The Exam
• 40% of your grade
• Marked out of 80
• Every 2 marks are 1% of your overall GCSE PE grade
• Lets get as many as possible and not drop silly marks!!!
Difference between success and failure
• The less successful candidates:
• Did not appear to have the same breadth of knowledge of
the specification topics
• Experienced difficulty when providing specific examples
when required
• Essay responses were often difficult to interpret due to
standard of written communication
Tips for the exam
• Read the questions carefully
• Look for ‘clues’ in the questions as a guide to where to pitch
their responses
• Give obvious examples (do not try to be too clever!)
• If the question asks for two examples and gives two spaces to
record them use both spaces, do not put both answers in the
first space; do not leave a blank
• Use the bullet points in the essay questions as a guide and
make sure you comment on
every bullet point in the order they are given
• Try to keep within the space allocated for your responses,
there should be enough room!
Exam command words
• Identify- just state
• Describe- say how
• Explain- say because
Be clear and to the point
Don’t get confused- know your definitions
Age was a popular incorrect response. This
candidate states
age but in reality really means height. If height had
been stated
rather than age, a mark would have been gained
Where are the errors?
Learn the Definitions!
You will need them in
every question
Use the correct terms
Where candidates give two
'conflicting' answers, the first
answer recorded in the correct
part of the answer booklet
becomes the 'marked' answer.
This 'rule' is applied to ensure
consistency of marking for all
candidates.
Correct
Only Graph you
ever have to draw
Join the dots!!
Describe don’t just state
This is a good example of where a candidate
could easily have gained credit if only they had
explained their response a little more. The first
point 'variety' was not credited as it could have
been in reference to training methods,
activities, intensity and so on and thus was
considered too vague.
Always look for clues- here it asks for
‘influences on personal health’ and not
fitness
Being too vague
Question asks for specifi c
type of injury, this
candidate refers to ‘head
injury’ which is too vague for
the purposes of this
question, therefore candidate
only gains one mark for first
response
This response was too vague and therefore failed
to gain the mark (0/0).
Candidates had a wide range of responses they
could have used, for example, any fitness
adaptation as a result of regular training; any
improvement in one of the components of fitness
or any long term health gain
Repetition
• If the question asks for two points, they have to be
different
2/3 why?
This candidate scored two
marks for this question. They
failed to
achieve maximum marks as
they repeated a ‘type’ of
answer. I.e.
‘studs down in tackle’ and
‘elbows down’ are both rules.
Be specific to health risks
• Technically is true, it is not accepted as an answer
Use the correct terminology!
Even simple slip may cost a mark
• Always use the correct terminology to link to the questions
Oxygen Debt always an issue
This response gained no credit (0/3). The candidate
appears to have a vague notion regarding the
concept but insufficient detail is given. They
appreciate that red blood cells carry oxygen and that
lactic acid will accumulate if insufficient oxygen but
the question asks for an explanation of the term not
what causes it to occur.
Candidate is focusing on when
oxygen debt would be paid back
rather than when it would be
experienced in the performer's
activity. No credit for any of these
responses.
Using examples from the information
Look at the next two slides in relation to
the following question.
• Eshan is inspired by performers in the run up to the
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is
determined to improve his performance. He decides to set
SMART targets as a first step to achieving his long-term
goal.
Discuss the use of target setting to improve performance.
You must make reference to examples in your answer. (6)
Extended Questions
This candidate clearly knows most of the aspects of the principles
of SMART target setting and identifies four clearly. The question however
asks for a discussion of the use of target setting, rather than a description
or outline of the SMART principles. Therefore whilst indicating some
knowledge, this is a good example of a level 1
response in relation to this question.
Extended Questions
This is an extract from a level 3 response. The
candidate develops their arguments in line with
the demands of the question, (discuss the use
of target setting), and does so in a succinct
manner.
The response is balanced, discussing SMART
principles, providing examples and discussing
how these principles can improve performance.
For example, in the second line the candidate
explains that SMART targets are required; by
knowing when you have reached your target
this will help planning the next and provide a
reward (motivation) for achieving.