Fitness Testing | Edexcel A-Level Physical Education (9PE0)
Fitness Testing
- 59 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 1: scientific principles of physical education
- Component 1
Fitness Testing is examined in Component 1, Scientific principles of physical education.
It covers gas analysis and aerobic field tests, lactate and functional threshold testing, anaerobic capacity and power tests and strength, agility and sprint tests.
Sample questions from Fitness Testing
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Gas analysis and aerobic field tests
How does the yo-yo intermittent recovery test differ from the multi-stage fitness test?
Show the answer
The yo-yo test adds a 10-second active recovery after each pair of 20 m shuttles. The test therefore mimics the stop-start demands of team games. -
Gas analysis and aerobic field tests
A performer completes the full 300 seconds of the Harvard step test, and the three recovery pulse counts total 180. What is the fitness index?
Show the answer
The fitness index is about 83. Fitness index = (100 × 300) ÷ (2 × 180) = 83.3. -
Lactate and functional threshold testing
What does a rightward shift of a runner's lactate curve after training show?
Show the answer
Blood lactate is lower at every speed, so the threshold now occurs at a faster pace. The runner can sustain a higher intensity before fatigue. -
Lactate and functional threshold testing
A cyclist averages 280 W in a 20-minute all-out test. Estimate the cyclist's FTP.
Show the answer
The estimated FTP is 266 W. FTP = 280 W × 0.95 = 266 W. -
Anaerobic capacity and power tests
How is MAOD measured?
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Submaximal tests first establish the oxygen cost at several intensities. The performer then works to exhaustion at a supramaximal intensity. MAOD is the predicted oxygen demand minus the oxygen actually consumed. -
Anaerobic capacity and power tests
Evaluate the Cunningham and Faulkner test.
Show the answer
The test is simple to score and uses running, so it suits runners and games players. A treadmill is needed, and a fall on the steep, fast belt is a safety risk. -
Strength, agility and sprint tests
What is a limitation of pre-planned agility tests such as the Illinois run?
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A pre-planned course measures change-of-direction speed rather than reactive agility. Games demand responses to unpredictable opponents and ball movement. -
Strength, agility and sprint tests
What determines performance in intermittent activities such as football?
Show the answer
Repeated sprint ability, agility and a strong aerobic base determine intermittent performance. A high VO₂ max speeds phosphocreatine recovery between sprints.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Gas analysis and aerobic field tests | Gas analysis and the signs of a true VO₂ max, the multi-stage fitness test, the yo-yo intermittent recovery test, the Cooper 12-minute run and the Harvard step test with worked scores, maximal and submaximal tests, and validity and reliability. | 15 |
| Lactate and functional threshold testing | The lactate and anaerobic thresholds, the maximal lactate steady state, lactate threshold testing and a rightward shift, functional threshold power and pace with a worked FTP, and the three determinants of endurance running. | 15 |
| Anaerobic capacity and power tests | The Wingate test and its fatigue index, MAOD, the running-based anaerobic sprint test with a worked power, the Cunningham and Faulkner test, the vertical jump and the Margaria-Kalamen power test. | 15 |
| Strength, agility and sprint tests | The one repetition maximum and handgrip dynamometer, the Illinois agility run and T-test, timing sprints, standing and flying 30 m sprints, stride length and frequency, interpreting and presenting scores, and a worked 1RM improvement. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,108 questions with their answers.