Edexcel A-Level Physical Education guide FAQ (9PE0)
Guide overview All 38 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education: questions and answers
Specification 9PE0. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
Which topics are on which component?
Component 1 is applied anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology, and biomechanics: the body systems, energy systems, diet, fitness testing, training, injury and the mechanics of motion. Component 2 is skill acquisition, sport psychology and sport and society. The full breakdown is here.
Is the practical covered?
No. Your performance in one activity and the analysis of performance are marked by your school and moderated by Pearson. They are 30 per cent between them.
What is in the guide is the theory examined on the two written components, which is 70 per cent.
How much of this is actually science?
A large part of it. Cardiac output and the conduction system, gas exchange and oxyhaemoglobin dissociation, muscle fibre types and proprioceptors, the three energy systems and their thresholds, and the mechanics of levers, motion and projectiles.
Is there maths?
Some. Cardiac output and stroke volume, body composition, heart rate zones, velocity and acceleration, moments about a fulcrum, and the interpretation of graphs and data tables.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics run from 36 to 76 questions, which is two to four sessions each.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. The papers reward named theories, labelled processes and precise definitions, and step 2 is where a vague version gets corrected. The method page sets out the evidence.
When should I start?
9PE0 is linear, so both components are sat at the end of Year 13. Work each subtopic in the week it is taught.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes. Past papers train the extended answers and the data questions. Pearson publishes them free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 2,108 exam-style questions covering the whole examined content of Edexcel A-Level Physical Education, with the answers printed after each topic.
My child is a strong athlete but the theory marks are low.
That is common. The practical and the analysis of performance are 30 per cent; the two written components are 70 per cent and test anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology and sociology that playing the sport does not teach.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. Edexcel A-Level Physical Education is 9PE0.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£8.00 for the whole specification. An endorsed A-Level PE textbook is usually £30 to £40 and covers one year.
How much time does the whole course take?
146 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 49 hours for a full first pass, spread across two years.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from Pearson, and their own notes.
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
2,108 questions with their answers, 146 subtopics, one file.