you need to go on to successfully write an EPQ essay. Good luck!

• TTS Libguides
• Tanglin LibGuides
• Senior Library

A-level AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

• EPQ Main Page
• Art and Design
• Business Studies
• Design & Technology
• Drama and Theatre Studies
• Film (Media) Studies
• Mathematics
• Physical Education
• Religious Studies

Extended Project Qualification

On the left hand side or below you will find links to exemplar A* and A grade projects.  Each project contains: Production Log, Essay OR evidence of product & 1000 word report, Presentation Slides and Record of Marking.

Projects are listed under different subject areas, although some projects may include more than one subject area. Miscellaneous are projects which do not fit under any specific subject - many of them are products that have been built.

Please sign in your TTS google account to access the projects.

Alternatively, you can search the essays in Infiniti Library Database and click the web links provided to access them.

How to find information

Academic honesty, student advice.

• Next: Art and Design >>
• Last Updated: Nov 7, 2022 4:23 PM
• URL: https://libguides.tts.edu.sg/EPQ

EPQ Guide: Expressing your ideas

• The Inquiry Process
• Developing a line of inquiry
• Finding and selecting sources
• Working with ideas

Expressing your ideas

This is the stage you have been building towards - writing your report. Although that is largely the focus of this page , it is not all there is to the EPQ.

Your EPQ will be assessed on:

• Your completed Production Log
• if your project is a research based written report of any kind (e.g. a science investigation or an essay) it should be approximately 5,000 words long
• If your project is an artefact, it must be accomapanied by a research based written report of a minimum of 1,000 words. For artefacts, you may include photos showing various stages of the production process as well as the final product. You do not need to submit a large artefact as evidence - photographs or other media are fine.
• If your product was itself a presentation then you still need to produce a presentation about the process of producing it!
• Your presentation must be delivered live to a non-specialist audience and might use flipcharts or posters, presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Prezi or short video clips. The evidence for your presentation will  include a record in your Production Log of questions your supervisor asked and how you responded.

Am I ready?

Am I ready to start writing my essay?

Before you start writing, think:

• Is my investigation largely complete? As you write you may find that you need a few additional resources or information to support your argument, but you should not sta rt to write until you are largely sure where your argument is going.
• Have I filled in a Research Organiser (which you will find on the Working with Ideas tab)? This will help you to organise your thoughts and make sure you understand the argument you intend to make and have the evidence to support it. While not compulsory, it makes writing your final essay significantly easier.
• Do I understand how to write in an appropriate academic style? Guidance is given in the Academic Writing box below.
• Do I know how to import my sources from my Investigative Journal? Don't waste time putting all your citation data in again! Import all your sources as you set up your document. There are helpsheets in the Resources for PC / Mac users boxes to the right.

You should use the Oakham APAv3 Academic Writing Template (below) rather than a generic Word template to set up your essay.

(The image below is taken from the EE LibGuide, but the template is just as useful for EPQs)

Citing and referencing

There are many different ways to acknowledge the sources you use. These are called referencing styles . You are free to use any recognised referencing style you wish for your EPQ, but Oakham's 'house style' is APA. We suggest you use this because we already have a lot of support in place for it. APA is an 'Author-date' system, meaning that you show which source you have used by putting the author and date in brackets after it in your text, and then put the full reference in an alphabetical list at the end of the essay. The Library does not support 'footnote referencing', where you put all the information in a footnote at the bottom of the page. If you want help with this then please talk to the member of staff who suggested that you use it.

For detailed information and guidance on how to use sources in your writing and how to cite and reference them accurately using the tools in Microsoft Word, consult the Citing and Referencing LibGuide . This site includes information about how to reference all sorts of different kinds of sources, including videos and works of art, and what to do if you are using a source written in a language that is not the language of your essay. It also gives some examples of how to use in-text citations , whether quoting, paraphrasing or just referring to a source more generally, and how to use the automatic citing and referencing tools in Word .

Academic writing

Stages in an academic essay

Your thesis is the point you want to make. It emerges from your research and your task is to use the evidence you have found to establish it as the most reasonable response to that research.

In both approaches, you must state the research question in your introduction, and make sure you return to it in your conclusion .

Sections required in your essay

Have a look at the Formal Presentation guide in the sidebar for a guide to laying out your essay.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraphs themselves have a structure - the most common you will have come across is likely to be PEEL. The letters often stand for slightly different things in different subjects, but the idea is largely the same - introduce your main idea for the paragraph ( Point ), justify it with Evidence and/or Examples , and Evaluate this evidence. Finally, Link back to the Research Question and/or Link forward to the next paragraph.

This is not the only way to write a paragraph and, with experience, you will soon find that your argument develops a flow of its own that does not require a formula - indeed, your essay would be very dull if every paragraph followed exactly the same structure. However, this structure can be a useful scaffold to get you started and make sure you don't miss anything important.

The structure of academic writing

Note that the following graphic was originally produced for the IB Extended Essay, but is equally applicable to the EPQ.

Planning your essay

It is vital to plan your essay before you start writing. An essay plan provides an outline of your argument and how it develops.

What sections and subsections do you need?

Although this might change as you write your essay, you should not start writing until you have your overall structure. Then think about roughly how you are going to divide your 5000 words between the different sections. 5000 words seems like a lot before you start writing, but it is much easier to write to the limit, section by section, than to try to cut your essay down once it is written.

What will the reader will expect to see and where?

Look back at your checklist and think about where in your essay you are planning to include the required information. Make sure the flow of your essay makes sense to a reader who may be a subject expert but knows little about your topic. Have you included background information? Details of experimental methods? Arguments and counter arguments?

Now get writing!

You've read all the guidance. You've made your plan. Now you have a blank screen in front of you and you just need to get started! Start with the section you think you will find easiest to write and work outwards from there, or follow the steps below to get started. Don't forget to write with the word limit in mind though.

What if you are writing lots of paragraphs but your essay just doesn't seem to be coming together?

1. Condense each paragraph into a short statement or bullet point. This is the skeleton structure of your essay.

2. Look at the order of the statements.

• Is the order logical?
• Does each point follow another in a sensible order?
• Do you need to change the order?
• Do you need to add paragraphs?
• Do you need to remove paragraphs?

3. Add, subtract and rearrange the paragraphs until your structure makes sense.

4. Redraft using your new paragraph order.  

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Willard, D. (2003) My journey to and b eyond tenure in a secular university . Retrieved from: www.dwillard.org/articles/individual/my-journey-to-and-beyond-tenure-in-a-secular-university . Accessed: 9th May 2020

Oh no! It's too long!!

If you haven't managed to write to the word limit and are suddenly faced with cutting down an essay that is over the word limit, try these tips on concise writing from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Use the menu on the left of this page from Purdue OWL to browse the four very practical pages on writing concisely and one on the Paramedic Method for reducing your word count.

AQA Guide to completing the Production Log: Expressing your ideas

AQA copyright notice

The presentation above contains slides from the AQA presentation  Teaching slides: how to complete the production log  (available from the AQA EPQ Teaching and Learning Resources website ).  These slides are Copyright © 2020 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

A downloadable copy of the Production Log can be found here , on the Home tab of this guide.

Submission checklists

• First Draft Checklist A guide to make sure you stay on track and complete everything required for your first draft.
• Final Draft Checklist A guide detailing everything that needs to be completed before submitting your EPQ.

Guides for PC users

• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Windows
• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Windows
• Creating a Table of Contents in Word 2016 for Windows

Guides for Mac users

• Managing Sources in Word 2016 for Mac
• Citing and Referencing in Word 2016 for Mac
• << Previous: Working with ideas
• Next: Reflecting >>
• Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 10:05 AM
• URL: https://oakham-rutland.libguides.com/EPQ

Smallbone Library homepage

Search the Library Catalogue

Access our Subscription Databases

Normal term-time Library opening hours: Mon-Fri: 08:30-21:15 Sat: 08:00-16:00 Sun: 14:00-18:00 (Summer Term only)

1400+ EPQ Ideas That Guarantee An A* (For Each Subject)

In A-Level by Think Student Editor February 21, 2019 45 Comments

Disclaimer: These EPQ ideas are only here to inspire you and (hopefully) help point you in the right direction.

When creating this list, we researched all over the web to see what EPQ ideas people had in the past. We added the EPQ ideas, that we thought were suitable, to the list. However, many of these EPQ ideas were thought up by fellow students for the purpose of this article.

Anyway, we hope you find inspiration from at least one of the EPQ ideas below.

Table of Contents

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Medicine

1. do care homes provide adequate care to dementia patients.

This extended project idea is a fantastic one to explore if you are interested in the support networks that are available across the United Kingdom for patients that can’t look after themselves independently due to factors outside of their control (such as dementia). If you decide to pick an idea surrounding dementia, it is important to know a wide range of facts about the condition. Due to this, a helpful book on dementia might be worth reading  ( personal recommendation here). 

2. The ethical issues surrounding stem cell research

Stem cell treatment has been on the rise ever since its initial development. Along with the rise of stem cell treatment usage, a rise in ethical questions surrounding the practise has accompanied it. Below are some example of questions that could be discussed if you were inspired by this project idea:

• Is it right to destroy human embryos in order to harvest stem cells?
• If life doesn’t begin at contraception, does that make stem cell research more ethical?
• If stem cell research becomes highly effective, should we still research alternative treatments that don’t have ethical doubts?

If you want more information surrounding stem cells and their use in treatments,  take a look at this book.

3. Should self-inflicted illnesses be treated by the NHS?

There are so many different aspects that you could talk about when it comes to this EPQ idea, as there are so many unique situations that can be discussed. An interesting angle for this idea would be how the NHS would differentiate self-inflicted physical illnesses and mental illnesses – these two overlap heavily, therefore they would make for a really interesting talking point.

Another topic that could be discussed is the physical effects of mental depression on an individual. If you’re interested,  take a look at this book that talks about depression in significantly more detail.

4. How much should doctors and nurses be paid?

Many people would argue that doctors and nurses belong in the most important profession group there is – with the people who disagree with that, still thinking that they are extremely important to the operation of our society. Although there is wide spread agreement on how important doctors and nurses are, not many people agree on how much they should be paid for their work.

The disagreement, when it comes to medical worker’ pay, makes this idea an interesting and somewhat controversial point of discussion for your extended project.

5. At what point does gene editing become unethical?

With medical advancements becoming significantly more prevalent in modern day society, ethical issues are needing to be considered. Some scientific and medical experts are considered to be “narrow-minded” and too focused on their field, which many believe leaves them in a position where they perhaps overlook the ethical considerations surrounding their line of research.

Gene editing is one such area of contention, where people can find themselves feeling uncomfortable with the idea of modifying naturally-produced genes. CRISPR-Cas9 is a recent method used when performing gene alterations and if you decide to complete an EPQ project, based on gene modifications, an understanding of CRISPR and the Cas9 protein is essential. Some useful resources surrounding CRISPR-Cas9 are listed below:

• LiveScience – What is CRISPR?
• Amazon.co.uk – Gene-Edited Babies
• Amazon.co.uk – The Power of CRISPR

6. Is mass-cloning of livestock a good idea?

The financial potential of mass-cloning in the agriculture sector is massive and that is exactly why the idea of it has manifested into a reality. There is so much to talk about when it comes to not only the draw backs of mass-cloning, but also the advantages. I recommend that you take a look at  this book by Joseph Panno,  which explores the history of animal cloning, the experiments undertaken and the potential impact of the artificial development of the process.

7. Should we use medication to treat mental health problems or focus on other forms of treatment?

Relying on medication to control emotions is a problem and it is definitely not the correct method, if used in isolation. That being said, medication usage, with proper supervision, can be unbelievably effective in temporarily tough situations.

If choosing an EPQ that matches the theme of this idea, some medication that you could discuss are listed below  (more can be found here):

• Escitalopram
• Fluvoxamine

Alternatively, below are some treatments that do not require prescription drug usage:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Diet and Nutritional Input

8. Should animal testing, in regards to medications, be allowed?

The contributions of animals to the medical field have been monumental in the development of vaccines, treatments and cures. However, just because animal usage increases human safety and trial effectiveness, does that necessarily mean it should be allowed?

The book named  Animal Testing (Debating the Issues) by Gail Terp  discusses many views points surrounding the issue of animal testing.  Providing you don’t plagiarise any of his arguments or viewpoints,  it can be a really helpful resource for you when completing your EPQ.

9. Why is asthma raging out of control?

7.7% of American adults have asthma  according to a CDC study.  This means that asthma is extremely widespread and impacts millions of people each year. In addition to this,  asthma has been on the rise since the 1980s in all demographics.

In your extend project essay, you could discuss the factors that have contributed to asthma’s rise and you could even go as far to make projections as to when the “asthma curve” will plateau.

10. Could there ever be any viable medications for obesity?

Obesity is often the result of a lack of exercise, usually combined with an uncontrolled diet. However, obesity can also be complicated by factors out of someone’s control. These factors could include an underlying physical condition.

In these cases, where an underlying condition is causing obesity-related problems, could medication to treat that condition subsequently fix the obesity itself? If so, in your EPQ, you could discuss the factors that can cause obesity and which ones could benefit from either current or future medications.

