EPQ Ideas for History: 30+ Questions Worth 5,000 Words
By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 24 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026
Choosing a strong EPQ idea in history means more than picking a period you like. The best history EPQ questions go beyond what the A-level syllabus covers, can be answered using sources the student can actually reach, and are focused enough to be completed within 120 guided learning hours. This guide sets out more than thirty history EPQ question ideas across eight themes, with worked examples showing how to sharpen a vague topic into a title worth submitting. It also covers what the OCR moderators' report says separates high-performing projects from weaker ones, and how to make the EPQ work in a university application.
Key Takeaways
- A focused question beats a broad topic: The OCR moderators' summer 2024 report found that students who did well chose a targeted, focused research question rather than a generic subject area.
- Your centre must approve the title: Per the OCR H857 specification, project titles must be learner-generated and approved by the centre; AQA students must draft a title and aims for formal approval before proceeding.
- Archives and oral history interviews are a distinctive edge: History EPQs can draw on primary sources - local record offices, digitised newspaper archives, and expert email exchanges - that few other subjects can match.
- A question about historical disagreement is often stronger than a narrative: Asking why historians have interpreted an event differently produces better analytical writing than retelling what happened.
- In-text citations and a properly formatted bibliography are required: The OCR moderators' report explicitly flagged lists of hyperlinks and bare URLs as inadequate; full references must be formatted so they can be read on a printed page.
- Universities do notice the EPQ: The University of Cambridge and the University of Manchester have both made supportive statements about the EPQ, printed in the OCR H857 specification.
In This Article
- What makes a good history EPQ question
- Three worked examples: turning a weak topic into a focused EPQ title
- 30+ EPQ ideas for history students
- Feasibility and ethics for history EPQ projects
- How to use a history EPQ in your university application
- What to do next
1. What makes a good history EPQ question
EPQ ideas for history work best when the question is specific enough to answer in depth, goes beyond what the A-level syllabus covers, and can be researched using sources the student can actually reach within 120 guided learning hours.
That last constraint matters more than most students expect. The OCR Summer 2024 moderators' report for the Extended Project H857 is direct about what separates high-scoring projects from weak ones. Students who did well 'selected a topic which genuinely interested them', 'refined a research question which was targeted and focused', and 'narrowed and deepened research as they progressed'. Those who did less well 'selected a generic topic' and 'researched broadly and shallowly'. The same report flags a recurring structural problem: projects that are 'too limited or too large in scope' for the qualification level, and aims that fail to connect to the steps needed to reach the outcome.
The question stem you choose sets the ceiling for your analysis. Stems like 'To what extent...', 'How far does...', or 'Why do historians disagree about...' push you towards argument and evaluation. A question starting with 'What is...' or 'What happened during...' tends to produce description, which leaves little room for the analysis and evaluation the assessment objectives reward. A question about why historians disagree is often stronger than a narrative retelling, because it forces you to treat secondary sources as evidence rather than just information.
History also has a practical advantage: archives, digitised newspapers, oral history interviews and local record offices give history EPQs access to primary sources that few other subjects can match. That matters because the OCR report notes that effective primary research 'often included interviews, email exchanges with experts or visits to appropriate locations'.
One more rule applies on AQA and OCR alike: your title must be approved by your centre before you begin. OCR's specification states that 'Project titles must be approved by centres', and the AQA specification requires students to 'draft a title and aims for formal approval by the centre'. Neither board supplies the title for you.
2. Three worked examples: turning a weak topic into a focused EPQ title
The examples below were written for this guide. None are drawn from real student work or exam-board exemplars.
The method behind each transformation is the same four moves: what happened, who or which group was involved, where (place or institutional context), and compared with what (a rival account, a later period, or a point of historiographical dispute). Each move narrows the scope until the question is manageable within 120 guided learning hours, which is what the OCR moderators' report flags as a common failure point when projects are too large or too limited.
Example 1
| Stage | Version |
|---|---|
| Before | "The British Empire" |
| After | "To what extent did the 1947 partition of India reflect the priorities of British imperial administration rather than Indian political leaders?" |
The before topic could fill a library. The after title pins the event (partition, 1947), the competing actors (British administrators versus Indian leaders), and a clear evaluative test.
