How to Write About Your EPQ in a Personal Statement

By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 24 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026

Your EPQ personal statement paragraph is one of the few places in a UCAS application where you can show, not just tell, that you can work independently at university level. The University of Cambridge states it 'welcome[s] 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', and 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' - both statements appear in the OCR H857 specification. The UCAS personal statement is now three questions sharing a 4,000-character limit, and the EPQ fits most naturally into the question about how your qualifications and studies have prepared you for the course - check the UCAS personal statement page for the current wording. This guide shows you exactly what to write, how much space to give it, and what to do when the project is not yet finished.

Key Takeaways

In This Article

  1. Why the EPQ belongs in your personal statement
  2. Where the EPQ fits in the new UCAS personal statement format
  3. How to write about your EPQ: the four-part structure
  4. Writing your EPQ paragraph when the project is still in progress
  5. Common mistakes when mentioning your EPQ in a personal statement
  6. Using your EPQ at interview
  7. What to do next

1. Why the EPQ belongs in your personal statement

The EPQ personal statement paragraph is one of the few places in a UCAS application where you can show, rather than just claim, that you can work like an undergraduate. Most sixth-form qualifications test what you know; the Extended Project Qualification is one of the few that requires you to set your own research question, manage a sustained independent investigation, and produce original analytical writing. That combination is directly relevant to what universities are actually selecting for.

Two universities say as much in print. The University of Cambridge states: "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 University of Manchester describes the skills the EPQ develops as "directly relevant to and useful for" university-level study and 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." Both statements appear in the OCR H857 EPQ specification v2.1.

The practical stakes can also be significant. The WJEC EPQ Student Guide states that "increasingly, universities are including the EPQ in their UCAS offers" and that "very often an A/A* grade in the EPQ will lead to a lower A Level grade requirement." WJEC presents this as their own observation, not a universal rule, and offer-reduction conditions vary by institution.

The takeaway: mentioning your EPQ in a personal statement is not padding. It is among the most direct evidence of independent research a sixth-former can offer, and two named universities say so in print.

2. Where the EPQ fits in the new UCAS personal statement format

The UCAS personal statement is no longer a single essay. It is three separate questions sharing a total of 4,000 characters including spaces. The exact wording of each question, and any minimum length UCAS sets for each answer, can change, so check the UCAS personal statement page directly before you start drafting.

The EPQ belongs in Question 2, which UCAS words as 'How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?' (Question 1 is 'Why do you want to study this course or subject?' and Question 3 'What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?'). Each answer has a minimum of 350 characters within the 4,000-character total, and UCAS says there is 'no wrong place to include information in your answers'. The EPQ is a formally assessed, graded qualification, not a hobby or a club, so it sits more naturally there than in the question about what you have done outside education. Wherever you place it, make clear that it is a graded qualification.

The non-obvious trade-off: the 4,000 characters are shared across the three answers, so space given to the EPQ is space taken from everything else. The qualifications-and-studies answer still has to cover your A-levels and any other relevant course content. A focused EPQ paragraph of roughly one-third of that answer is a reasonable starting point - somewhere in the region of 400-500 characters if the three answers are of similar length. Adjust up if the EPQ is directly aligned with your course; adjust down if your A-level choices need more space.

One practical point on grades: the EPQ grade and its UCAS Tariff points go in the qualifications section of your application, not in the statement body. Per the UCAS Tariff page, Tariff points translate grades into a numerical value, with the EPQ carrying A* = 28, A = 24, B = 20, C = 16, D = 12, E = 8. The same source notes that not every course counts Tariff points, so do not write your statement as though the points alone make the case. The statement is where you explain the thinking behind the project, not where you repeat a number that already sits in your qualifications table.

3. How to write about your EPQ: the four-part structure

A strong EPQ paragraph covers four things in order: the research question, the method or project type, one key finding or argument, and what the project revealed about the subject you are applying for. Miss any of those and the paragraph becomes a vague nod to the qualification rather than evidence of independent thinking.

The four elements

  1. The research question. Name it precisely. "My EPQ asked whether the UK's Net Zero strategy adequately accounts for land-use change" is useful. "I did an EPQ on climate policy" is not. The question is the anchor for everything else.
  2. Method and project type. Specify whether you produced a dissertation, an artefact, or another permitted outcome. Name the main sources or approaches: primary data, archival material, a build process. The OCR EPQ specification permits dissertations, reports, artefacts, and performances, so naming yours immediately signals scope to an admissions reader.
  3. One key finding or argument. One, not five. Choose the finding that most directly connects to your chosen course.
  4. What the project taught you. This is the link universities want, and it is also what your board's final assessment objective marks: AQA's AO4 asks you to evaluate 'outcomes in relation to stated objectives and own learning and performance' (AQA 7993 specification), so the evaluation you wrote for the project is raw material here. Not "it developed my skills" but "it showed me that economic modelling without ecological data produces flawed outputs, which is why I want to study Environmental Science."

The difficulty that changes the paragraph

Include one moment where your approach shifted: a source you had to abandon, a methodology decision you reversed, a scope you narrowed. This is not a weakness. It is the kind of evidence of independent judgement that the University of Manchester has in mind when it says students can refer to the EPQ in their UCAS personal statement "to demonstrate some of the qualities that universities are looking for", as printed in the OCR specification. Intellectual honesty about a changed direction is more convincing than a project that went perfectly.