11 – 70 Additional Extended Project Qualification Ideas

11. How should we define health and disease? 12. Is euthanasia ever appropriate and why? 13. How do abortion treatments affect the mind and body? 14. How often does overdiagnosis occur and what are the effects of it? 15. How effective are home remedies compared with pharmaceutical drugs? 16. How long will it be before our antibiotics stop working and what effect will this have? 17. How much is unnecessary healthcare costing the NHS? 18. What’s to stop another disaster such as the thalidomide scandal happening again? 19. Are the consequences of breaking patient confidentiality severe enough? 20. Should pharmaceutical companies be privately owned? 21. Are nurses and doctors trained appropriately for emergency situations? 22. Would the increased use of technology in hospitals reduce medical mistakes? 23. Are prejudice and racism affecting the performance of the NHS? 24. Who is to blame for the lack of knowledge in personal health across the UK? 25. How is our food supply chain affecting the effectiveness of antibiotics? 26. Is the UK healthcare system prepared for a pandemic? 27. How has medical error become so common in healthcare? 28. Medicinal marijuana and its effect on the brain and body. 29. Is addiction to painkillers properly managed by the NHS? 30. Why are so many people unaware of how common drugs work? 31. The ethics surrounding human experiments and trials. 32. Is bioprinting the future of organ transplants? 33. Were doctors responsible for the opioid epidemic? 34. What are the elements of nanotechnology and is it helpful in treating cancer? 35. The impact financial resources have on the NHS and its treatment success. 36. The role of antidepressants in treating depression. 37. Should homeless people have a right to free medical treatment? 38. Should heroin addicts be administered injections to recover from their substance abuse? 39. What role does the World Health Organisation (WHO) play in combating epidemics? 40. Can people with different ethnicities be affected differently by the exact same disease? 41. What are the steps taken when developing a new vaccine? 42. How does smoking influence the effectiveness of modern medicine? 43. Why does the NHS not have enough funding and are they spending their current funds inefficiently? 44. How to tell the difference between viral and bacterial infections. 45. What impact do support workers have on the NHS and what do they do? 46. Should junior doctors be trusted to carry out life-changing surgeries? 47. Are care homes run properly and should more detailed checks be carried out? 48. Is the main ingredient for a good healthcare system money? 49. Are our phones spreading colds, diseases, and cases of flu? 50. Is the mental health of doctors and nurses being taken seriously enough? 51. Should the NHS be privatised? 52. Does healthcare rely on technology too much? 53. Should vaccination be made compulsory? 54. Why is medical malpractice on the rise within the NHS? 55. Do clinical trials for new drugs take too long? 56. How have treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s developed over time? 57. What effect does music have on the human brain? 58. Is a Vegan diet better for the human body? 59. Whose decision should it be to turn off life support for an ill baby? 60. What methods could be employed to completely eliminate Malaria? 61. Could there ever be a single cure for all cancers? 62. What really causes Alzheimer’s disease? 63. Could we ever stop ageing? 64. Is healthcare a human right? 65. Should medically assisted suicide be legal? 66. At what point does an embryo or foetus become alive? 67. How much control should doctors have over society’s choices? 68. Poliomyelitis and how it affects a sufferer within society 69. How big is the risk of someone waking up during a general anaesthesia? 70. How does long term stress affect your physical body?

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Psychology

1. is it ethical to use psychological ‘tricks’ to benefit the economy.

Psychology as a subject has a huge range of applications, and so it is important to consider where the uses of psychological ‘tricks’ are ethical and when they are not. There are plenty of ways that individuals can be manipulated to behave in certain ways, but should these be used in relation to the economy, or is it too unethical – even if it leads to overall benefits?

You may want to think about how psychology could be used:

• In marketing/advertising
• In persuading people to do essential things, such as paying bills

This idea gives you a wide range of things to think about and discuss, though you may want to get started by having a look at  this book about economic psychology.

2. How observations made by the trolley problem will become useful as self-driving cars are developed

The trolley problem is a well-known psychology experiment which has a huge ethical element. But how can it be applied to everyday situations? The development of self-driving cars is sparking many ethical debates, as well as concerns about safety.

A great idea for your project would be to consider how the trolley problem can be applied to the development of self-driving cars.

To get you started on this idea, you may want to consider the trolley problem in depth, and what the implications of the reaction to the problem are. Here is a  helpful book which might be able to get you started  on developing your answer to this question.

3. What goes on inside the brain of someone who is prejudiced?

Prejudice is a prevalent issue within society today, and understanding its causes in individuals, may enable us as a society to combat the issues that arise as a result of prejudice. This is an incredibly interesting area to look at, and would make for a great discussion in your EPQ.

Although prejudice is a very broad term, there are some books which may help you start thinking about your project, and one of my recommendations can be  found here . This is just a starting point, and may provide you with some insight into the research which you would like to find out more about in order to apply it to your question.

4. How someone’s brain changes when they are in love

Love is an ambiguous concept, and therefore understanding it, and the effect that it has on individuals is a very interesting subject to explore. You may find that love has an impact on the brain in a number of different contexts. Literature is available for different areas of this kind of research.

For example, you may be interested in studying the impact of love on the brain:

• In terms of romantic relationships
• In babies and infants

You apart from looking at published books, you may also be able to gain some insight into this topic from news articles, such as  this one . If a subject is of current interest and being covered in the news, it is likely that there will be more recent research for you to use in your project.

5. Why do some people combat depression by excessive eating?

Depression, its causes, and possible treatments are all topics of huge general interest at the moment. Researching the coping mechanisms of some individuals who are going through depression incorporates an interest in mental health issues with a current and relevant problem.

In more general terms, you may want to consider the impact that diet has on depression, and whether it should be emphasised to individuals who are suffering from depression. There are many books and research papers out there which may inspire your project, including:

• Anxiety & Depression: Eat Your Way to Better Health
• The Inflamed Mind

6. How the Asch Conformity experiment contributed to the field of Psychology

One of the key experiments in the psychological field is Asch’s conformity experiment. It has led to the development of new ideas in the field of social influence (i.e. conformity), and has also produced real-world knowledge and applications.

You may be interested in finding out about the wider implications of this research in the field of psychology, and there are a number of specific impacts which you could discuss in your work. There is already some literature out there which discusses classic studies such as these, and you may want to use them as a starting point for your own research.  This book  may be a good place to start.

7. Was John Money’s gender reassignment experiment unethical?

Ethics are an important part of psychology, and controversial research studies such as the one conducted by John Money are incredibly interesting to discuss (a summary of Money’s research can be  found here ).

Gender and its role in society and individuals’ lives is an incredibly relevant topic now and the implications of study such as this could have wide implications (if valid), but were the techniques used ethical? And could the findings be generalised to the wider population?

If you are interested in psychology, a project which demonstrates your understanding of ethics is something that will be incredibly useful.

8. How does child abuse affect someone’s mind later in life?

Child abuse is a very sensitive topic, and the impacts of it can be huge. Although this may be a difficult subject to investigate, it is incredibly important that we have an understanding of issues such as these.

Some of the areas which you may want to discuss include:

• The impact on future romantic and peer relationships
• The impact on having children of your own

You may also want to look into individual stories about abuse and its impacts, as well as the coping strategies that people use to make it possible for them to move forward in their lives as best as they can. An example of a story from a survivor can be found  here.

9. Would children with mild learning difficulties perform better if they weren’t told about their disadvantage?

This is a huge debate in psychology, and would be a really interesting topic to tackle in your EPQ. The impact of mild learning difficulties on the lives of individuals is something important that should be understood in detail.

The impact of a diagnosis could be huge, and there is a debate about whether individuals should be told about learning difficulty diagnoses if it does not impair them in their everyday lives. You may want to think about:

• In which scenarios is it not useful to give a diagnosis?
• Is it ethical to withhold a diagnosis, even if it may have a negative impact on the individual’s life?

10. Which parenting style is the best for a child’s future?

Every parent thinks that their parenting style is the most effective and beneficial for their children in the long term, but is there one way to raise children that is really the best for them?

This topic is great for an EPQ idea, as there are so many aspects which you could discuss. There is also a wide range of literature available out there to guide parents through parenting techniques, and you may want to take a look at these as a basis for evaluating techniques in terms of how effective they are. An example of useful literature could include  this book.

You may want to narrow down this topic by looking at specific techniques which are beneficial for one specific age group.

11. How do hallucinations affect the brain and its functions? 12. Borderline personality disorder – its elements and the methods used to treat it. 13. What psychological effects do animals have on the human brain? 14. The Stanford prison experiment and its effects on modern psychology. 15. Does spending more time within nature positively influence mental health? 16. How does being an only child impact social development? 17. Have the methods utilised by rehabilitation centres proven to be effective? 18. The effects of PTSD on family relationships. 19. How do diet and exercise affect the mind? 20. How necessary is social interaction for a human? 21. Should therapy be free for people who witness extraordinary violence? 22. How have suicide rates developed in the last century? 23. The elements and effects of Lyme disease on the brain. 24. What is the psychological impact of drinking alcohol? 25. Does premature birth always impact a child’s cognitive development? 26. Do parents’ expectations of their children affect their mental health? 27. Can you generalise the results of animal testing for humans? 28. How does the body repair itself after severe brain damage? 29. The detrimental effect of attachment issues on relationships. 30. What is the best experimental design for observing natural human behaviour? 31. What were Konrad Lorenz’s contributions to the field of psychology? 32. What are the implications of conditioning in psychology? 33. How did Albert Bandura’s studies aid the understanding of violence in children? 34. When do babies first start remembering and for what duration? 35. What factors influence the likelihood of getting dementia? 36. In what ways can you slow down the development of Parkinson’s? 37. What are the potential effects that vitamin deficiencies can have on a babies development within the womb? 38. How does ADHD arise in young children and what are the factors leading to it? 39. Schizophrenia and its impact on children. 40. Do genetics have a part to play in depression? 41. The ways concussion can have lasting effects on the brain’s functions. 42. Autism on a spectrum and its diagnosis. 43. How does connectivity within the brain affect the ability to learn new skills? 44. The ongoing effects of epilepsy on patients and their families. 45. How does the brain of someone with bipolar disorder work? 46. What are the complications involved in treating elderly patients with dementia? 47. Psychosis in children and its difficulties. 48. Is it possible for the brain to be in a complete state of concentration? 49. How does a hearing impairment impact balance and the brain? 50. How does the perception of colour occur and what effect does it have on our emotions? 51. What does someone’s non-verbal behaviour say about them? 52. How governments control a population’s behaviour on a massive scale. 53. What characteristics make someone a good leader? 54. How often do mental disorders stem from previously occurring physical disabilities? 55. To what extent could an obsession with a particular individual be classed as a mental illness? 56. The long-lasting effects of PTSD across Britain after World War 1. 57. Do we know what causes an addictive personality yet? 58. The impact of OCD on a sufferer within today’s society. 59. The advancements being made within the field of programmed consciousness. 60. The psychological effects loneliness can have on an individual. 61. What makes a child become a bully? 62. Does letting a child play violent games make them more aggressive? 63. What do someone’s dreams really say about them? 64. Why do people struggle so much to focus in the short term to achieve long term goals? 65. Why does the brain create false memories? 66. What makes a child antisocial? 67. Why do people have irrational phobias? 68. How someone’s social cognition develops over time 69. How does someone’s mind-set change as they get older? 70. What causes someone to be attracted to a particular person?

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Law

1. is capital punishment justified.

In 1955 the last women in the UK to ever be subject to capital punishment was hanged  (learn more here).  Since the abolishment of the death penalty, many have felt as if some criminals don’t face the same justice they did back in the day. However, is this thought process itself unjustified or does it have merit?

In your extended project, you could talk about so much to do with capital punishment. You could even go as far as to contrast how different countries have (and haven’t) abolished capital punishment over the years. If you decide to take on a capital punishment themed EPQ project,  this book by Simon Webb  may be useful in your research phase.

2. Is claiming insanity a loophole for criminals?

It is theorised that the association between someone with a mental illness and a someone who commits certain types of criminal activities is great. In short, crime can often be directly linked or indirectly associated with a particular mental illness.

However, would you just be cynical if you thought that some criminals use this fact as an excuse? How much merit is there in this particular accusation? If you are interested  take a look at this book on Amazon.co.uk,  regarding the relationship between mental illness and crime.

3. How does science help us solve crimes?

Forensic studies can be a fascinating field and a wide reaching one two, so why wouldn’t you write an EPQ essay about it? From DNA testing to old fashioned fingerprint recognition, there is so much you could discuss on the topic of crime and detection.

There really isn’t one particular avenue to go down with this idea, pick something you enjoy researching and writing about and go for it!

4. What are the most effective ways to lower the crime rate?

Crime is usually a topic commonly discussed at a localised level. The stories you hear about crime are usually related to a particular case or incident. However, an interesting EPQ could discuss the ways crime could be addressed at a national level, or even an international level.

Some methods that are used at a national level are as follows (all of these you could discuss in your essay):

• Reducing particular cash payment methods
• Increased background checks on specific purchases
• Enabling more transparency by use of various different disclosure schemes

A book you might find worth reading surrounding this topic  can be found here.

5. Which police interrogation method is most effective?

With lots of interrogations now being recorded, there is plenty of content out there for you to draw conclusions from, in relation to the methods used by state police during interrogations.

One angle here might be to discuss the efficacy of a particular questioning method, whilst contrasting it to how ethical said method is. Furthermore, you could also start to bring in other factors such as how difficult or easy the method is to perform. Afterall, it doesn’t matter if a certain interrogation method is 100% effective if no police officer can be trained to follow it out.   

6. What is the role of mass media during a high-profile investigation?

There is constant controversy when it comes to mass media. The height of media controversy was revealed to the public in 2016, where the “fake news” scandal hit the US and spread its wings internationally.

So, when it comes to investigations that are in the public eye, what effect does the media have on the following:

• The ability for an investigation to be carried out in a timely manor
• The outcome of an investigation
• The reliability of an investigation’s results

Fantastic books regarding the field of Criminology and the media are all over. If you find yourself wanting to go down the route of an EPQ relating to this idea, I highly recommend you find yourself a good book on the topic. An example of one such book  can be found here.

7. What special laws are there to control gangs and how do they work?

Gangs normally prop up into conversation when prisons are discussed, however, this is most definitely not the only place where gangs can form. Gangs often form in everyday society and only sometimes stretch out to prison systems.

Throughout an EPQ project, you could discuss how various different gangs have had impacts on different societies across the globe through history. After discussing the impact of gangs, I would recommend that you contrast the impacts before and after particular legislation was introduced. This way you could dive really deep into which laws worked and which ones didn’t and draw some very interesting conclusions on the best legislation to fight gang related crime.

8. The history of Scotland Yard

Scotland Yard (officially now, the New Scotland Yard), in contrast to the name, is responsible for most areas of Greater London. Not many people have significant knowledge surrounding the headquarters and it might make for a fascinating EPQ project to discuss the HQ’s impact over time.

