EPQ Presentation Guide: What is an EPQ?

An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is one of the most exciting projects you can work on alongside your A-Levels. It's your opportunity to delve deep into a subject you're passionate about and present your findings to others. But here's the challenge: how do you make your EPQ presentation engaging and easy to follow, even for people who aren't experts in your subject?

In this Adobe Express guide, we’ll look at essential tips that can help you create a compelling, easy to understand, and visually appealing presentation for your upcoming EPQ project.

What does EPQ mean?

EPQ stands for Extended Project Qualification. Essentially, it's a type of qualification that you can do alongside your studies at college or sixth form.

The EPQ gives you the freedom to choose a subject you're passionate about and present your findings in a way that suits you. You can choose to present your research in a 5,000-word essay or report, or as an 'artefact' such as a piece of art, a play or even a musical composition - depending on the subject, of course.

As a Level 3 qualification, equivalent to an AS level, an EPQ can also make a big difference to your university applications. It can highlight your ability to research independently, think critically and make clear links between your subject and your career aspirations.

How many UCAS points is an EPQ worth?

Depending on the final result, your EPQ can give you anywhere between 8 to 28 UCAS points.

It all depends on the grade you receive for your EPQ project:

• A* gives you 28 UCAS points.
• A gives you 24 UCAS points.
• B gives you 20 UCAS points.
• C gives you 16 UCAS points.
• D gives you 12 UCAS points.
• E gives you 8 UCAS points.

What is an EPQ presentation?

As well as your main essay or artefact, you’ll also need to produce a final EPQ presentation. This is where you get to showcase the hard work and effort you’ve put into your project.

This presentation is a compulsory part of the EPQ assessment.

What to expect from the EPQ presentation format:

• Purpose: Demonstrate your research, project development and personal reflection.
• Duration: approximately 10 minutes.
• Follow-up Q&A session: 5-10 minutes.
• Weighting: makes up about 20% of your final grade.

Your presentation will highlight your ability to communicate and describe your topic effectively. So, it’s important to polish up on your presentation skills to make your presentation engaging.

What to include in an EPQ presentation.

The EPQ presentation allows you to bring your project to life and showcase all your hard work. Here’s how to go about making it more informative and engaging.

1. Start with an engaging introduction.

Have a strong introduction that outlines the topic of your EPQ and captures your audience’s attention from the get-go. You can include a hook – which can be anything from an anecdote to an interesting fact or a thought-provoking question related to your work. This can help ease your audience into the discussion by letting them know what to expect from your presentation.

2. Explain your decision for choosing the topic.

You can then touch on some of the reasons why you decided to choose this EPQ topic. It might be an area you want to specialise in at university, or it might be related to your career goals and other interests.

3. Outline your research question and objectives.

You’ll also need to map out your research question and the objectives of your EPQ as clearly and succinctly as possible. This will provide you and your audience with a clear direction of your thought process and what you were aiming to achieve.4. Recap your methodology.

One of the key parts of your presentation should focus on your methodology. This includes any primary or secondary research you conducted, alongside any challenges you faced along the way.

You should also mention how your research aims or arguments have changed or developed – if at all – during the research process, and why this occurred.

5. Summarise your key learnings.

Then it’s time to reflect on the project as a whole. Discuss what you learned about your topic, and whether you found an answer to your research question. Mention any key skills you picked up along the way, from project management to presenting.

6. Tie your project to your future career.

One of the biggest advantages of doing an EPQ is that it allows you to showcase your passion for a particular career or academic pursuit. Provide further information in your presentation on how this project has shaped your career aspirations. You can then adapt this section when summarising the project in your personal statement or cover letter.

7. Prepare for the Q&A session.

Do some prepping beforehand on Q&A questions. During the session, encourage the audience to ask questions. This shows that you’re confident and knowledgeable about your project. It also gives you the chance to expand on areas you might not have covered in detail during the main presentation part.

Harness the power of AI for your EPQ presentation with Adobe Express.

Need a little inspiration or want to add the perfect finishing touches to your EPQ presentation? With Adobe Express's AI Presentation Maker, you can create impressive presentations in moments.

Using innovative AI technology, the tool can generate visually appealing, informative slides in just a few clicks. Simply import your PowerPoint, start from scratch or choose one of the high-quality templates to get started – you can search by industry to find one that best aligns with your EPQ topic.

We also keep things customisable, so you can add some final flourishes in the form of Adobe Stock images, icons and AI-generated text. The tool offers a seamless solution to help bring your ideas to life. Enhance your EPQ presentation and create something spectacular with the AI Presentation Maker.