OCR EPQ (H857): Grade Boundaries, PPR and Marking

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

The OCR EPQ - formally the Cambridge OCR Level 3 Extended Project Qualification, specification code H857 - is a standalone Level 3 qualification worth up to 28 UCAS Tariff points under the new tariff. It is marked out of 60, graded A* to E, and requires 120 guided learning hours. Whether you are choosing an outcome type, building your Project Progression Record, or checking where the A* boundary sits, the rules all come from the H857 specification. This guide sets out those rules clearly, with grade boundaries confirmed from Cambridge OCR's own published documents.

Key Takeaways

In This Article

  1. What is the OCR EPQ (H857)?
  2. Outcome types and word counts
  3. The Project Progression Record (PPR) explained
  4. Assessment objectives and marking criteria
  5. OCR EPQ grade boundaries
  6. Research and referencing: what OCR moderators require
  7. What the moderators' report says distinguishes high and low scorers
  8. How the OCR EPQ compares with AQA, Pearson and WJEC
  9. The presentation requirement
  10. What to do next

1. What is the OCR EPQ (H857)?

The OCR EPQ is a standalone Level 3 qualification in which you design and complete an independent project on a subject of your choosing. Its full name is the Cambridge OCR Level 3 Extended Project Qualification (older documents say OCR); the specification code is H857, qualification number 603/2304/8. First teaching began in 2017 and the first assessments took place in 2018, replacing the earlier H856 specification.

The qualification carries 120 guided learning hours: 30 hours of taught content and 90 hours of independent work. Total Qualification Time is also 120 hours. It is graded A* to E and worth a maximum of 28 UCAS Tariff points, which is half the value of a full A-level.

The UCAS Tariff ladder for the EPQ is:

GradeUCAS Tariff points
A*28
A24
B20
C16
D12
E8

One important caveat: UCAS describes Tariff points as translating qualifications and grades into a numerical value, and notes that 'some universities, colleges, and conservatoires refer to UCAS Tariff points in their course entry requirements'. A qualification appearing on the Tariff does not guarantee a university will count it for a specific course, so check individual offer conditions carefully.

2. Outcome types and word counts

The Cambridge OCR H857 specification says the project 'can have a number of different outcomes, including' a report, a dissertation (approximately 5,000 words), an artefact, or a performance or event. That breadth is one of the more useful features of this qualification. A student could submit a written investigation, a physical object, or a live event, and each route carries the same 60-mark grid.

The 1,000-word written floor matters for non-written outcomes. If your outcome is an artefact, a performance, or an event, you must also submit a written piece of at least 1,000 words. That piece is separate from the Project Progression Record (PPR) and exists to demonstrate the analytical thinking behind the practical work.

Cambridge OCR's Guide 3: Presenting evidence lists examples of past projects that give a clear sense of the range possible in practice:

One practical point that catches students out: a bulky or fragile artefact does not need to travel with the portfolio. The summer 2024 moderators' report says bulky items 'can be evidenced through thorough photographing or videoing', and Guide 3 lists photographs or video of the final artefact among the evidence an artefact project can provide.

On title selection, your centre must approve your project title before you proceed. Importantly, the specification says the centre must not provide titles or themes/topics to you; the idea must come from you. That rule is not bureaucratic caution: the moderators' report found that candidates who did less well had 'selected a generic topic or a topic they weren't interested in', and generic topics tend to produce the shallow research it flags as a recurring weakness.

3. The Project Progression Record (PPR) explained

The PPR is defined in the Cambridge OCR H857 specification as 'a structured approach to managing their project, from initial planning to the end of project evaluation'. It is not just a form to fill in at the end. It runs alongside the entire project and must be submitted for moderation. You can download it directly from the OCR website.

The PPR is one part of a larger portfolio. According to the Cambridge OCR moderators' report for summer 2024, a complete submission must include all of the following:

Missing any of these components creates a gap that moderators will notice.

One non-obvious point: moderators explicitly say they 'want to see a curated portfolio of evidence', not an everything-included data dump. Bulky physical items, such as a constructed artefact or a costume, 'can be evidenced through thorough photographing or videoing'. Quality of documentation matters more than volume.