9. How can the government undo previous wrongful convictions?

Wrongful convictions are not as rare as most people believe. In the US alone, it is estimated that between 2.3% and 5% of all prisoners currently incarcerated are innocent  (read more).  With such staggering margins of error, an evaluation on how justice systems wrongly convict innocents would be a very strong project idea.

When completing an EPQ project that discusses mischarges of justice, I believe that it would really helpful to have a bank of stories that are relatable to the idea of wrongful convictions. Due to this I personally recommend getting  this book off Amazon.co.uk.  This book is full of true stories of people who have been wrongly convicted.

10. How do international courts work and when are they used?

Not dissimilar to crime in general, courts are usually discussed on a local level. That said, international courts do exist and they can often be very, very confusing. A brief discussion on how they work would be enough to make up an entire EPQ project alone, however, putting it alongside a discussion on when they should be used would make it all the more interesting.

11. Should the UK be introducing more environmental laws? 12. Are our immigration laws sufficient? 13. Why do we still have useless and old laws that are not acted upon in today’s modern society? 14. Are the laws concerning evidence and procedures in a courtroom fair? 15. How does our legislation reflect the country’s moral principles? 16. Do legislators only pass laws for political reasons? 17. How is male rape treated differently to female rape in court? 18. How long should paternity leave be and is it a fair concept? 19. Is it possible to tamper with an employment contract? 20. At what point can law representatives intervene in family life and is there ever a justifiable reason to do this? 21. How do human rights differ in different countries? 22. How can a person’s incompetence be determined from a legal perspective? 23. Should laws be employed surrounding the area of tax avoidance? 24. To what extent is it possible to accidentally commit tax fraud? 25. Should there be limits on free speech? 26. Should voting be mandatory by law? 27. To what extent would bringing back the death penalty impact crime rate? 28. Should genetically modified food be banned under the law? 29. The blurred lines of Copyright law. 30. Should a law be introduced where all police encounters are recorded? 31. Should prenuptial agreements be more widely accepted? 32. Does modern technology aid the legal system or does it simply add unneeded complexity? 33. What should the age of criminal responsibility be, should it be different for certain crimes? 34. Should artificial intelligence be introduced into our legal system? 35. Is the hierarchy of the main civil courts the most effective way to run the legal system? 36. Are the rules regarding legal fees fair and just? 37. Have the laws successfully kept up with the times or is our current legal system outdated? 38. Should people be detained without bail before they stand trial? 39. In what circumstances should prisoners have the right to vote? 40. Is employment protection sufficient or does it need updating? 41. How do intellectual property rights affect the economy? 42. Are crimes actually enforceable? 43. What is the role of the legal system in preventing domestic violence? 44. To what extent should scientists influence the law? 45. How effective are the probation laws in the UK? 46. What effect has Brexit had on EU and UK laws? 47. How effective is the supreme court in carrying out its roles? 48. Are junior lawyers experienced enough to manage high-responsibility cases? 49. Data protection and its many faults. 50. How does the law determine what qualifies for negligence? 51. Which legal systems support refugees and how do these systems work? 52. The differences between the UK and US police forces. 53. To what extent do anti-gun laws infringe on people’s individual liberty? 54. Which methods are most effective at detecting whether or not a prison has been rejuvenated? 55. What is diplomatic immunity and why does it exist? 56. How are war crimes prosecuted? 57. At what age should children have access to the internet? 58. Is allowing women to work as front line police officers safe? 59. How can the misuse of power by the police force be dealt with effectively? 60. Should the seat belt law be removed in the UK? 61. How the internet has bred new forms of crime, such as revenge porn 62. Are the laws regarding cybercrime outdated? 63. Why can a single crime have so many different punishments? 64. How accurate are eyewitnesses to a crime? 65. How should we deal with false convictions? 66. Do police cameras violate people’s right to privacy? 67. Should prostitution be legal? 68. Where did the UK’s laws originate from? 69. Are anti-terrorism laws inflicting on people’s privacy rights? 70. How much would it economically benefit the UK to bring back the death penalty?

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Economics

1. how fair is the progressive income tax.

The first progressive income tax system was implemented in order to be fairer to each member of a country’s population, regardless of their income. From the moment the tax system was implemented, there have been widespread arguments about whether or not the system did what was intended.

The concept behind the progressive income tax system is that the more money someone makes, they higher the proportion of their income they should pay towards taxes. At least that is the idea. In reality, the proportionality of taxable income only increases in “wealth bands” which many people disagree with.

In your extended project, you could contrast the currently accepted progressive income tax system to a one of the below different tax systems:

• Regressive Tax System
• Flat Tax System

2.  Should there be a minimum wage?

National minimum wages were introduced to protect workers from getting underpaid in the workplace. A minimum wage, enforced by the government, requires every employer within a nation to pay above a certain hourly rate.

However, the concept of a minimum wage does not bring just advantages, it also can have its drawbacks. Some argue that a minimum wage can lead to unemployment and in certain cases, actually make no difference to the general population’s average wage.

If you are interested in exploring this EPQ idea,  take a look at this book on Amazon.co.uk.  It talks about the direct and indirect effects of the introduction of a minimum wage.

3. Why is inflation bad for the economy?

Inflation is something we all hear about on the news and we often don’t really have a full understanding of the economic term.

Before even considering this idea, you need to take a step back and learn what inflation is and how and why it fluctuates. Without a good understanding on the financial concept, you will struggle to draw up conclusion within your EPQ.

There are plenty of absolutely free resources on the internet that you can use to learn about inflation. Below, I have listed a few some fellow students found useful:

• Khan Academy

4. How has the UK’s economy developed over time?

With the height of the UK’s economic influence being during the British Empire, it would make for a fascinating project to explore how the UK economy changed before the Empire and since its collapse.

This is a massively broad topic as there are numerous aspects of the economy you could talk about, with each aspect having sub-aspects you could delve deep into. With this idea, it really is down to your economic preference.

5. What affect has Brexit had on the UK economy?

The Brexit vote took place in 2016 and the UK finally left the European Union in 2020. In the four years preceding the actual “divorce”, as many are calling it, the uncertainty alone had huge impacts on the UK economy. So, if just the thought of Brexit shuddered the economy, what will Brexit actually happening do to the economy?

Trade, diplomatic relations and finance are all topics you could discuss within an extended project. All of which promise to be just as controversial as the last. When completing an EPQ, make sure you are factual and try your best to be unbiased when analysing statistics.

6. What affect does illegal immigration have on the UK economy?

Immigration by itself seems to cause arguments over the dinner table, but illegal immigration is an entirely different ball game.

Many are sympathetic to illegal immigrant’s reasoning and feel that, as a country, we should be significantly more accepting of people from more challenging backgrounds. In direct contrast, some people feel as though everyone has an opportunity apply for citizenship legally and illegal immigrants should be treated with firm policy.

An interesting book by Elizabeth F. Cohen  talks about the American immigration system and its many failures. It may be worth a read, if you are considering this EPQ idea.

7. What affect does legal immigration have on theUKeconomy?

We’ve talked about illegal immigration, now let’s talk about legal immigration. Immigration is the foundation of many countries across the globe. Arguably the most powerful country in the world, the United States, was completely built up from immigrants.

If this is the case, why do so many people hate the idea of immigration and why are they often hostile to immigrants? After all, if they came to the country legally, what is the problem? Well, you could address all of those questions within your EPQ project!

8. How did the 2008 financial crisis affect the UK economy?

The 2008 crisis had wide reaching implications on economies across the globe. An essay on how different parts of the UK in particular suffered during the economic crisis may be interesting.

You could talk about the following economic statistics and how they changed:

• Unemployment rate
• Average household debt

9. The myth of “trickle down” economics

During the 2016 US presidential election, trickle-down economics was featured a few times more than once. The theory behind trick-down economics, is that when the wealthiest within a society acquire more wealth, they purchase products and this subsequently “trickles down” into the pockets of less wealthy Americans.

However, many believe that in practice the concept is a myth and rarely works. An EPQ project with an angle of “The Myth of Trickle-Down Economics” could be seriously interesting. Read more about trickle-down economics  here.

10. The effect trade tariffs have on associated countries

Trade tariffs and their place in the global economy is unknown to many people. So, an EPQ educating people on what they are and the effects they have could be really useful. Take a look at some of the questions you could address below:

• What are trade tariffs?
• Do trade tariffs benefit countries equally?
• Why is there so much controversy surrounding trade tariffs?

11. Does the UK have the financial ability to accommodate more immigrants? 12. How may a consumer’s preferences affect their decision to purchase a product? 13. How have monetary and fiscal policies changed in recent years? 14. What is the role of the financial markets in a world of uncertainty? 15. How helpful are SWOT and PESTLE analysis in the economic world? 16. Why might an economy experience disequilibrium? 17. How can Marx’s theories be applied to today’s economies? 18. The future of economics regarding artificial intelligence and modern technology. 19. How did Brexit affect the EU economies? 20. The influence of behavioural economics on globalisation. 21. Can environmental economics solve the problem of climate change? 22. What does the future look like for emerging economies? 23. What is the difference between economics and finance? 24. The economic theory surrounding diamonds and water and how it is applied. 25. What is the impact that demand and supply have on pricing during an economic crisis? 26. Is perfect competition ever possible? 27. Are the world’s wealthy economies built on debts? 28. How do unemployment rates affect the economy? 29. How will the decline of high street stores impact the economy? 30. How petrol and diesel prices fluctuate over time and how these prices mirror real-world events. 31. What are the chances of another global recession? 32. The contribution of higher education towards the economy. 33. How can countries maintain a balance of trade in a crisis? 34. Does the government properly manage fiscal policy? 35. How does a country control its consumer spending? 36. Why can economics often fail to account for the value of housing? 37. Why are most countries moving towards a free-market economy? 38. How can irrational consumer behaviours damage an economy? 39. Economics as a social science. 40. How do economies successfully allocate and utilise scarce resources? 41. The relationship between marginal benefit and supply and demand. 42. How do economies account for surplus amounts of supply? 43. How and why does a market fail? 44. The effects of income and prices on consumption choices. 45. How to effectively benefit from economies of scale. 46. The consequences of exiting a market. 47. Is the policy regarding monopolies strict enough? 48. The impact of a trade union on employment. 49. What are the factors that shift the demand for labour? 50. How has economics been affected by the change in our lifestyles? 51. The many misconceptions surrounding the gender pay gap. 52. The impact that a 35-hour working week has on an economy. 53. How can cartels manipulate oil and gas prices? 54. Is the high street really dying or just evolving? 55. Can the high street bounce back from the recent downturn in revenue? 56. Which factors contribute to a high unemployment rate? 57. The importance of coffee price fluctuations over time. 58. What is the fairest income tax system? 59. Would a flat tax rate aid the economy more than a progressive tax rate? 60. Which factors determine house pricing? 61. 11. What causes inflation? 62. What are the effects of having a high minimum wage? 63. Are the European economies too reliant on each other? 64. What affect did WW2 have on the economies of the world? 65. Why do socialist economies always fail? 66. How has the global demand for oil changed over time? 67. The pros and cons of a privatised health care system 68. Why does capitalism cause monopoly’s? 69. How can people get out of the poverty trap? 70. Why wealth inequality is not as big of an issue as people think

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To English

1. how to have an effective debate.

The ability to have debates is an important skill, and can be applied to many different jobs and scenarios. It is essentially the ability to form rational, fact-based, well-structured arguments, and be able to understand and respond to the counter-arguments in a reasonable, effective way.

This is a great English EPQ idea because it is not only focused on language skills, but also has a wonderful range of applications, which can be used in your life in the future.

In order to start this project, you may want to consider looking at a broad book which details some debating techniques, such as  this book , which gives a wide range of information about debating.

2. What impact did literature have during WW2?

Literature has always been a tool that has been used to record experiences, as well as to aid people in getting through difficult times. You therefore may want to consider doing some research about the type of literature that was produced during World War 2, and the impact that it had on people at the time.

You could consider discussing:

• How much literature actually was published in the war years?
• Who were the most influential writers?
• How did the literature written impact the people during the war?
• How has the literature continued to affect people since the war?

3. Are girls better at English than boys?

The gender differences that are of aren’t present with certain skills or subjects can be really interesting to explore. In terms of relation to English, you can explore the differences between girls and boys in their general abilities in the subject, and either confirm or challenge the stereotypes.

Subjects such as these give you the opportunity to really debate whether or not there is a difference, and the reasons why or why not this is true.

You could start by looking at some existing arguments alongside academic research around these subjects.

• ‘Gender differences in Girls and Boys Brains appear Biological’
• ‘Sex differences in early communication development’

4. Should English literature be optional at secondary school?

As you know from doing your GCSEs, you don’t technically have to pass English Literature (its English Language that is the core subject). So, should all GCSE students be forced to study English Literature?

This idea would give you the opportunity to express your opinion in a structured, evidence-based way, and would be a great way to show off your English abilities in terms of debating skills.

• What are the benefits of teaching English Literature to all students?
• How could the time spent teaching English Literature to students be used if students did not have to engage in the subject? Would there be benefits to this?

5. How did literature change in the 1800s?

Looking at the development of literature over the years is a really interesting route to go down for your EPQ. The 19th century was an era of change for a number of reasons, and obviously this had a huge impact on the literature at the time.

There were major changes in general opinions and outlooks about the world due to new scientific research and publications. Theories such as Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution brought into question general, well-established views of the world, and this was reflected in the literature of the time.

For this project idea, you may want to follow a love of reading, and evaluate specific books of the time, comparing them to literature before the 1800s. You could also have a look at books which provide a summary of the societal changes in the 1800s and their causes.  My recommendation can be found here.

6. Why is mass media so biased?

Bias in the media is another societal issue which would be interesting to discuss in your project. English and journalism are very linked, and you may want to consider looking at:

• The reasons for bias in the media
• How bias in the media is represented – what kind of language techniques are used?
• How can bias in the media be combatted?
• What are some examples of biased media?