Example 2
| Stage | Version |
|---|---|
| Before | "Women in World War Two" |
| After | "How far did the wartime employment of women in the British munitions industry between 1940 and 1945 change attitudes to female labour in the post-war period?" |
Adding the industry, the dates, and the post-war comparison turns a descriptive survey into a causation argument.
Example 3
| Stage | Version |
|---|---|
| Before | "The Cold War" |
| After | "Why do British and American historians disagree about who bears greater responsibility for the breakdown of the Grand Alliance between 1945 and 1947?" |
This third title takes a historiographical angle, asking why accounts differ rather than narrating events. As a rule, questions about historical disagreement tend to produce sharper analysis than narrative retelling, because the student must weigh sources against each other rather than simply summarise them.
3. 30+ EPQ ideas for history students
All questions and briefs below were written for this guide. They are starting points, not finished titles. Before committing to any of them, you will need to refine the scope and get your centre's formal approval: per the OCR EPQ specification, project titles must be learner-generated and approved by the centre.
One practical note before the lists: the OCR moderators' report for Summer 2024 flags that projects sometimes fail because they are "too limited or too large in scope" for the 120 guided learning hours available. A question about why historians disagree on a specific event is usually safer than one asking you to survey an entire century.
Group 1 - British political and social history
- 'To what extent did the 1945 Labour landslide represent a permanent shift in working-class political identity?'
- 'How far did Thatcherite economic policy between 1979 and 1990 widen regional inequality in England?'
- 'Why do historians disagree about whether the Irish Home Rule crisis of 1912-1914 made the First World War more likely?'
- 'To what extent was the Beveridge Report of 1942 a product of wartime necessity rather than ideological conviction?'
Research note. Hansard, digitised newspaper archives such as the British Newspaper Archive, and published Parliamentary papers are the main sources. Interviews with political historians or local councillors could add a primary dimension.
Group 2 - Empire, decolonisation and global history
- 'How far did the British government's management of the 1943 Bengal famine reflect deliberate policy rather than administrative failure?'
- 'To what extent did the Suez Crisis of 1956 mark the effective end of British imperial power?'
- 'Why do postcolonial and traditional British historians interpret the Partition of India so differently?'
- 'How far did Caribbean migration to Britain between 1948 and 1962 challenge official conceptions of British national identity?'
Research note. Colonial Office records via The National Archives and published memoirs are central. Email exchanges with academics specialising in postcolonial history can add a primary dimension, and the OCR moderators' report cites exactly this kind of contact as an example of effective primary research.
Group 3 - War, conflict and memory
- 'To what extent has the cultural memory of the Blitz been mythologised in British public life since 1945?'
- 'How far did soldiers' letters and diaries from the Western Front challenge the official narrative of the First World War during the conflict itself?'
- 'Why do historians disagree about the strategic rationale for the Allied bombing of Dresden in February 1945?'
- 'To what extent did the Falklands War of 1982 rehabilitate the reputation of the British armed forces?'
Research note. The Imperial War Museum's online collections, digitised regimental histories, and oral history archives are accessible without specialist access. Visits to local war memorials or record offices strengthen the primary evidence base and are the kind of location visit the OCR moderators' report describes as effective primary research.
Group 4 - Women's and gender history
- 'How far did the suffragette campaign of 1910-1914 damage rather than advance the cause of women's suffrage?'
- 'To what extent did the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919 change professional opportunities for women in interwar Britain?'
- 'Why do feminist historians and liberal historians interpret the 1970 Equal Pay Act differently?'
- 'How far did representations of femininity in wartime propaganda between 1939 and 1945 reinforce rather than challenge gender norms?'
Research note. The Women's Library at the London School of Economics holds key collections. Digitised suffrage periodicals such as Votes for Women are available online and make credible primary sources that are straightforward to evaluate.
Group 5 - Economic and labour history
- 'To what extent was the General Strike of 1926 a failure of trade union strategy rather than an inevitable defeat?'
- 'How far did the decline of the British coal industry between 1945 and 1994 reflect global market forces rather than government policy?'
- 'Why do economic historians disagree about the causes of Britain's relative economic decline compared with West Germany between 1950 and 1979?'