On aims, the moderators' report is specific: 'at least some aims should relate to the steps needed to achieve planned outcomes'. Generic aims that describe a topic rather than a process are a common weakness. Write aims that map to concrete actions in your plan, and the PPR will reflect genuine project management rather than retrospective box-ticking.

4. Assessment objectives and marking criteria

The Cambridge OCR H857 specification distributes 60 marks across four assessment objectives. Three carry equal weight; one carries double.

Assessment objectiveWhat it coversMarksBand structure
AO1 Managing a projectPlanning, organisation, decision-making121-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
AO2 Using resourcesResearch, source selection, referencing121-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
AO3 Developing and realising a projectProducing the outcome241-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24
AO4 Reviewing the projectEvaluation and reflection121-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12

AO3 accounts for 40% of total marks on its own. A student who produces a polished artefact but submits a thin evaluation will lose marks across two objectives simultaneously: AO3 and AO4.

Marking uses a 'best fit' approach. Centre teachers mark first, placing each piece of work in whichever band best describes it overall, then OCR moderates. The full band descriptors are in the specification - worth reading directly rather than relying on summaries, because the language of the descriptors is what your teacher uses when deciding which band applies.

The qualification runs across two components: H857/A/01 (Moderated Upload) and H857/B/02 (Moderated Postal), both marked out of 60. Assessment is available in the January and June series.

5. OCR EPQ grade boundaries

The OCR EPQ (H857) is marked out of a raw maximum of 60. According to the Cambridge OCR grade boundaries published on 19 March 2026, the cut-offs for the January 2026 series are:

GradeRaw mark (out of 60)
A*55
A48
B41
C35
D29
E23
U0

These boundaries apply equally to both components: H857/A/01 (Moderated Upload) and H857/B/02 (Moderated Postal). The same figures are recorded for the June 2026 series.

Cambridge OCR runs two assessment series each year: January and June. That matters practically, because boundaries are set for each series and can move. The January 2026 numbers give useful context for what to aim for, but they do not fix where future cut-offs will land.

One non-obvious point: the gap between A and A* is only 7 marks out of 60. Given that AO3 alone carries 24 of those marks, the develop-and-realise objective has more influence on whether a candidate crosses that threshold than any other single element of the OCR EPQ.

6. Research and referencing: what OCR moderators require

Source evaluations are not optional. According to the Cambridge OCR moderators' report for summer 2024, every source evaluation must address two things: the usefulness of that source for the candidate's specific project, and an assessment of the source's credibility and reliability. A brief annotation saying "this website was helpful" does not meet the requirement.

The moderators' report flags a recurring problem with referencing: many candidates submitted only lists of hyperlinks or URLs, which 'cannot be followed once the page is printed'. What moderators want to see is in-text citations throughout the written work, paired with a properly formatted bibliography.

One formatting detail that the report singles out as good practice: separating a reference list (sources directly quoted or cited in the text) from a bibliography (wider reading consulted but not directly quoted). This distinction signals awareness of academic convention and is worth building into your approach from the start.

On primary research, the summer 2024 moderators' report is clear: 'Primary research is encouraged, but it is not compulsory, and should always contribute to project outcomes.' The report notes effective examples: interviews, email exchanges with experts, and visits to appropriate locations. These work because they directly feed the project outcome rather than sitting alongside it.

Two points that catch candidates out:

7. What the moderators' report says distinguishes high and low scorers

The Cambridge OCR summer 2024 moderators' report draws a clear line between candidates who scored well and those who did not. The differences are not about raw intelligence or access to unusual resources. They are almost entirely about process decisions made early in the project.

High scorers shared several habits, according to the Cambridge OCR summer 2024 moderators' report:

Lower scorers tended to do the opposite:

One specific warning from the report is worth noting: projects were sometimes too limited or too large in scope for 120 guided learning hours. Getting the scale right from the start matters. Similarly, the report flags that surveys should only be conducted where they can meaningfully add to the outcome. A survey included to pad a thin methodology is unlikely to impress a moderator.

The counterintuitive point here is that changing your plan is rewarded, not penalised. A Project Progression Record (PPR) that documents a well-reasoned pivot tells moderators you understood your project well enough to recognise when something was not working.