7. What techniques do writers use to make the reader agree with a particular opinion?

English techniques can be incredibly persuasive, and the use of specific techniques can be a really interesting area to consider for an EPQ project. There are a variety of ways which you could approach this subject, and this is one of the things that makes this a great choice.

This is an idea which could not only enable you to recognise and understand the techniques that writers use, but it can also help you to improve your writing, and persuasive skills.

There is some literature about this subject already, and an example of a  useful book can be found here . You could also consider analysing specific speeches and pieces of literature which have had impact in the world.

8. To what extent are journalists at risk of being replaced by computers?

The takeover of jobs by computers is a concern for many people, and so it is interesting to consider what makes a job something which just a human is capable of doing. Is journalism one of these careers? What are the reasons for your judgement?

You may want to look at subjects which are in the news currently, and some examples of these news pages can be found here:

• Microsoft ‘to replace journalists with robots’

This may lead you to some further information, and could start your consideration of the elements of journalism that could be replaced, as well as the reasons that we need human journalists.

9. Are books becoming obsolete?

Literature has always been an important part of society. It gives people the chance to escape from struggles which they are facing, and also often reflects the context in which it was written. We can look back on literature from certain time periods and gain insight into the experiences and beliefs of people at the time.

However, there are so many forms of media at the moment, and you might be able to argue that literature is starting to lose its impact. Your project could discuss:

• What are books being replaced by?
• What are the reasons for this?
• What impact does this have on society?
• What impact will it have on future generations?

10. What made Shakespeare’s plays so unique?

Shakespeare is arguably the most famous English writer in history, and you will have certainly come across his work in school, and heard about Shakespeare in general society. But what made Shakespeare so influential? What was unique about his writing?

You can look at the works produced by Shakespeare in order to discuss his plays, and identifying the unique elements yourself is something that will make your EPQ a very strong essay. You can find a  book of Shakespeare’s complete works here .

You can also find books which show you the analysis skills which you will need to evaluate Shakespeare’s work,  such as this one here . You may want to use these as a starting point for your project.

11. How did Shakespeare present the effect of tragic madness in Hamlet? 12. How has creative writing changed throughout the course of history? 13. Will technology influence the originality of creative writing? 14. Why are the best books in history being turned into films and do the films live up to the books? 15. How do literary techniques affect the reader’s perspective? 16. How Jane Austin used her novels to address feminism and its effect at the time. 17. To what extent has literature addressed mental illness in the 20th century? 18. How has the perception of love and relationships changed in English novels over the last century? 19. Is poetry the same as it was 100 years ago? 20. Is the use of narrators becoming outdated? 21. How did the English language evolve and is it still evolving? 22. Will Shakespeare’s work stop be being taught due to a lack of understanding? 23. Is “text speak” undermining the English language? 24. Do the common abbreviations we use today actually make sense? 25. Should English teachers take on a more practical approach? 26. Is knowing how to spell important anymore with spell check to do it for you? 27. Do English teachers properly prepare students for university exams? 28. The importance of authentic English. 29. What are the most effective ways to teach young people the correct vocabulary? 30. The role of language teaching for dyslexia students, does it work? 31. Why general English is not enough for employability?. 32. How do you tailor English skills for specific jobs? 33. Does the ability to communicate effectively impact confidence? 34. Can gaming support language learning? 35. The importance of grammar in modern language. 36. Should English be considered an art or an academic skill? 37. Do different motivations change how students learn English? 38. Does homeschooling affect the ability to learn English properly? 39. Why is learning English so different from learning other subjects? 40. Can English minimise cross-cultural communication challenges? 41. Why has English grammar always changed? 42. Does the type of language we use influence the way we think? 43. What does the future of the English language look like? 44. Is the way we analyse literature outdated? 45. Why is English so widely spoken? 46. Why has the representation of masculinity not changed in the English language? 47. Why are more neologisms used today? 48. How has our pronunciation changed? 49. How Greek mythology is portrayed in English novels. 50. How is argumentative writing taught in schools? 51. What effect does illiteracy have on a person’s career? 52. How does literacy rate affect the development of a country? 53. What are the most accurate methods to determine someone’s reading age? 54. How does dyslexia affect a child’s ability to learn how to read and write? 55. Is it right for GCSE and A-Level English exams to be timed? 56. Is the demand for English graduates increasing or decreasing? 57. The rise of gothic literature. 58. What effect has the internet had on journalism? 59. To what extent do the writing styles of men and women differ? 60. Are native English speakers advantaged over others? 61. How have gender roles changed in novels over time? 62. Evaluating the political agenda behind many poems 63. How was religion portrayed in 20th century British novels? 64. Evaluating the importance of symbolism in literature 65. What contributions did Shakespeare make to literature? 66. Did Shakespeare actually write the plays he’s famous for? 67. How have attitudes towards literature changed over time? 68. How has our use of language changed since the development of the internet? 69. How does literature affect culture? 70. The origins of punctuation and why it was needed

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Business Studies

1. how should market monopolies be addressed.

A market monopoly is commonly known to occur when a single company or a cluster of companies have an extremely high percentage of a share of the market. Market monopolies are bad for many reasons; some are listed below:

• Monopoly-driven markets often have higher prices than markets driven by competition.
• Monopolies can gain too much power over a democracy if the nation is small enough, or the company is big enough.
• If a company has a monopoly, increased efficiency is not incentivised, therefore, innovation can be less.

If you want more advantages and disadvantages of market monopolies,  take a look here.

2. How can the UK government incentivise entrepreneurship?

High levels of entrepreneurship would be a great thing for the UK government. After all, the more people who wish to start their own businesses, the more businesses there will be. More businesses will always lead to more jobs, which is a good thing for everyone.

So, if everyone wants more entrepreneurship, how can we incentivise it in our society effectively? This is the question you should aim to answer if you take on this EPQ project idea. There are many different avenues you can take with this idea, ranging from government grants to decreased taxation.

What you will find during your EPQ is that for every incentivisation that effectively leads to increased levels of entrepreneurship, there will be plenty of drawbacks. For example, decreased taxation very well may increase the number of start-ups incorporated, but short-term, may lead to lesser government revenues.

3. How much do taxes hurt small business owners?

When people think of taxes, they usually let their minds sway towards their personal income tax. However, income taxes are not the only tax and small business owners most definitely know it. Below, I have listed some of the other taxes that business owners have to worry about:

• Corporation Tax
• National Insurance
• Value Added Tax (VAT)

Many small business owners, especially in the retail and hospitality sectors, have razor thin margins already and taxes can often push them to their budgeting limits. This can sometimes lead to closures and shutdowns, which over the course of a medium to long term period, can have the reverse effect of the government collecting less in taxes. This leads to the question of is it really worth having all of these taxes?

To understand more information on taxes that business owners are subject to, I recommend that you  take a look at this book on Amazon.co.uk.

4. Should the corporate tax be lowered?

Corporate tax has been the central point of many arguments over the decades. Lots of business owners and some policymakers feel as though it punishes companies that have finally made a profit. Making a profit can be a yearlong venture for many companies and some argue that when they finally cross the threshold of sustainability, they should be rewarded, not punished.

If the corporation tax was lowered, would the economy gain from the move or would the government not only receive less tax revenues in the short term, but also the long term? This a great question that you could discuss during your EPQ.

5. What factors have influenced marketing and how?

Marketing has been significantly influenced by the growth of the online sector. However, marketing has changed in many other ways than just the move to online. In your EPQ, you could discuss either the online transition or the many other ways marketing has changed.

Before starting an EPQ project of this nature, I would recommend take a look at some marketing-themed books, that instruct businesses on how to market their products  (example here).  This will give you a good idea of what methods companies are using today.

6. The psychology behind advertising

One such way marketing has changed has been related to the increased understanding of human psychology. “Psychological tricks” are often used in marketing campaigns. This has led to many people questioning whether the use of these “tricks” have led to consumers not having a true fair choice when deciding on a purchase.

If you want to know more about the relationship between psychology and corporate marketing,  take a look at this book.

7. What creates a good business leader?

Everyone can think of a least one business leader they have heard of, whether it be Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or any one of the thousand others. Business leaders are required to possess extraordinary organisation and communication skills. Although there are some pretty standard traits of successful business leaders, they are all very different.

Due to this, a study into what characteristics lead to the absolute best business leaders would really interesting. Below are some characteristics that have been rumoured to be effective at predicating a good business leader:

• Charismatic

Although you should not take it as fact,  this book  will get you thinking about the characteristics of a business leader.

8. What factors motivate employees and how?

Working for someone else is often seen as a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be. What can a business do in order for it to motivate its employees to not only be happier in their line of work but also be more productive.

Some business owners have gone down the route of offering shares in the company to their employees. This leads to the employee feeling a significantly more direct impact of their work as they themselves directly benefit from the company performing well.

Below, I have listed some techniques business owners have attempted. Each one is linked to a resource where you can learn more about the particular case study.

• Offering shares to employees.
• Implementing a minimum salary, above the minimum wage.
• Making offices super nice!

9. What is a fair salary for a CEO?

CEOs work very hard in a lot of cases. In return, they are usually paid the big bucks. However, many people have the opinion that CEOs pay is not proportional to the amount of work they do. Why not express your views on this topic within your EPQ Project? You could discuss one set of views and then directly contrast it to other people’s views who do not agree with you.

Ensure that for every opinion that you discuss, you provide subsequent evidence – ideally with references. To find more information about what a CEO’s job entails,  take a look at this article.

10. To what extent has mobile technology changed advertising?

Mobile phones have taken over the technology market and advertising has adjusted to the new audience. How has it changed and in what ways will it continue to change over the coming years? There is lots to discuss on this idea and I’m certain it would make for a great project.

11. The effect of refinancing a business. 12. Why would a business want to diversify into a new market? 13. What are the complications of globalisation for a well-known business? 14. What is the impact of the decline in high street stores for larger corporations? 15. How does operational performance affect a business’s share price? 16. Is Amazon the reason for the decline in high street stores? 17. The importance of creativity within a business. 18. The value of becoming a private limited company. 19. Is a business’s life cycle set in stone? 20. Does organisational structure affect the internal performance of a business? 21. Should corporate social responsibility be adopted by all businesses? 22. The ways to control a business’s supply chain. 23. What are the stages of decision making within large corporations? 24. Do shareholders put too much pressure on businesses for dividends? 25. Does an increase in autonomy improve performance of employees? 26. How do businesses decide on their sources of finance? 27. How to evaluate the risk involved with new ventures. 28. How does politics intervene in the business world? 29. How do businesses use big data within marketing? 30. The important elements within entrepreneurship that lead to success. 31. How is project management run? 32. How does organisational culture differ in the largest businesses in the world? 33. The relationship between accounting and business. 34. The legal and ethical considerations that need to be made when operating in other countries. 35. The role of research and development for a company. 36. How the leaders and managers of a business influence the attitude of the entire organisation. 37. Which methods classify as sustainable manufacturing? 38. Is constant innovation needed to compete in a sector? 39. How do businesses change their strategies? 40. The value of planning and control within a business. 41. How to properly analyse a market. 42. How economics impacts business activities. 43. How to build good relationships with consumers. 44. How to improve product quality. 45. How to manage intellectual property within a business. 46. What are the processes within the administration of a company? 47. How helpful are business models for managers? 48. Should business studies be taught in all schools? 49. What are the attitudes of a successful entrepreneur? 50. How important is stock control? 51. How much should a company pay its employees? 52. How has the airline industry developed over time? 53. How has automation affected the world’s economies? 54. To what extent is Spotify’s business model sustainable? 55. How does VAT affect UK businesses? 56. Do big international companies pay their fair share in taxes? 57. How are successful start-ups formed? 58. What is the real impact of a strike on a business? 59. The ethical problems surrounding a business outsourcing their work. 60. Are the government incentivising start-ups enough? 61. Has the music industry been hurt by the rise of the internet? 62. How and why do business adapt their marketing strategies? 63. How can companies tackle the issue of climate change? 64. Evaluating the case for a single global currency 65. How apple became the tech giant it is today 66. The value of apprenticeships for employers and employees 67. How does a business change when transitioning from private to public? 68. Why is amazon protected from current monopoly laws? 69. How can oligopolies result in market collusion? 70. How to make an effective logo for your business

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Ethics

1. the complicated ethics surrounding self-driving cars.

Self-driving cars raise a variety of ethical issues, and this is a really interesting issue that is currently relevant, and would therefore be very interesting to discuss in an EPQ.

This is because situations arise where drivers are required to make choices about who to protect in terms of traffic accidents. For example, should self-driving cars prioritise their passengers or pedestrians?

These issues require great consideration, and from an ethical standpoint, they can be discussed in a broad way. This is great for an EPQ, and you may choose to make your discussion more specific (i.e. you could focus on one specific ethical issue that arises from the use and development of self-driving cars).

2. Should we experiment on embryo’s for medical research?

This is an enormous area of debate, which has many different viewpoints, which are influenced by a number of different factors. This idea can give you the chance to voice your own view, and reflect on how different elements have shaped your opinion on the topic.

You can consider a variety of different viewpoints, as well as the things that influence them, perhaps making use of recent news articles. The things that you may think about which have an impact on views on this issue could include:

• Whether you believe the benefits of this kind of research are worth the costs – do you have examples of where they are or aren’t?
• When you think embryos should be considered as human lives
• What other alternatives to this research are there?
• How does religion and other cultural/upbringing factors affect these views?

3. What determines someone’s inner moral compass?

How can you define a person’s moral compass? It is an ambiguous concept which can be defined in various ways, and has lots of potential influences. But what what is it? And what makes a persons moral compass good or bad?

You may want to consider how the idea of a moral compass has changed over time, and what this means for peoples behaviour.  A good place to start could be here  – this book should give you an overview of the history of morals.

4. Should the death penalty be brought back?

The death penalty has been a seemingly common punishment for crime in the past, but should its use have been removed? Is it’s use in other countries ethical? This idea is a great way to bring together a love for history as well as an interest in History. You could start your research by finding out more about the death penalty –  this book may be useful for that .