- 'To what extent did the development of the railways between 1830 and 1870 transform patterns of internal migration in England?'
Research note. Board of Trade reports, trade union records at the Trades Union Congress library, and local newspaper archives are the core sources. The comparative Germany question suits a historiography-led approach, which tends to be more manageable than original statistical analysis at this level.
Group 6 - Local and family history using archives
- 'How did the arrival of Polish displaced persons in [named local area] between 1945 and 1951 affect local community relations, as recorded in council minutes and local newspapers?'
- 'To what extent did the enclosure movement in [named county] between 1750 and 1850 change the social structure of rural communities, as shown in tithe maps and parish records?'
- 'How far did the experience of evacuation in [named town] during the Second World War differ from the national narrative, based on local archive sources?'
Research note. Local record offices, county archives, and the 1921 Census (released 2022) are the primary sources. This group is particularly well suited to an artefact outcome, for example an annotated archive exhibition; the OCR specification lists an artefact among the project outcomes alongside a dissertation.
Group 7 - Historiography and how histories are written
- 'Why did E.P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class change how historians approach social history?'
- 'To what extent has the rise of postcolonial history since the 1980s altered interpretations of the British Empire in mainstream British historiography?'
- 'How far does the choice of sources determine the conclusions historians reach about the causes of the First World War?'
- 'Why do historians writing in different national traditions reach different conclusions about the same event, taking the fall of Singapore in 1942 as a case study?'
Research note. Published historiographical essays and review articles in journals such as History Today are central. Where a school or public library gives access to academic journal databases, this group becomes significantly more viable. It strongly suits a dissertation rather than an artefact.
Group 8 - Politics and the recent past
- 'To what extent did the 1997 General Election result reflect long-term structural changes in British society rather than short-term Conservative unpopularity?'
- 'How far did the Brexit referendum of 2016 expose a lasting divide between metropolitan and non-metropolitan England?'
- 'Why do political scientists and historians interpret the legacy of Tony Blair's government differently?'
- 'To what extent did the 2008 financial crisis change British public attitudes to state intervention in the economy, as recorded in party manifestos and published opinion polling?'
Research note. Hansard, party manifestos, published polling archives such as the British Election Study, and newspaper archives are the main sources. For questions this recent, lean on documentary evidence and published analysis rather than a survey of present-day opinion, which the OCR moderators' report found rarely added anything to project outcomes.
4. Feasibility and ethics for history EPQ projects
Most history EPQs run on published secondary sources combined with digitised primary material - and that combination is wider than it first appears. Digitised newspaper archives, parliamentary papers, and census records are accessible through public libraries and many school subscriptions. The National Archives holds an enormous range of government records online, and the Imperial War Museum has digitised collections that suit conflict and memory questions directly. Local record offices hold parish registers, estate papers, and council minutes that no other subject taps as readily.
What you can realistically reach without leaving your desk: digitised collections, university open-access repositories, and public library inter-loan schemes. With a teacher's introduction, email exchanges with academic historians are also worth pursuing. The OCR moderators' report notes that effective primary research 'often included, for example, interviews, email exchanges with experts or visits to appropriate locations' - and that where primary research proves ineffective, 'it is still possible to showcase it by analysing why it was not effective.'
Surveys are rarely the right tool for a history question. They measure present opinion, not historical evidence. The OCR moderators' report notes that there were 'instances of effective surveys in appropriate areas, but these were outweighed by the ineffective surveys'. If your question is genuinely historical, a survey almost certainly belongs in the bin at the planning stage.
Some research routes are off-limits under school supervision. Any project requiring access to patients, clients, or children raises ethical issues that a school-supervised EPQ cannot support. If your question would require confidential personal data to answer, redesign it before your supervisor approves the title - not after.
On format: a dissertation of approximately 5,000 words suits most history questions, but an artefact is a legitimate alternative under both OCR H857 and AQA 7993. An annotated archive exhibition, a documentary script, or a reconstructed local history display can all qualify, each accompanied by a supporting written piece.
