GCSE Physical Education specification
GCSE Physical Education combines the scientific and socio-cultural theory that underpins sporting performance with assessed practical performance in physical activities. Students learn how the body works and adapts to exercise, how to train and stay healthy, the psychology of performance and the social factors shaping participation, while demonstrating and analysing their own performance as athletes.
Untiered and linear. Roughly a 60/40 split between written theory and non-exam assessment (NEA) at most boards. Theory is examined by two written papers (each typically 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, ~60-78 marks, ~30% of the GCSE each), covering anatomy and physiology, movement analysis, physical training, sport psychology, socio-cultural influences and health/fitness/well-being. The NEA (~40%) is internally assessed and externally moderated: practical performance in THREE physical activities from the DfE-approved activity list (one team, one individual, one free choice, captured on film) plus a written analysis-and-evaluation/personal-exercise-programme coursework task. Eduqas/WJEC is the main outlier, using just two components (one written exam ~50% plus a single NEA component ~50%, where the NEA includes a Personal Fitness Programme write-up alongside the practical performances).
High-level topics
The main areas of content and what a student is expected to know and do.
Structure and function of the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, plus the short- and long-term effects of exercise and the use of energy/aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
Lever systems, planes and axes of movement, and the mechanical principles applied to analysing and improving sporting actions.
Components of fitness, fitness testing, principles of training and overload, training methods, prevention of injury, and the design of training/personal exercise programmes.
Classification of skills, goal setting (SMART), information processing, guidance and feedback, mental preparation, arousal, aggression, personality and motivation in sport.
Engagement patterns of social groups, commercialisation of sport, the media and sponsorship, ethics in sport (sportsmanship, deviance, drugs and violence).
Physical, emotional and social health and well-being; the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle; diet, nutrition and the relationship between fitness, health and a balanced lifestyle.
Collecting, presenting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data from fitness tests and performance, and drawing conclusions to inform training.
Assessed performance in three activities from the DfE/board approved activity list (one team, one individual and one free choice), demonstrating core and advanced skills in isolation and in a fully competitive/formal situation, captured on filmed evidence.
Written coursework analysing and evaluating performance to identify strengths and weaknesses and produce an action/training plan for improvement; at Eduqas/WJEC this takes the form of a Personal Fitness Programme write-up.
Exam boards
The awarding bodies that offer this qualification, how their papers are structured, and what's distinctive about each - with links to the official specification.
AQA GCSE Physical Education
Papers & assessment
2 written papers, each 1h15 and 78 marks, 30% each (Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport; Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport) = 60% theory. NEA 40%: practical performance in 3 activities (one team, one individual, one free choice) plus a written analysis-and-evaluation task. Untiered, linear. A spec update applies to exams from summer 2027.
What's distinctive
Clean even split - two equally weighted written papers at 30% each. NEA explicitly split into a practical-performance strand and a separate analysis-and-evaluation strand.
Past papers & mark schemes
Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Physical Education
Papers & assessment
2 written components: Component 1 Fitness and Body Systems (1PE0/01) and Component 2 Health and Performance (1PE0/02), together ~60% theory. Component 3 Practical Performance (1PE0/03) is the NEA - 3 activities each marked out of 35 (105 total), one team, one individual and one free choice. A Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) is assessed within Component 1. Untiered, linear; first taught 2016, first certification 2018.
What's distinctive
Organises content into 'Fitness and Body Systems' and 'Health and Performance' components, and assesses the Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) inside the written theory rather than as a standalone NEA write-up.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education
Papers & assessment
2 written papers, each 1 hour and 60 marks, 30% each (J587/01 Physical factors affecting performance; J587/02 Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology) = 60% theory. NEA 40%: Performance in physical education across 3 activities (30%) plus an Analysing and Evaluating Performance (AEP) task (10%). Untiered, linear.
What's distinctive
Theory is grouped as 'Physical factors affecting performance' and 'Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology'. NEA weighting is 30% practical + 10% AEP, so the written analysis component is lighter than AQA's.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
WJEC Eduqas GCSE in Physical Education (England)
Papers & assessment
Streamlined 2-component model. Component 1: written examination (~50%) covering the theory of physical education. Component 2: NEA (~50%) comprising practical performance in 3 activities plus a Personal Fitness Programme analysis. Untiered, linear. Available in England; a Short Course version also exists.
What's distinctive
Only two components and a single written exam rather than two theory papers; the NEA carries roughly half the marks and bundles a Personal Fitness Programme task with the practical performances.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
WJEC GCSE in Physical Education (Wales)
Papers & assessment
Two-component model mirroring Eduqas: a written examination component plus an NEA practical/performance component (~50/50). Untiered, linear. The Wales-approved version is being succeeded by 'GCSE Physical Education and Health' for teaching from 2026 (first award 2028).
What's distinctive
Wales-only variant of the Eduqas model; the legacy 2016 spec is being replaced in Wales by GCSE Physical Education and Health (teaching from 2026), so cohorts in Wales are transitioning to the new title.
Specification
Past papers & mark schemes
All boards are untiered and linear and share the same broad content (anatomy and physiology, movement analysis, physical training, sport psychology, socio-cultural influences and health/fitness/well-being) plus an NEA of practical performance in three activities (one team, one individual, one free choice from the DfE-approved list) and a piece of analytical coursework. The headline difference is the assessment shape. AQA (8582), Edexcel (1PE0) and OCR (J587) all use TWO written papers totalling ~60% theory with the NEA at ~40%; AQA's papers are 78 marks/1h15 and 30% each, OCR's are 60 marks/1 hour and 30% each, and Edexcel splits theory into 'Fitness and Body Systems' and 'Health and Performance'. The NEA written task differs: AQA gives the analysis-and-evaluation a full strand, OCR weights its Analysing and Evaluating Performance (AEP) at just 10% (practical 30%), and Edexcel folds the Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) into Component 1 theory rather than the NEA. Eduqas/WJEC is the structural outlier: a single written exam (~50%) plus one NEA component (~50%) that bundles a Personal Fitness Programme write-up with the practical performances. In Wales, the legacy WJEC GCSE PE is being replaced by 'GCSE Physical Education and Health' for first teaching 2026. Across all boards practical activities are limited to the DfE-approved list and require filmed evidence for moderation.
Original sources
Straight from the awarding bodies - the specifications these summaries are drawn from.
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