You could discuss:

• Is the death penalty fair for those accused of murder?
• How do you eliminate the problems of false convictions?
• What problems and benefits are there with bringing back the death penalty?
• Is it moral to kill even in response to a crime?

5. Should euthanasia be allowed in the UK?

Euthanasia is something which has been a controversial issue in the UK for a very long time. Should people have the choice to die? This is something that is a great ethical dilemma for a variety of reasons. You may want to consider discussing:

• The alternative help available for those who want to be euthanised
• What circumstances euthanasia should be allowed in
• What the moral issues euthanasia raises
• Does the fact that it is not allowed in the UK now mean that people don’t get euthanised? Or does it just mean that it is not fairly available?

6. How moral is intense animal farming?

Animal rights and whether animal farming is ethical is a hugely controversial, and easily debatable subject at the moment. There are many resources out there from animal rights organisations about the brutality and potential lack of morality surrounding animal farming.

You can use this available information to evaluate pre-existing views on the topic – perhaps a good book to start off your evaluation of this subject could be  ‘The end of animal farming..’ which can be found here .

This book   may also be a good starting point for a discussion-based project on the topic of the ethics of animal farming. This could make for a great EPQ, and your interpretation of evidence and conclusion would be really valuable.

7. Are society’s perceptions of what’s right and wrong based on Christianity?

Religion and its role in society is a really interesting topic to consider. Whatever religion you follow (or even if you don’t follow a religion), the impact of particular religions on what are considered to be basic, widely-held beliefs is something that is really great to discuss – perhaps more of your cultural upbringing has been influenced by religion than you thought!

There are already publications around this subject,  such as this book  which I would recommend to start your consideration of this subject. However, it is important that you approach this subject in a very analytical and evaluative way, as much of the literature in this area is likely to have a bias – identifying these limitations in your EPQ is also certainly a skill which you want to showcase!

8. Is it ethical to raise a child in a purely religious environment?

Religion and upbringing is also another really interesting relationship to explore. Religious beliefs tend to run in families – but should this be the case?

There are a variety of different ways that you could approach this question, though you may want to consider the following ideas in order to come to a judgement:

• Should children have a choice in the religion which they are following?
• From what age are children able to make this choice?
• Is stopping parents from making religion a big part of their children’s lives going against their religion and therefore a violation of their freewill?
• At what point does the amount of religion in a child’s environment too much?

9. Should we impose measures to control the global population?

The population has been growing and growing over the years, and is continuing to do so.  The world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.  But what does this mean for us now? Are there actions which we should take to prevent a huge spike in the number of people in the global population?

For your EPQ, you may want to consider:

• The reasons for controls – is it ethical to let the population grow that much?
• Previous impositions of population control and the related ethical issues – were they successful? You could take a look at the one child policy in China (1979-2016), and  this book  may be an interesting, related read for you to start with .

10. How should we distribute the wealth that has been created by machines?

Machines taking over jobs is a concern for many, and perhaps this is partly because companies could make a lot more profit using machines which they don’t have to pay to carry out tasks which they would otherwise have to employ an individual to do.

However, the increasing use of machines in workplaces and other areas raises the question of where the money which has been essentially generated by machines should end up? Surely it is not ethical to simply give all of the money earned to big tech companies, and the companies who use their machines? Is there a way to distribute the wealth produced in a fair way which would be beneficial to society?

This is a very modern issue which presents new ethical issues, and is therefore incredibly interesting to discuss in your EPQ – your take on these issues (if presented in an effective way) could be your way to an A*.

11. How can the government stop criminals benefiting from natural disasters? 12. Should all animal testing be banned? 13. Does the government need to stop the production of plastic? 14. Are psychological research methods ethical? 15. Should prenatal scans be allowed? 16. Is the way we farm animals moral? 17. Is the population on its way to becoming vegan? 18. How is fast fashion affecting the climate? 19. Why does overfishing still occur? 20. Should we only be allowed to buy fruit and vegetables that are in season? 21. Is the tax system in the UK ethical? 22. Should the promise of patient confidentiality be trusted? 23. What are the different ways to consent? 24. Should women who incorrectly accuse men of rape be severely prosecuted? 25. Is it morally right to kill an embryo? 26. Charities and how they are not always ethical. 27. Why has lying become so common? 28. Why does torture still occur in the world? 29. The ethics surrounding war. 30. Why is slavery still going on? 31. Forced marriages and their impact on young women. 32. Is the idea of capitalism unethical? 33. Why does fraud occur so often? 34. Are people born racist or do they become racist? 35. How can we accept the LGBT community? 36. Is privacy online important? 37. Should we give AI the right to kill? 38. Should we create synthetic lifeforms? 39. Is it right to colonise other planets? 40. At what point do we start population control? 41. Is science destroying the planet? 42. The issues involved with organ transplants. 43. Should everyone receive free healthcare? 44. Should social media be banned? 45. Why are care homes run so poorly? 46. The impact of mental disorders on younger generations. 47. Are IVF treatments ethical? 48. What are the ethical implications involved with neuroscience? 49. The ethical issues surrounding hormone therapy. 50. Should we screen for genetic diseases in all cases? 51. Is it ethical to invest money in space exploration considering the state of our planet? 52. Do care homes provide adequate care to dementia patients? 53. Are homeless people to blame for their situation? 54. Should everyone receive a universal income for absolute necessities? 55. Is the use of corporate jargon ethical? 56. How many immigrants should wealthy countries accept? 57. Should immigrants have a right to claim benefits within the UK? 58. What is the ethical minimum wage? 59. The ethics surrounding employees stealing company time. 60. Is it unethical for countries to possess nuclear weapons? 61. How can we be sure to eradicate AI bias? 62. Is it right for humans to ever control AI? 63. Should we be allowed to edit our child’s genes before birth? 64. Do we have the right to terraform other planets? 65. Should we always respect a patient’s choice (even if it’s wrong)? 66. Should we introduce non-human DNA into our genome? 67. Should people be forced to die if ageing is ever cured? 68. At what point does an embryo or foetus become a human life? 69. Do embryos have rights? 70. Can only humans have rights?

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Foreign Languages

1. why do people speaking foreign languages sound like they are speaking fast.

If you have an interest in languages, you may have found that when you listen to other people speaking in a language which is not your native language seem to be speaking very fast! Perhaps you have wondered if this is something which is universal for everyone learning second languages, or whether it is just that certain languages are spoken more quickly than others.

You can look at some research to answer this question, and  this piece of research may be a good place to get you started .

This is a great idea for an EPQ, as it will be research based but also gives the opportunity for discussion.

2. What is the hardest language to learn?

The perception of the hardest language to learn is something which is very subjective and dependent on a number of different factors. You could consider this in terms of these factors. For example, you may want to narrow down your project by looking at:

• The hardest language for people from a specific country to learn
• The most complex language to learn in terms of grammatical and other skills
• The most difficult pronunciation
• The most and least spoken languages and their perceived difficulties

3. Do children learn particular languages faster?

This is a really interesting area to research. The idea that children learn languages quicker is widely accepted, but is this true for every language? Which languages are easier for children to learn overall?

You may want to consider discussing the things that can have an impact on a child’s ability to learn a language, including:

• Whether their parents speak the language
• How they learn the language (through books, tv, school etc)
• When they learn the language

These are all important factors to consider, and could lead to a more knowledgeable approach to teaching children second languages.

4. How much easier is it for children to learn a foreign language compared to an adult?

There is a generally widely-accepted view that children can learn languages more easily than adults. But to what extent is this true? There is a wide range of research done in this area, and it can lead to some interesting discussions about:

• What age is the best to introduce a second language to a child?
• Should all children be taught second languages?
• What are the best methods for teaching a second language to students?

This is an area where (if you were interested), you could put forward evidence-based views around the applications of the idea that languages are more easily learned by children.

5. Should everyone be forced to learn a foreign language at school?

This is another issue related to language and children. If the best time to learn a language is when you are a child, but many parents don’t speak more than 1 language, is it essential that children are taught languages from a young age? If so:

• What language should be taught as a compulsory subject?
• Between which ages should a language be taught to children?
• How should language abilities be applied in the rest of school life?
• How should the languages be taught?

The use and teaching of language in schools is another real debate topic, and gives you the chance to show off your debating skills and ability to interpret evidence to form an opinion. These are great skills to showcase for your EPQ.

6. Is Latin dead?

Latin is a classic language, which is not seen in modern society. However, it is still relevant. You may want to discuss a range of topics in an EPQ on this subject area. For example, you could consider:

• What are the benefits of learning Latin?
• Can knowledge of Latin make learning other languages easier?
• How has Latin influenced the languages which we speak today?

You could use the information you find on these topics to evaluate the status of Latin, and whether or not it should be considered to be a ‘dead’ language.

7. What makes French the world’s most romantic language?

French is widely recognised or considered as an incredibly romantic language. But was has led to this belief? Is it the way that the language sounds? Is it the culture found in France? Is it the landscape or the buildings (i.e. the physical environment)? Do French people find the language ‘romantic’?

If you are interested in language, doing a project about the preconceptions about a language such as French is a great way to go with your EPQ. You could consider discussing what makes the language ‘romantic’, as well as whether or not some of these specific elements are found in other languages.

8. How has English affected the German language?

The interaction between languages, and the influences that they have on each other is something that will give you the chance to look at a variety of different elements which would be very interesting to discuss in your project.

You could research the relationship between any 2 languages, and the things that you may want to consider include:

• The similarities between English and German
• The differences between English and German (you may want to look at  this book about English and German grammar )
• The reasons for similarities/differences – where are the languages derived from? Has there been any interaction between the formation of them?

9. Why is the internet dominated by the English language?

Around 20% of the world speak English , so why is it so commonly seen in media, such as on the internet? The domination of English as a language across the world is something that is incredibly interesting, especially as the number of English speakers is actually a lot lower than you would perhaps expect.

This is a great idea for an EPQ, because it gives you the chance to look at the prevalence of the English language, and how it’s used in the Inernet. You may want to consider:

• How the broad use of the English Language has affected the number of native English speakers who are bilingual.
• What language is the most commonly used across the world? Why is this?
• What has made media in English so highly available?

10. Why Google Translate doesn’t work sometimes

Google Translate is notorious for not working properly, and this is something that every language teacher warns their students to be wary of. But why does Google Translate not work?

There are so many different elements which go into speaking a language effectively, and these are things that you would be able to discuss in your essay.

• Differences in grammatical techniques
• Differences in meanings of particular words (or dual meanings)
• The context of sentences and its importance in terms of meaning

One of the great things about this subject is that you can apply it to any language, and therefore it can be relevant to both your A-Levels and perhaps even the degree which you would like to do.

11. What is the best way to learn a second language? 12. Should all parents aim to teach their children another language? 13. How useful is mandarin within the business world? 14. What are the psychological barriers to learning a new language? 15. Does listening to foreign music and films help with pronunciation? 16. How does language learning differ in other countries? 17. What are the benefits of being bilingual? 18. What language was Jesus believed to speak and is at all similar to modern-day language? 19. How helpful are language learning apps in becoming fluent in another language? 20. Should language teachers take on a more practical approach? 21. How have different dialects of the same language evolved? 22. What are the most similar languages to one another? 23. How does a language portray its origin country’s culture? 24. Is there a certain pattern for learning a language? 25. Does the way you learn a language effect your pronunciation? 26. Why does the German language seem aggressive and was it always that way? 27. Do teachers only teach ways to pass the exam and not learn languages in detail? 28. Are language examinations fair? 29. To what extent does it take intelligence or a good memory to learn a foreign language? 30. How has language learning changed throughout history? 31. Is it important to understand the culture of a language? 32. How accents can affect understanding dramatically. 33. How is motivation built to learn a second language? 34. How can you forget a language you were once fluent in? 35. Why is it so common to get anxiety when learning a new language? 36. What is the most common language found in music? 37. How difficult is it to learn sign language for a deaf person? 38. What are the origins of the English language? 39. The complications surrounding the Arabic language. 40. How do dyslexic people manage language learning? 41. Why do people still learn and use Latin, what is its value in modern society? 42. Are programming languages considered just as hard to learn as verbal languages? 43. Has “text talk” ruined the complexity of people’s vocabulary? 44. What is the best age to learn a new language? 45. Is it easier to learn a third language once you have already learnt two? 46. How difficult is language reading compared to speaking and listening? 47. How does grammar change with different languages? 48. The importance of cross-language communication. 49. Does language learning help bridge the intellectual inequality gap? 50. How do people pick up accents? 51. Why does the English language not have clear masculine and feminine classifications? 52. How do certain words evolve into insulting words over time? 53. How different are alphabets between languages? 54. What is the official process followed when adding words to a language? 55. What is the field of Mathematics dominated by the Greek language? 56. What was the first verbal language humans spoke? 57. Why has Latin become somewhat obsolete? 58. The origins of the Arabic language. 59. How strict are punctuation rules across different languages? 60. Which foreign language has the most dialects and why? 61. How has human language evolved over time? 62. Which world language conveys more information per word? 63. Which type of language conveys more information: verbal or body? 64. Why can some words not be translated between languages? 65. The origins of the Japanese language 66. How English is used in the Japanese media 67. Is it fair to say that china only has only a single language? 68. How have foreign immigrants integrated into Japanese society since WW2? 69. Is Japanese an isolated language or part of a broader language family? 70. Is how people use body language universal across the world?

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Biology

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To History

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Art

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Sport

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Architecture

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Computer Science

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Engineering

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Politics

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Chemistry

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Geography

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Physics

70+ EPQ Ideas Relating To Maths

I’m looking for ideas for an EPQ based on primary school teaching. Any suggestions?

i was wanting to do something using this topic, what did you do in the end? 🙂

To what extent to primary school teachers effect the personal development of children. Or how does the environment created by primary schools affect a child mental and cognitive development

it isn’t a primary school qualification

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 …  Read more »

Do primary teachers have an impact on people’s morals even when they become adults?

Is primary school teaching restricting Young children?

I was thinking a maths and gambling based epq. Any suggestions?

theory of probability in casinos?