One detail that catches students out on source evaluation: the OCR moderators' report is clear that submitting lists of URLs is not acceptable, because 'hyperlinks cannot be followed once the page is printed.' Evaluations must address both the usefulness of a source for your specific project and its credibility and reliability. As a practical step, the same report describes separating a reference list (sources you directly cite) from a bibliography (sources consulted but not quoted) as good practice - worth building that habit from your first research session.
5. How to use a history EPQ in your university application
The OCR H857 specification prints statements from two universities directly. The University of Manchester says students "can refer to the Extended Project in their UCAS personal statement and at interview to demonstrate some of the qualities that universities are looking for." The University of Cambridge says: "We welcome the Extended Project and would encourage applicants to undertake one as it will help to develop independent study and research skills valuable for higher education."
The WJEC EPQ student guide (2021) adds that "Increasingly, universities are including the EPQ in their UCAS offers. Very often an A/A* grade in the EPQ will lead to a lower A level grade requirement." That is WJEC's statement in their own guide, not a universal rule. Whether a specific course adjusts its offer for an EPQ depends on the department. Check the individual course page and any open-day guidance.
For history applicants, the real value is what the project demonstrates. A well-executed history EPQ shows you can find and evaluate primary and secondary sources, manage a sustained piece of independent work, and reach an argued conclusion. Those are the independent study and research skills that the university statements printed in the OCR specification describe as valuable for higher education.
Some courses ask about the EPQ at interview. Being able to explain what question you asked, what you found, and what you would do differently is a practical demonstration of the reflective thinking a history degree requires. That last part, what you would change, tends to catch applicants off guard. Think about it before the interview, not during it.
6. What to do next
Write down three questions from the ideas in this guide that you would still want to spend six months on. Not the broadest, not the most impressive-sounding: the three that make you want to go and read something tonight. That shortlist is what you bring to your supervisor at your next meeting, alongside a rough sense of what sources you could reach.
One thing worth knowing early: both AQA and OCR require formal centre approval before you commit to a title. Approval is a formal step rather than a nod in passing, which means the earlier you start narrowing, the more time you have to redirect if your first question turns out to be too large or too small for the project's 120 hours.
Take your shortlist to that meeting. Ask which question has the strongest available sources. Start there.
FAQ
Do history EPQ ideas have to be different from A-level topics?
They should extend it rather than repeat it: the AQA specification says the EPQ is designed to extend and develop beyond a student's programme of study and warns against choosing a topic central to one of their other courses, and the OCR moderators' report found that stronger projects 'narrowed and deepened research as they progressed'. Use what you have studied as a springboard into a question the syllabus does not answer.
Can I use primary sources like archives for a history EPQ?
Yes - the OCR moderators' report cites interviews, email exchanges with experts, and visits to appropriate locations as examples of effective primary research; archives, local record offices, and digitised newspaper collections are all suitable, and a history EPQ can draw on primary sources that few other subjects can match.
Does a history EPQ have to be a 5,000-word essay?
Not necessarily - both the OCR H857 specification and the AQA 7993 specification allow an artefact route (for example an annotated archive exhibition or documentary script) accompanied by a shorter supporting written piece, as an alternative to a dissertation of approximately 5,000 words.
Will universities consider my history EPQ when making offers?
The WJEC EPQ student guide states that universities are increasingly including the EPQ in offers and that an A or A* grade may lead to a lower A-level requirement; the University of Cambridge and University of Manchester have both made supportive statements about the EPQ, printed in the OCR H857 specification, but individual course requirements vary and should be checked directly.
How do I make sure my history EPQ title is approved?
The OCR H857 specification states that project titles must be learner-generated and approved by centres; AQA students must draft a title and aims for formal approval by the centre before proceeding, so the title refinement process should begin early and in dialogue with the supervisor.
References
- Cambridge OCR Extended Project H857 Moderators' report - Summer 2024 - https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/727849-moderators-report.pdf
- Cambridge OCR Level 3 Extended Project Qualification H857 Specification v2.2 (October 2026) - Assessment, PPR, marking criteria bands, overlap with other qualifications - https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/414382-specification.pdf
- AQA Level 3 Extended Project Qualification (7993) Specification v1.4 - 2.5.1 Assessment evidence and project product - https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-W-7993-SP-19.PDF