Weak extract (written for this guide)

> "I completed an Extended Project Qualification, which I really enjoyed. It was on a topic related to my course and helped me to develop research and writing skills. It taught me a lot about how to work independently and manage my time. I am proud of the work I produced and feel it has prepared me well for university study."

This names no question, no finding, no method, and no course link. It could describe any EPQ on any topic.

Strong extract (written for this guide)

> "My EPQ dissertation asked whether antibiotic resistance in UK livestock farming is primarily a regulatory failure or a market one. I had initially planned to rely on government reports, but found the data too aggregated to be useful, so I shifted to peer-reviewed microbiology journals and a parliamentary select committee transcript. My conclusion, that market incentives outweigh regulatory gaps, challenged my starting assumption and pushed me towards the policy dimension of Biomedical Science."

Specific question. Named method change. One clear finding. Direct course link. Under 80 words.

4. Writing your EPQ paragraph when the project is still in progress

Most students send their UCAS application while their EPQ is still in progress. This is normal, and it is not a problem. The paragraph you write does not need finished results.

Write about three things instead:

One counter-intuitive point: a genuinely uncertain anticipated conclusion can read more credibly than a confident one, because it signals that you are following the evidence rather than confirming a predetermined view.

On grades and Tariff points: keep any predicted EPQ grade in the qualifications section of your UCAS application, not inside your statement. The EPQ carries UCAS Tariff points (A* 28, A 24, B 20, C 16, D 12, E 8), roughly half an A-level across all boards. Per UCAS, these points "translate your qualifications and grades into a numerical value," but "some universities, colleges, and conservatoires refer to UCAS Tariff points in their course entry requirements" - not every course counts them, so do not assume the points alone will strengthen an offer.

5. Common mistakes when mentioning your EPQ in a personal statement

The errors below tend to cluster. Fixing one often reveals another.

Listing the EPQ as a bare credential. Writing "I completed an EPQ on climate change" tells an admissions reader almost nothing. Name the research question and one thing you found. The difference between a credential and evidence is specificity.

Overstating your findings. An EPQ is a sixth-former's independent project, not a peer-reviewed study. Phrases like "my research proved that..." overreach. "My research suggested..." or "my analysis pointed towards..." reflects what the project can actually support.

Pasting in the abstract. If your report has an abstract, it is a formal summary written for your supervisor and the moderator. Admissions readers want your reflective voice: what surprised you, what you changed, what it opened up for you. The abstract answers none of those questions.

Inventing or inflating a project that has barely begun. If you have only chosen a title, write about the question and your planned method, nothing more. Claiming interim findings you do not yet have is a risk: an interviewer can expose it with a single question.

Naming a specific university. The same statement goes to every institution you apply to through UCAS. Phrases like "which is why I am particularly drawn to your department" can read as addressed to a university that was never your first choice.

Letting the EPQ crowd out subject motivation. A well-placed paragraph on your project is an asset. Two paragraphs are hard to justify within the 4,000-character total, given that subject motivation and wider preparation also need space.

6. Using your EPQ at interview

Anything you name in your personal statement is fair game for an interviewer. That cuts both ways: a well-chosen EPQ gives you a topic you genuinely know, where you can speak with authority. A vaguely described one hands the interviewer a question you are not ready for.

Prepare three specific answers before any interview where the EPQ came up in your statement:

Keep every answer anchored to what the project found. Speculating beyond your evidence under interview pressure tends to unravel quickly, and interviewers notice.

7. What to do next

Your EPQ paragraph doesn't need to be finished before it's useful. The research question is the anchor, and you can write that sentence now, even if the project is still running.

This week, open the qualifications-and-studies answer in your UCAS draft and write one sentence that names your EPQ research question. Something direct: "My EPQ asks whether..." That single sentence is the foundation everything else builds on. The method, the finding, the link to your course, the reflection for interview: all of it attaches to that question. Without it, you have a list entry. With it, you have a paragraph.

Check that answer in your current draft. If your EPQ appears there only as a title with no question and no reflection, rewrite that part before anything else.

FAQ

Can you talk about your EPQ in your personal statement?

Yes - the University of Manchester says students 'can refer to the Extended Project in their UCAS personal statement and at interview', and the University of Cambridge states the EPQ 'will help to develop independent study and research skills valuable for higher education'; both statements are quoted in the OCR H857 specification.

Where in the UCAS personal statement should I put my EPQ?

In UCAS's current three-question format, the EPQ belongs in the question about how your qualifications and studies have prepared you (Question 2: 'How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?') - it is a formally graded qualification, not an extracurricular activity.

What should I say about my EPQ in my personal statement?

Name the specific research question, briefly describe your method or approach, state one key finding or argument, and explain what the project taught you about the subject you are applying to study.

What if my EPQ is not finished when I submit my application?

Write about the research question, the method so far, and what you expect to find; do not invent conclusions, and put any predicted grade in the qualifications section rather than the statement text.

How many UCAS Tariff points is the EPQ worth?

The EPQ carries A* 28, A 24, B 20, C 16, D 12, E 8 UCAS Tariff points - the same ladder across all awarding bodies - equivalent to roughly half an A-level, though not every course counts Tariff points.

How long should the EPQ section of my personal statement be?

A focused paragraph within the qualifications-and-studies answer is enough; the EPQ should not dominate the statement, so aim for a proportionate share of that answer rather than stretching across several answers.

References