Would an essay about disabled rights be good idea for EPQ

I think that is a great topic to construct your EPQ about. Just ensure that you have enough to say about this topic.

anyone got any suggestions for a drama/theatre related artefact based EPQ????

shakespeares use of masquerade in his plays – like in romeo and juliet and linking it to the era it came from and its links to italy as well

write, direct and perform in a play- could be a parody of a Shakespeare play?- for mythology do a modern version of a classic myth?- link to a topic you are interested in

Any ideas on a travel based EPQ

maybe look at the impact of tourism on low income countries or CO2 emissions from travel

I live in cornwall and iIO what about how will covid 19 aefffect the tourisum industry (please ignore my spelling by back button is broke)

Do you go to Callywith (only school i know doing EPQ in Cornwall lol) ? Also have you decided on an EPQ yet because I have no idea

I’m struggling to think of a good EPQ question based on health care, the NHS or paramedics. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thankyou!

How the nhs negatively affected the uks economy, could the uk survive without the nhs, is the pay of nhs workers fair, how did COVID 19 effected the nhs and especially the workers, should the uk follow in the steps of other countries and have privatised health care, the history of the nhs and how it impacted the uk, will the nhs be around forever or will it collapse? Literally so many you can do with the nhs although I may have to combine different aspects to get enough content to write about, good luck !!!

hi im struggling to find an epq that would be linked to a diplomat career with international relations or law any help would be appreciated

should countries be allowed to sue each other

hello friends, im from portugal and would like a topic for my IPQ that relates to wine, does anyone got any ideas ?

hi everyone, i’m thinking of doing an epq based on interpretations of love and love languages, can anyone come up with a question for that? or would that not be a good route to take?

doing A-Level EPQ at sixth form and I do not know what to do for my EPQ and I don’t have a question. I have to link it to Religious Education as it is a catholic school. Do you have any recommendations. thanks

should RE be compulsory in school.

yikes I go to a catholic school and we don’t have to do that… should the uk be a secular society / is the world losing faith / can war be ethical / religious/ethical duty to protect the environment

Why are people so obsessed with religion, even to the point of killing and being killed for it, and is this obsession healthy?

I’m looking at medicine for Uni, do you think an EPQ about “can you die from a broken heart” is any good?

Looking for EPQ ideas in relation to the Armed Forces!! Any suggestions welcome, thanks

(^^)/ What about history of armed forces?

looking for an epq linking Applied science and Psychology together. Any ideas????

Hey what topic did u end up doing I’m interested in those 2 subjects too x

Hi! I’m looking to do an EPQ about genetics. Any ideas?

Hey everyone, I was thinking to do an EPQ based on the e-commerce. Any suggestions about it?

I’m struggling to think of any decent EPQ topics regarding music. Anyone got any ideas? 🙂

does music have an impact on the brain? does listening to music whilst revising help? is music a form of art? is music a form of therapy? why do people find comfort in music?

can I do Can physics prove evolution or any of the physics ideas if I already do physics a level or are they too similar?

any ideas on a media epq

Ideas for food based epq ideas that include making an artefact

are synthetic/man-made chemicals used for food processing and packaging, ethical ?

Hey I need to decide on my topic for my EPQ and I have 4 that I can’t choose between: To what extent will future development of genome sequencing and synthetic life impact the field of AI?

Could humanity ever achieve biological immortality?

What are the conditions required on a planet for intelligent life to evolve?

What if Pangea never broke apart?

Favourites?

I love the first two! im also thinking to do one something linked with computer science or biology/biomed

I’m interested in doing an epq to do with criminology does anyone have any suggestions for questions/topics?

im looking for an epq to do with maths and comp sci, any suggestions?

400+ EPQ Ideas and Examples for All Subjects (2024)

Dr Rahil Sachak-Patwa

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a unique opportunity for students to explore a topic of their choosing and develop research and independent study skills. Offered to students in their final year of A-Levels , the EPQ is a valuable addition to any student's academic portfolio, as it provides an opportunity to demonstrate skills in critical thinking, research, and project management that are highly valued by universities and employers alike.

Arguably the best part about the EPQ is that you get to select your own ideas for your project. And the worst part? You have to select your own ideas for your project. For most people, their EPQs are the first time they get to explore their chosen area of interest in depth. Save for some requirements, you can technically take this project in any direction you fancy. But this level of freedom can be daunting, especially when you have to choose a project idea and title.

What makes for a good title? Are there any limitations? How can you make your project stand out? Let’s find out how to get an A* in your EPQ in 2024!

How to Choose A Good EPQ Idea

The EPQ assessment criteria are a good reference point to embark on your EPQ journey. Across these four assessment objective areas, you’re able to get a feel for what sort of thing the examiners are looking for.

Touching on each of these, a student that wants an A* in EPQ would need to:

• AO1 - Understand how to plan out a project thoroughly and then execute that plan.
• AO2 - Navigate their own research, as well as understand how to break down other academic pieces to extract information that supports their project.
• AO3 - Solve problems using skills like planning, logic, researching, or new technologies that they encounter during their EPQ project. This is the area where students get the most marks, meaning great EPQ ideas should always have a level of development and progression to them. How are you getting from points A-B?
• AO4 - Within the EPQ essay, students need to be able to accurately review their entire project, outlining the curves in the road and any blocks that they overcame to get to their final destination.

Across these assessment areas, EPQ students will have their ideas tested and explored. The brilliance of a great EPQ idea is that students can explore a topic that they find interesting, all while strengthening their university application.

Source - EPQ Assessment Criteria

However, the rubric isn’t enough to tell you whether your idea is any good to begin with. Instead, here are some key pointers you can use to guarantee an A*.

The best EPQ ideas share the following criteria:

• Relevant Ideas
• Narrow Scope
• Interdisciplinary
• Push boundaries

Let’s break these down further.

Make It Relevant

A good EPQ research project is one that is relevant to the context of the modern world. Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t orient your project around historical events. On the contrary, referring to the past is a great way of substantiating your project. The key, however, is to link it to issues of contemporary relevance. For example, you can use historical plagues to analyse the long-term effects of COVID-19.

Understanding how your topic has an impact on the modern world, or could have a direct effect on the future, is a great way of including this level of relevancy. If you’re doing a history EPQ, you don’t want to only focus on what happened, you want to explain why this matters.

You should carry this idea throughout the whole of your EPQ, ensuring that your project is relevant and ticks all the assessment objective boxes.

Narrow It Down

Some research projects are so extensive in their scope that making them relevant to the modern context isn’t enough. Instead, you have to narrow your EPQ research down to a specific country, city, or even a community. Remember: you can’t possibly tackle all issues in all countries across all members of society. Otherwise, your research becomes too generalising and consequently loses its merit.

There’s a subtle balance between breadth and depth when it comes to choosing an EPQ idea. On one hand, you want to pick something that’s broad enough that you have lots to talk about. Yet, go too broad and you’ll have too much to say in too few words, leading to a shallow analysis. We suggest that you pick an idea that has a narrow focus but one that you can talk about from multiple perspectives.

Try to balance breadth and depth within your EPQ project.

Adopt An Interdisciplinary Approach

You’ll notice that most of the ideas listed in this post are interdisciplinary. In other words, they borrow from various disciplines and subjects. This leads on directly from having a good balance of breadth and depth. Instead of just focusing on one small detail, noticing how topics transect different subjects is a vital part of the EPQ.

Of course, you’d be hard-pressed to find a topic that has absolutely nothing to do with any other subject than itself. Even when focusing on a scientific question, the interdisciplinary links across sciences, health studies, and medicine, allow students to broaden their approach.

Always try and choose an EPQ idea that has interdisciplinary studies at its center. There are always common links across subjects, you just have to find them.

Get expert help with the EPQ

The world's leading online EPQ tutoring provider trusted by students, parents, and schools globally.

4.93 /5 based on 486 reviews

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

While you should stick to your interests, by and large, a good EPQ is one where you learn something new or develop a new skill. The only way to do so is by stepping outside your comfort zone and pursuing topics that are somewhat unfamiliar to you. If you’re still unsure about where or how to begin, enlisting the help of A-Level EPQ tutors is a good first step.

Working with an A-Level tutor for your EPQ can help boost your final grade as you’ll have a person to discuss your ideas with at every step of your project. Even when finding an initial idea, having someone to bounce thoughts off is vital when finding the right topic for you.

List of the Best EPQ Ideas

Now that we’ve covered the foundations of what makes a good idea, let’s give you some inspiration. We’ll move through different subjects, giving a list of ideas that you could use for your project.

In this article, we’ll touch on the following subjects for EPQ Ideas:

• A-Level Biology
• A-Level Physics
• A-Level Chemistry
• A-Level Maths
• A-Level History
• A-Level Geography
• A-Level English
• A-Level Economics
• A-Level Engineering
• A-Level Politics
• A-Level Sociology
• A-Level Psychology
• A-Level Law
• A-Level Computer Science
• A-Level Medicine

EPQ Ideas For Biology

Explore these EPQ ideas, endorsed by experienced A-Level Biology tutors :

1 - Are there any long-term psychological effects that may be had by a recipient of another person’s organ? 2 - How do diseases develop mutants? 3 - At what point after conception does life actually begin? 4 - Nature vs nurture causes of body dysmorphia 5 - To what extent do menstrual pains and other period symptoms count as legitimate medical handicaps? 6 - The cause and effect of misdiagnosis/late diagnosis of autism in women 7 - How does smoking marijuana from a young age affect brain development? 8 - A comparison of sex and gender dynamics between humans and other species 9 - What solutions does medical biotechnology present for the COVID-19 pandemic? 10 - How does obesity differ in distinct populations around the world? 11 - The effects of plastic pollution on marine biodiversity 12 - Analysing the role of the microbiome in human health and disease 13 - Investigating the impact of climate change on bird migration patterns 14 - How do different types of exercise affect the human body? 15 - A study of the genetics and environmental factors of addiction 16 - Investigating the role of epigenetics in cancer development 17 - Analysing the effects of air pollution on respiratory health 18 - A study of the evolutionary origins of language in humans 19 - Investigating the effectiveness of different types of birth control methods 20 - Examining the ethical implications of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production 21 - Analysing the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function 22 - Investigating the relationship between stress and physical health 23 - A study of the genetics and environmental factors of Alzheimer's disease 24 - Examining the effects of different diets on gut microbiota 25 - Investigating the role of the immune system in autoimmune diseases 26 - Analysing the impact of deforestation on wildlife populations 27 - A study of the molecular mechanisms of addiction 28 - Investigating the effects of environmental toxins on reproductive health 29 - Examining the relationship between gut microbiota and mental health disorders 30 - Analysing the effectiveness of various cancer treatments.

EPQ Ideas For Physics

Discover EPQ topics suggested by professional A-Level Physics tutors :

1 - How early contributions by physicists belonging to a marginalised community (women, PoC, etc.) have been dismissed. 2 - Design and build a functional robot with a particular purpose 3 - Can physics and religion ever go hand in hand? 4 - In an unimaginably colossal cosmos, is life on other planets really that unlikely? 5 - An analysis of the scientific accuracy of select scenes from Interstellar (or any physics-based movie, TV show, cartoon, etc.) 6 - The death of the sun and its potential effects on the solar system 7 - The reasons behind the failure of supersonic travel 8 - Build your own camera lens from scratch 9 - Will lithium-ion batteries dominate the world in the next 30 years? 10 - Is switching to clean energy feasible for developing countries? 11 - Investigating the feasibility of using nuclear fusion as a future energy source 12 - Exploring the physics behind black holes and their effects on space-time 13 - Examining the possibility of time travel and the physics involved 14 - Designing and testing a new type of wind turbine for more efficient energy generation 15 - Investigating the physics behind the behaviour of quantum particles 16 - Building and testing a model rocket to explore the principles of rocket science 17 - Analysing the physics of sound and music production 18 - Investigating the physics behind the formation and behaviour of lightning 19 - The potential applications and limitations of nanotechnology in the field of medicine 20 - Examining the physics behind the development and potential uses of augmented reality technology 21 - Investigating the physics behind the phenomenon of superconductivity and its practical applications 22 - Designing and building a solar-powered vehicle for sustainable transportation 23 - Exploring the physics of magnetism and its applications in technology 24 - Investigating the physics behind the development and potential uses of quantum computers 25 - Analysing the physics of the human body and its potential applications in medicine 26 - Investigating the physics behind the development and potential uses of artificial intelligence 27 - Exploring the physics of space travel and its potential for future human exploration 28 - Investigating the physics behind the development and potential uses of 3D printing technology 29 - The physics behind the behaviour of waves in the ocean and its applications in marine engineering 30 - Examining the physics behind the development and potential uses of drones in various industries.

EPQ Ideas For Chemistry

Review these EPQ ideas, curated by expert A-Level Chemistry tutors for in-depth study:

1 - Investigating the chemistry of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry 2 - A guide on how to read and understand the listed ingredients at the back of self-grooming products. 3 - The extraction of limonene from citrus 4 - Will humans ever stop producing plastic? 5 - Is the use of chemical and mechanical pesticides ethical? 6 - The safety of aspartame in food and drink 7 - Can the chemistry of the atmosphere ever truly be replicated? 8 - Can you use hydrogen as a fuel in cars? 9 - The current limitations behind building a supercell 10 - Can an understanding of chemistry help us in anti-ageing? 11 - The environmental impact of the production and disposal of batteries 12 - Investigating the chemistry behind the production and effects of air pollution 13 - The role of chemistry in developing new materials for the aerospace industry 14 - Investigating the use of enzymes in industrial processes 15 - The chemistry behind food preservation and storage 16 - Developing a new method for synthesising a specific compound of interest 17 - The chemistry behind the production and effects of cosmetics and personal care products 18 - Investigating the chemistry behind the development and production of synthetic drugs 19 - The use of chemistry in forensic science and criminal investigations 20 - The chemistry behind the behaviour and effects of neurotransmitters in the brain 21 - Investigating the chemistry behind the development and production of bioplastics 22 - The use of chemistry in developing new methods for water purification and desalination 23 - Investigating the chemistry behind the development and production of new medications for chronic diseases 24 - The chemistry behind the behaviour and effects of hormones in the human body 25 - Investigating the use of nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery 26 - The chemistry behind the development and production of renewable energy sources 27 - Investigating the use of chemistry in developing new methods for recycling and waste management 28 - The chemistry behind the behaviour and effects of toxins in the environment 29 - Investigating the use of chemistry in developing new methods for food production and agriculture 30 - The chemistry behind the development and production of new materials for energy storage and conversion.