8. How the OCR EPQ compares with AQA, Pearson and WJEC

Every EPQ board uses the same UCAS Tariff ladder (A* 28, A 24, B 20, C 16, D 12, E 8), the same A*-E grading scale and the same four assessment objectives, and the qualification is the same size (120 guided learning hours) wherever you sit it. What differs is the mark total - Cambridge OCR 60, AQA 50, Pearson 54, WJEC 100 - along with the paperwork, the marking grid structure, and the vocabulary each board uses.

BoardCore process documentKey vocabulary quirk
Cambridge OCR (H857)Project Progression Record (PPR)Four bands per objective; 1,000-word minimum written piece for non-written outcomes
AQA (7993)Production Log and Assessment RecordAO2 defined as 'Research, critically select, organise and use information, and select and use a range of resources'
Pearson/EdexcelActivity log and project proposal formProposal form submitted at the outset
WJECCandidate Production Record and Candidate Assessment RecordTwo named records rather than one

The one structural detail that sets the ocr epq apart is its marking grid. The Cambridge OCR H857 specification divides each assessment objective into four bands, with AO3 worth 24 marks against 12 marks each for AO1, AO2 and AO4. The 20/20/40/20 weighting is the same as AQA's and WJEC's; what is OCR's own is the 60-mark total and the four bands per objective.

The practical consequence: always download forms from your own board's website. A PPR submitted on an AQA Production Log template, or vice versa, is the wrong document for moderation, and the forms are similar enough to cause genuine confusion.

9. The presentation requirement

A presentation is required at the end of every OCR EPQ, regardless of whether the final outcome is a dissertation, report, artefact, or performance. This is not optional for certain outcome types: the Cambridge OCR H857 specification says learners 'are required to produce a presentation at the end of their project', and the summer 2024 moderators' report lists the presentation, with the PPR, diary and outcome, among the things a portfolio must include.

The less obvious point is that evidence the presentation took place must also be in the portfolio submitted for moderation. The portfolio without that evidence is considered incomplete. A moderator reviewing your submission needs to see that the presentation happened, not just that you planned one.

Practically, OCR's Guide 3 says that for a slide talk the slides, handouts and speaker's notes should be printed and submitted in the evidence folder, and that the assessor may video or record the presentation or use witness statements from the audience. Check with your centre what format they use before your submission deadline, since they set their own internal timelines.

10. What to do next

AO3 is the objective to understand first. It carries 24 of the 60 marks, double the weight of each other objective, so its four bands are worth reading closely before you start.

This week, download the H857 specification (version 2.2, October 2026) from the Cambridge OCR website and read the AO3 marking criteria bands in full. Check where your current project evidence would sit: band 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, or 19-24. If you cannot place yourself clearly in a band, that gap is worth fixing now, not in the final week before your centre's submission deadline.

Read the AO3 descriptors alongside your Project Progression Record. Note where your diary entries and source evaluations support the criteria, and where they do not. Then act on what you find.

FAQ

What is the OCR EPQ marked out of?

The OCR EPQ (H857) is marked out of 60 raw marks, with AO3 carrying 24 of those marks and AO1, AO2, and AO4 carrying 12 marks each.

What are the OCR EPQ grade boundaries?

Per Cambridge OCR's January 2026 published boundaries: A* 55, A 48, B 41, C 35, D 29, E 23, U 0, out of a maximum of 60 - the same for both the Moderated Upload (01) and Moderated Postal (02) components.

How does the OCR EPQ work?

Students choose a topic, have their project title approved by their centre, complete 120 guided learning hours, build a Project Progression Record, produce one of four outcome types, and give a final presentation - the work is centre-marked and moderated by Cambridge OCR.

Is the OCR EPQ worth it for university applications?

The EPQ carries up to 28 UCAS Tariff points and demonstrates independent research skills, but UCAS notes that not every university course counts EPQ points in its offer conditions, so check individual course requirements.

Where is the OCR EPQ submitted?

The portfolio is submitted to Cambridge OCR for moderation either via moderated upload (component 01) or moderated postal submission (component 02), depending on the route your centre uses.

What must be included in the OCR EPQ portfolio?

According to Cambridge OCR moderators, the portfolio must include a URS, a PPR, a diary, the outcome, a written piece if the outcome is an artefact or event, a presentation, and evidence that the presentation took place.

References