EPQ Ideas For Maths

Professional A-Level Maths tutors recommended the following EPQ ideas:

1 - To what extent does music borrow from mathematics? 2 - A way (physical model, stimulation, etc.) to visualise dimensions beyond 3-D 3 - Is maths necessary for cognitive development in young children? 4 - The many real-life applications of the binomial theorem 5 - How seemingly simple mathematical ideas revolutionised the world when they were first discovered/invented? 6 - The importance of arithmetic in modern-day cryptography 7 - Can you make a universal equation for measuring beauty? 8 - The significance of infinity in mathematics 9 - Was mathematics discovered or invented? 10 - The application of statistical analysis in modern healthcare 11 - The mathematics behind encryption and data security 12 - Investigating the role of mathematics in artificial intelligence and machine learning 13 - The use of mathematical modelling in predicting natural disasters and mitigating their impact 14 - Investigating the mathematical principles behind cryptography and data privacy 15 - The history and significance of the Fibonacci sequence in mathematics and nature 16 - Developing and testing a new mathematical theorem or formula 17 - Investigating the role of probability theory in finance and investment 18 - The use of mathematical modelling in the development of new drugs and therapies 19 - Investigating the mathematics behind the design and construction of bridges and other structures 20 - The role of mathematics in game theory and decision-making 21 - Investigating the use of machine learning in image and voice recognition 22 - The mathematics behind the development and use of GPS technology 23 - Investigating the mathematical principles behind artificial neural networks 24 - The use of mathematics in optimising supply chains and logistics 25 - Investigating the mathematics behind the development and use of blockchain technology 26 - The mathematics behind the behaviour and dynamics of fluid flow 27 - Investigating the use of mathematical models in predicting and mitigating the spread of diseases 28 - The role of mathematics in quantum mechanics and the behaviour of particles 29 - Investigating the mathematical principles behind the design and operation of electric circuits 30 - The use of mathematical modelling in analysing climate change and its impact on the environment.

EPQ Ideas For History

Consider these EPQ ideas, guided by A-Level History tutors :

1 - The significance of education in British colonial expansion. 2 - Pandemics throughout human history and their effects on societies in various stages of development. 3 - The profound impact of the Black Death on England 4 - How did the USA play a role in WWI? 5 - How did Victorian England deal with child poverty 6 - An exploration of child labor across Europe 7 - What was the economic impact of the black Monday stock market crash? 8 - How have Women’s rights developed since the early 1900s? 9 - How truthful can sources in ancient history truly be? 10 - Explore the notion of female friendship in Victorian England 11 - The role of propaganda in shaping public opinion during World War II 12 - Investigating the influence of religion on medieval society and politics 13 - The impact of the Industrial Revolution on working-class communities in Britain 14 - The role of the British Empire in the transatlantic slave trade 15 - The significance of the Magna Carta in the development of democratic governance 16 - The history and impact of the suffragette movement in the UK 17 - Investigating the causes and impact of the French Revolution 18 - The impact of colonialism on the development of African nations 19 - The history and impact of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States 20 - Investigating the role of propaganda and media in shaping public opinion during the Cold War 21 - The role of religion in shaping the politics and society of ancient Rome 22 - Investigating the causes and impact of the First World War 23 - The impact of the Reformation on religious and political life in Europe 24 - The history and impact of the Vietnam War 25 - Investigating the causes and impact of the Second World War 26 - The significance of the Roman Empire in the development of Western civilisation 27 - Investigating the history and impact of the Indian Independence Movement 28 - The role of women in the development of science and technology throughout history 29 - Investigating the causes and impact of the Cold War 30 - The history and impact of the Civil Rights Movement in the UK.

EPQ Ideas For Geography

Explore EPQ ideas shared by expert A-Level Geography tutors and examiners:

1 - What is the impact of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem? 2 - The role of water management in sustainable development. 3 - What is the impact of urbanisation on natural landscapes? 4 - The potential of renewable energy in reducing carbon emissions. 5 - What is the relationship between land use change and biodiversity loss? 6 - The impact of plastic pollution on marine life. 7 - How can we mitigate the impact of natural disasters on vulnerable communities? 8 - The role of soil erosion in desertification. 9 - What is the impact of deforestation on local and global climate? 10 - The effectiveness of wildlife conservation programs. 11 - The potential of vertical farming in sustainable agriculture. 12 - How can we improve access to clean water in developing countries? 13 - The impact of tourism on local communities and natural landscapes. 14 - What is the role of geospatial technology in environmental conservation? 15 - The impact of sea level rise on coastal communities. 16 - The potential of green infrastructure in urban planning. 17 - How can we reduce air pollution in urban areas? 18 - The role of indigenous knowledge in natural resource management. 19 - What is the impact of soil degradation on agricultural productivity? 20 - The effectiveness of waste management programs. 21 - How can we promote sustainable transportation in urban areas? 22 - The impact of population growth on resource depletion. 23 - The potential of carbon capture technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 24 - What is the impact of human activities on ocean acidification? 25 - The role of environmental policies in promoting sustainable development. 26 - The impact of land subsidence on urban infrastructure. 27 - How can we promote sustainable forestry practices? 28 - The potential of bioremediation in environmental cleanup. 29 - What is the impact of water scarcity on social and economic development? 30 - The effectiveness of disaster risk reduction strategies.

EPQ Ideas for English

Here are some EPQ suggestions from leading A-Level English tutors :

1 - How can the impact of Shakespeare be measured? 2 - What distinguishes modern American poetry from European poetry. 3 - Is the age of poetry dead? Exploring Instagram poetry 4 - What makes a novel ‘great’? Can there be a next great American novel? 5 - Can writers ever really be removed from their social context? 6 - Female English novelists had more impact on the form than their male counterparts 7 - The literary canon is closed - there is no more room for expansion. 8 - To what extent is the literary canon a product of colonialism. 9 - How has sexuality in the novel progressed since the 1600s. 10 - Literature is a powerful tool for understanding real-world history and context 11 - The portrayal of mental illness in literature throughout history 12 - The influence of science fiction on modern society and culture 13 - Investigating the use of magical realism in contemporary literature 14 - The role of literature in exploring and understanding the experiences of refugees and migrants 15 - Investigating the significance of folklore and mythology in literature 16 - The representation of gender and sexuality in contemporary literature 17 - Investigating the use of symbolism in literature throughout history 18 - The role of literature in exploring and understanding issues of race and identity 19 - The impact of postcolonial literature on the literary world 20 - Investigating the role of literature in shaping political and social movements throughout history 21 - The representation of disability in literature throughout history 22 - Investigating the use of unreliable narrators in literature 23 - The impact of modern technology on the publishing industry 24 - The role of literature in exploring and understanding mental health issues 25 - Investigating the influence of mythology and folklore on popular culture 26 - The significance of the Beat Generation in the development of contemporary literature 27 - Investigating the use of intertextuality in literature 28 - The role of literature in understanding and exploring the experiences of marginalised communities 29 - Investigating the influence of social media on contemporary literature 30 - The impact of digital publishing on the literary world.

EPQ Ideas for Economics

Professional A-Level Econmics tutors suggested the following EPQ ideas:

1 - Should we reform the tax system in England? 2 - Corporate greed has become the downfall of the modern economic system in the USA 3 - Should politicians be allowed to trade stocks and shares? 4 - Why hasn’t the minimum wage been raised as economic productivity has increased? 5 - Exploring how inflation relates to the stock exchange 6 - Did Brexit have a positive impact on the UK economy? 7 - Does illegal immigration help or hinder the economy in the USA? 8 - Does the concept of social class still exist? 9 - To what extent is the stock exchange controlled by whale investors? 10 - How has the period of 2020-2024 impacted the global demand for oil. 11 - Investigating the causes and impact of income inequality in modern society 12 - The role of international trade in economic growth and development 13 - Investigating the causes and impact of the 2008 financial crisis 14 - The impact of automation and AI on employment and the labour market 15 - Investigating the role of economic policies in shaping environmental sustainability 16 - The impact of globalisation on economic growth and development 17 - Investigating the impact of e-commerce and online marketplaces on traditional retail industries 18 - The role of central banks in managing monetary policy and inflation 19 - Investigating the impact of cryptocurrencies on the traditional financial system 20 - The impact of Brexit on the UK economy and global trade relations 21 - Investigating the impact of foreign aid on economic development in developing countries 22 - The role of the gig economy in shaping the future of work 23 - Investigating the impact of economic sanctions on global trade relations 24 - The impact of education and human capital on economic growth and development 25 - Investigating the impact of the sharing economy on traditional industries and employment 26 - The role of behavioural economics in shaping public policy and decision-making 27 - Investigating the impact of trade unions on labour market dynamics and wages 28 - The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and society 29 - Investigating the impact of regulation and deregulation on industry dynamics and economic growth 30 - The role of innovation and entrepreneurship in economic growth and development.

EPQ Ideas for Engineering

1 - Biomedical engineering is now more important than ever before in the post COVID-era 2 - What is the relationship between statistics and engineering? 3 - All industries are inherently tied to the speed of progression within engineering 4 - Should software engineering count as a practice of engineering? 5 - How engineering and societal expansion are closely linked 6 - To what extent are soft skills like communication vital for an engineer? 7 - Why is there a gender imbalance within the world of engineering? How can we fix it? 8 - How does the UK government incentivise a career path into engineering? 9 - AI tools will one day replace engineers - to what extent do you agree? 10 - Mechanical engineering is the field of engineering in which most progress has been made 11 - Investigating the impact of renewable energy on the field of electrical engineering 12 - The role of engineering in sustainable infrastructure development and urban planning 13 - Investigating the impact of robotics and automation on manufacturing and industrial engineering 14 - The role of civil engineering in designing and building sustainable cities 15 - Investigating the impact of materials science on the field of engineering 16 - The role of aerospace engineering in space exploration and travel 17 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles 18 - The role of chemical engineering in developing sustainable manufacturing processes and materials 19 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the development of healthcare technology and medical devices 20 - The role of engineering in designing and building renewable energy systems and infrastructure 21 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the design and construction of sustainable buildings and architecture 22 - The role of engineering in developing and improving transportation systems 23 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the design and construction of bridges and other infrastructure projects 24 - The role of engineering in developing and improving telecommunications networks 25 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the development of the Internet and information technology 26 - The role of environmental engineering in mitigating the impact of climate change 27 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the development of cybersecurity and digital privacy 28 - The role of engineering in developing and improving water treatment and sanitation systems 29 - Investigating the impact of engineering on the design and construction of military and defence technology 30 - The role of engineering in developing and improving disaster response and recovery systems.

EPQ Ideas for Politics

Look into EPQ topics chosen by experienced A-Level Politics tutors :

1 - Should the two-party system in the USA be abolished? 2 - What are the core differences between how politics in the UK and US is run? 3 - Why should we ban politicians from accepting financial support from companies? 4 - What political system, in theory, would be the best for the globe? 5 - What’s the difference between freedom of speech and hate speech? 6 - Why has the USA never elected a female president? 7 - Which global power is the most ideal for the world as a whole? 8 - How did Australia’s political response to COVID impact their economic standing? 9 - To what extent do people become more conservative as they grow up? 10 - The youngest generations are the only ones interested in climate change - what does this mean for the political future of the UK? 11 - Investigating the impact of social media on political discourse and public opinion 12 - The role of political ideologies in shaping policy and decision-making 13 - Investigating the impact of political polarisation on democratic institutions and society 14 - The role of political leadership in shaping national and international policy 15 - Investigating the impact of foreign policy on global conflict and cooperation 16 - The role of political parties in shaping policy and elections 17 - Investigating the impact of economic policies on income inequality and social mobility 18 - The role of the media in shaping public opinion and political discourse 19 - Investigating the impact of populism on democratic institutions and society 20 - The role of international organisations in shaping global policy and cooperation 21 - Investigating the impact of social movements on political change and policy 22 - The role of identity politics in shaping policy and decision-making 23 - Investigating the impact of political activism on democratic institutions and society 24 - The role of immigration policy in shaping national identity and culture 25 - Investigating the impact of political corruption on democratic institutions and society 26 - The role of the judiciary in shaping policy and protecting human rights 27 - Investigating the impact of globalisation on national and international politics 28 - The role of public opinion in shaping policy and decision-making 29 - Investigating the impact of military and defence policy on international relations 30 - The role of diplomacy in shaping global policy and cooperation.

EPQ Ideas for Sociology

1 - Class is, by far, the most important factor when it comes to existing within society. 2 - How do societal standards shape the career paths of a country’s citizens? 3 - How does diaspora impact the ability for culture to be passed down through the generations? 4 - Social perceptions of women have not changed over the past 50 years. 5 - To what extent are we still living in a world filled with sexism, racism, and homophobia? 6 - An exploration of how modern-day Britain is still a racist society. 7 - To what extent is there a connection between class and race? 8 - What is culture, and how does it exist within communities? 9 - The evolution of polyamory and its modern-day presence in society. 10 - People are too different to get along; modern-day ideologies are too divisive for people to agree on anything. 11 - Investigating the impact of social media on social identity and relationships 12 - The role of gender and sexuality in shaping identity and social norms 13 - Investigating the impact of technology on social interaction and relationships 14 - The role of religion and spirituality in shaping individual and group identity 15 - Investigating the impact of social inequality on access to education and opportunity 16 - The role of language and communication in shaping culture and identity 17 - Investigating the impact of immigration and multiculturalism on social identity and integration 18 - The role of power and authority in shaping social structures and institutions 19 - Investigating the impact of social movements on social change and progress 20 - The role of social class and status in shaping access to resources and opportunity 21 - Investigating the impact of ageing on social identity and relationships 22 - The role of social norms and values in shaping behaviour and attitudes 23 - Investigating the impact of social support on mental and physical health 24 - The role of social control and deviance in shaping social order and justice 25 - Investigating the impact of globalisation on social identity and culture 26 - The role of family and kinship in shaping social identity and relationships 27 - Investigating the impact of social media on political engagement and activism 28 - The role of race and ethnicity in shaping social identity and discrimination 29 - Investigating the impact of social class on health and well-being 30 - The role of social mobility in shaping access to opportunity and social change.

EPQ Ideas for Psychology

Explore these unique EPQ ideas guided by renowned A-Level Psychology tutors :

1 - Explore the presence of mental health within literature 2 - Are representations of mental disorders in film helping or hindering the cause? 3 - Is the American treatment of ADHD too harsh for children? 4 - How does a child’s environment while growing up impact the development of their brain? 5 - Why do different people manage depression in distinct ways? 6 - The psychology of addiction: exploring the science behind addictive behaviour 7 - The role of mindfulness and meditation in reducing anxiety and stress 8 - Investigating the impact of childhood experiences on adult attachment styles 9 - The psychology of decision-making: why do people make the choices they do? 10 - Exploring the science behind sleep: the impact of sleep on cognitive function and mental health 11 - The impact of cultural differences on communication styles and interpersonal relationships 12 - The role of emotional intelligence in personal and professional success 13 - Investigating the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health and well-being 14 - The psychology of creativity: exploring the science behind creative thinking and innovation 15 - The impact of social norms on individual behaviour and decision-making 16 - The role of motivation in goal-setting and achievement 17 - Investigating the psychology of personality: what makes us who we are? 18 - The impact of positive psychology interventions on well-being and life satisfaction 19 - The psychology of persuasion: exploring the science behind influence and persuasion 20 - The impact of technology on social relationships and communication 21 - The role of self-compassion in promoting mental health and well-being 22 - Investigating the psychology of memory: how do we remember and forget? 23 - The impact of social comparison on self-esteem and well-being 24 - The psychology of procrastination: why do people delay and avoid tasks? 25 - The impact of parenting styles on child development and mental health 26 - The role of self-efficacy in promoting achievement and success 27 - Investigating the impact of social identity on group behaviour and decision-making 28 - The psychology of resilience: exploring the science behind coping with adversity 29 - The impact of gender roles on behaviour and socialisation 30 - The psychology of love and relationships: exploring the science behind romantic attraction and attachment.

EPQ Ideas for Law

Here are some specialised EPQ ideas from leading A-Level Law tutors :

1 - The impact of technology on the future of law enforcement and criminal justice 2 - The role of international criminal law in promoting accountability and justice for human rights violations 3 - Investigating the impact of family law on the definition and recognition of diverse family structures 4 - The impact of immigration law on the integration and social mobility of immigrants and refugees 5 - The role of data protection law in promoting privacy and security in the digital age. 6 - The jury system is outdated and should be removed. 7 - Language and law are intertwined; to what extent is court a verbal game? 8 - Does police presence do more harm than good? 9 - Should insanity be considered a valid defense for committing a crime? 10 - How effective is the UK legal system in punishing crimes? 11 - Investigating the impact of technology on privacy and the law 12 - The impact of social media on the legal system: exploring the challenges and opportunities 13 - The impact of international law on human rights and global justice 14 - The role of legal precedent in shaping the law: exploring the concept of stare decisis 15 - Investigating the impact of judicial activism on the law: should judges make policy? 16 - The impact of terrorism on civil liberties and the law 17 - The role of corporate law in promoting ethical business practices 18 - Investigating the impact of hate crime legislation on social attitudes and behaviour 19 - The impact of family law on child welfare and protection 20 - The role of intellectual property law in promoting innovation and creativity 21 - Investigating the impact of immigration law on social inclusion and diversity 22 - The impact of human rights law on social justice and equality 23 - The role of employment law in promoting workplace diversity and inclusion 24 - Investigating the impact of environmental law on conservation and sustainability 25 - The impact of criminal law on society: exploring the relationship between punishment and rehabilitation 26 - The role of property law in promoting economic growth and development 27 - Investigating the impact of media law on freedom of expression and privacy 28 - The impact of animal rights law on animal welfare and protection 29 - The role of contract law in promoting fair business practices and consumer protection 30 - Investigating the impact of competition law on market regulation and consumer welfare.

EPQ Ideas for Computer Science

See EPQ ideas from world's top A-Level Computer Science tutors :

1 - What is the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on modern society? 2 - What ethical considerations are there surrounding facial recognition technology? 3 - How does social media impact user privacy and security? 4 - What is the potential of virtual and augmented reality technology? 5 - What ethical considerations are there surrounding autonomous vehicles? 6 - How can machine learning help predict natural disasters? 7 - What is quantum computing technology and how will it impact the future? 8 - How do computer viruses impact cybersecurity? 9 - What is the role of blockchain technology in promoting secure and transparent transactions? 10 - How does machine translation technology impact communication? 11 - What is the impact of technology on mental health and well-being? 12 - How can gamification be used to enhance education and learning? 13 - What is the impact of technology on the entertainment industry? 14 - How does smart home technology impact daily life? 15 - What is the potential of biometric identification technology in security and authentication? 16 - The development and impact of cloud computing technology. 17 - Cybernetics and its role in advancing human-computer interaction. 18 - Chatbot technology and its impact on customer service. 19 - The potential of natural language processing technology. 20 - The use of big data in decision making. 21 - The impact of technology on the job market and employment opportunities. 22 - The development and impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. 23 - The role of cybersecurity in protecting personal information. 24 - The development and potential of 5G technology. 25 - The impact of technology on urban planning and city infrastructure. 26 - The role of computer vision in modern technology. 27 - The development and potential of autonomous drones. 28 - The use of virtual assistants in everyday life. 29 - The potential of voice recognition technology. 30 - The impact of technology on the environment and sustainability.

EPQ Ideas for Medicine

You may be interested in this article about whether you should take an EPQ to study medicine .

1 - How effective are vaccines in preventing disease outbreaks? 2 - The potential of gene editing technology in treating genetic disorders. 3 - The use of medical marijuana for pain relief. 4 - Can mindfulness meditation help with mental health issues? 5 - The impact of sleep deprivation on mental and physical health. 6 - The effectiveness of alternative medicine in treating certain conditions. 7 - What are the potential side effects of long-term antibiotic use? 8 - The use of stem cell therapy in treating various diseases. 9 - How can we improve access to healthcare for underprivileged communities? 10 - The role of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment. 11 - What is the impact of social determinants of health on healthcare access and outcomes? 12 - The use of telemedicine in remote patient care. 13 - Can herbal supplements be used to treat certain conditions? 14 - The potential of regenerative medicine in tissue engineering. 15 - What is the relationship between gut health and overall wellbeing? 16 - The impact of climate change on public health. 17 - The potential of precision medicine in personalised treatment. 18 - The role of vaccination in disease prevention and herd immunity. 19 - How does exercise impact mental and physical health? 20 - The use of immunotherapy in cancer treatment. 21 - What ethical considerations are there surrounding genetic testing? 22 - The potential of gene therapy in treating inherited diseases. 23 - The impact of air pollution on respiratory health. 24 - The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy in treating mental health issues. 25 - Can acupuncture be used to treat chronic pain? 26 - The role of lifestyle factors in disease prevention. 27 - How can we improve access to mental health services? 28 - The use of artificial intelligence in medical diagnosis. 29 - The impact of stress on mental and physical health. 30 - The effectiveness of music therapy in treating mental health issues.

These are some of our best EPQ ideas for a range of popular subjects. Each of these titles is meant to give you inspiration, helping you to find a topic that you’re interested in.

Need help from an expert?

The world’s top online tutoring provider trusted by students, parents, and schools globally.

Study and Practice for Free

Trusted by 100,000+ Students Worldwide

Achieve Top Grades in your Exams with our Free Resources.

Practice Questions, Study Notes, and Past Exam Papers for all Subjects!

Need Expert Help?

If you’re looking for assistance with your EPQ or A-Levels, get in touch with the TutorChase team and we’ll be able to provide you with an expert EPQ tutor and A-Level tutor . We’ll be there every step of the way!

Professional tutor and Cambridge University researcher

Written by: Dr Rahil Sachak-Patwa

Rahil spent ten years working as private tutor, teaching students for GCSEs, A-Levels, and university admissions. During his PhD he published papers on modelling infectious disease epidemics and was a tutor to undergraduate and masters students for mathematics courses.

Related Posts

What is an EPQ - Complete EPQ Guide

Top 10 Hardest A-Levels

Choosing Your A-Levels - A Complete Guide

Hire a tutor

Please fill out the form and we'll find a tutor for you

• Select your country
• Afghanistan
• Åland Islands
• American Samoa
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bouvet Island
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• Brunei Darussalam
• Burkina Faso
• Cayman Islands
• Central African Republic
• Christmas Island
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands
• Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
• Cook Islands
• Cote D'Ivoire
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
• Faroe Islands
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• French Southern Territories
• Guinea-Bissau
• Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands
• Holy See (Vatican City State)
• Iran, Islamic Republic Of
• Isle of Man
• Korea, Democratic People'S Republic of
• Korea, Republic of
• Lao People'S Democratic Republic
• Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
• Liechtenstein
• Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• Moldova, Republic of
• Netherlands
• Netherlands Antilles
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Norfolk Island
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palestinian Territory, Occupied
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Russian Federation
• Saint Helena
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia and Montenegro
• Sierra Leone
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• Svalbard and Jan Mayen
• Switzerland
• Syrian Arab Republic
• Taiwan, Province of China
• Tanzania, United Republic of
• Timor-Leste
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• United States Minor Outlying Islands
• Virgin Islands, British
• Virgin Islands, U.S.
• Wallis and Futuna
• Western Sahara

Alternatively contact us via WhatsApp, Phone Call, or Email

EPQ Tips, Advice, and Examples

Quick Reply

Related discussions.

• EPQ Short Film Research help
• Just achieved an A* in EPQ, feel free to ask any questions you may have
• I got these grades. Ask me anything
• Ask me anything
• Epq in engineering
• ucat + epq + ps
• Preparing for College: Advice Needed for A-Level Courses and University Preparation
• EPQ exemplars
• How to get top marks in EPQ?
• AS Further Maths or EPQ in year 13?
• EPQ candidate proposal
• Help for EPQ about CRISPR
• Medicine EPQ: Ethics or research based?
• 4 a levels + epq???
• Which university for computer science (without FM)?
• EPQ Presentation
• Religious studies personal statement
• Advice for year 13's.

Last reply 6 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Last reply 2 months ago

Last reply 3 months ago

Last reply 4 months ago

Articles for you

Writing a psychology personal statement: expert advice from universities 

What happens if you need help at university?

Top 10 tips for Ucas Clearing 2024

Bringing business people into the classroom: what students learn from industry professionals

Try out the app

Continue on web

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

AQA EPQ A* Report Example

Subject: Cross-curricular topics

Age range: Age not applicable

Resource type: Visual aid/Display

Last updated

30 January 2024

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

AQA EPQ A* Report Example. This is a full EPQ report with bibliography taken from a submission that received full marks. All sensitive information has been removed.

The other elements of this submission can be purchased separately.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 26%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

AQA A* EPQ Bundle

AQA EPQ Evaluation of Sources Table. Taken from a report that scored full marks. Includes evaluation for a range of different source types and sections to introduce reference and evaluate each source. Each element is broken down into key questions allowing for easy and methodical arguments to build an overall evaluation. The table includes 35 evaluations. AQA EPQ A* Research Diary Example. This is the research diary taken from a report that received full marks, all sensitive information has been redacted. topics AQA EPQ A* Bibliography Example, bibliography taken from a report that achieved full marks. Uses Harvard style referencing. AQA EPQ A* Report Example. This is a full EPQ report with bibliography taken from a submission that received full marks. All sensitive information has been removed. This bundle is a complete EPQ with the elements needed for a submission. Perfect as a template or as model example.

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Professional Development

Exams admin, qualifications.

Centre Services

Art and Design

Computer Science

Design and Technology

Food preparation and Nutrition

Mathematics

Media Studies

Physical Education

Religious Studies

All subjects

Biology (8461)

Chemistry (8462)

Combined Science: Trilogy (8464)

English Language (8700)

English Literature (8702)

Geography (8035)

History (8145)

Mathematics (8300)

See all GCSEs

AS and A-levels

Biology (7401)

Business (7131)

Chemistry (7404)

Geography (7037)

History (7041)

Physics (7407)

Psychology (7181)

Sociology (7191)

See all AS & A Levels

Other qualifications

Applied Generals

AQA Certificate Mathematics

Entry Level Certificates

Project Qualifications

Unit Award Scheme

All qualifications

Our training

Course finder

About our training

Online training

Face-to-face training

Inside assessment

Courses by theme

Effective exam prep

Exams officers

Getting started with AQA

Virtual communities

Courses by subject

All Professional Development

Dates and timetables

Non-exam assessment (NEA)

NEA, coursework and controlled assessment

Deadlines for non-exam assessment

Record forms

Submit marks

Exams guidance

Question papers and stationery

Access arrangements

Special consideration

Results days

Results slips

Grade boundaries

Results statistics

Post-results services

Exam certificates

All Exams Admin

Assessment Services

Associate Extranet

Become an associate

All About Maths

Stride Maths

News & Insights

AQI research & insight

Inside exams podcast

Bringing together research, insight and ideas on assessment, qualifications and curriculum

Share this page

Project Q making a difference

Jen Osler, Head of Curriculum Portfolio at AQA, reflects on her time as a coordinator and supervisor running the EPQ programme and shares the transformative role Project Q can play in streamlining the EPQ and Project Qualifications, so teachers can offer the qualifications to more young people.

The birth of Project Q – a Founder's story

Alan Cree, Founder of Project Q, shares his story about how Project Q was born, the success and his hopes for its future.