Eduqas A-Level Physical Education: complete guide to the two written components, the NEA and the five areas of study

WJEC Eduqas A-Level Physical Education is a two-year linear GCE A-level for England, assessed by two written components and one non-exam assessment. This page is the index for the theory that the two written papers test: below is a map of the components, the five areas of study, the calculation and extended-response questions, and how to revise each part.

The three components

Eduqas splits the qualification into three components. The two written papers carry 50 percent of the A-level and are the focus of this site.

• Component 1: Exploring Physical Education. Written paper, 2 hours, 35 percent. Samples all five areas of study with multiple-choice, short-answer, data-response and extended-writing questions, including the physiology and biomechanics calculations.
• Component 2: Evaluating Physical Education. Written paper, 1 hour 30 minutes, 15 percent. Draws on the same five areas of study with a stronger evaluative and synoptic focus: data response, short questions and extended writing that apply theory to performance and contemporary issues.
• Component 3: Practical Performance in Physical Education, the NEA. 50 percent. Practical performance in one activity (as performer or coach) plus an analysis and evaluation of performance that applies the five areas of study, internally assessed and externally moderated. Not graded on this site.

A calculator is allowed in the written papers, because Component 1 in particular rewards calculation and data interpretation in physiology and biomechanics.

The five areas of study

All Eduqas A-Level PE content sits in five areas of study, and any area can be sampled in either written component. We organise these into six modules on this site so that every specification statement gets a focused page.

Exercise physiology, training and performance

Diet, nutrition and ergogenic aids; the components of fitness, principles of training and training methods; periodisation and planning; energy for exercise and the energy systems that resynthesise ATP; fatigue, EPOC and recovery; injury prevention and rehabilitation; and the effects of altitude, heat and cold.

Movement analysis, technology and biomechanics

The musculoskeletal system and joint analysis, planes and axes; biomechanical principles, stability and centre of mass; linear motion (force, momentum and impulse); angular motion and projectile motion; fluid mechanics (drag, lift, the Bernoulli principle and the Magnus effect); and the use and impact of technology in analysis and officiating.

Sport psychology

Personality and attitudes; motivation and goal setting; arousal, anxiety and stress; aggression and social facilitation; and group dynamics, cohesion and leadership.

Skill acquisition

Skill, ability and the stages of learning; the classification of skills and transfer of learning; theories and methods of practice; information processing and reaction time; memory and feedback; and guidance.

Sport and society

The emergence of modern sport from popular to rational recreation; social differentiation and equal opportunities (class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability); commercialisation and the media (the golden triangle); ethics, deviance and violence; and global sport, politics and the Olympic movement.

The skills that run across the course

Content knowledge earns the recall marks, but the grades come from applying it through Eduqas's question types.

1. Calculation and use of data. Read graphs and tables and calculate values such as cardiac output ($Q = HR \times SV$), force ($F = ma$), momentum, impulse, mechanical advantage and angular momentum, mostly in Component 1.
2. Application to a named sport. Tie every system, model or theory to a real activity or performer, because Eduqas awards application (AO2) marks for the sporting context, not the textbook definition.
3. The extended-response question. Build a balanced, applied argument and finish with a reasoned judgement; these levels-of-response answers appear in both papers and can carry high mark tariffs.
4. Synoptic links. Component 2 in particular rewards connecting ideas across areas of study, for example linking a performer's training, biomechanics and psychology.
5. Command words. Describe, explain, calculate, analyse, discuss, evaluate and justify are each marked differently, so match the depth of your answer to the verb.

How to study Eduqas A-Level PE

PE rewards precise knowledge and disciplined exam technique in equal measure.

1. Learn the systems, models and definitions precisely. The energy systems, the information-processing model, attribution theory and the characteristics of pre-industrial sport are recall marks you cannot afford to drop.
2. Drill the calculations. Cardiac output, VO2, force, momentum, impulse, mechanical advantage and angular momentum all appear in Component 1, with units that carry marks.
3. Practise each command word. A 2-mark describe and a high-tariff evaluate are marked very differently, so work each against its mark scheme.
4. Rehearse the extended responses. They decide the top grades, so plan and time balanced, applied answers that reach a conclusion.
5. Always name a sport, and link across areas. Application marks come from a real activity, and the synoptic marks in Component 2 come from connecting physiology, biomechanics, psychology and society for the same performer.

The topics, dot point by dot point

Each area has an overview guide, dot-point answer pages and a quiz. Browse the full set at /a-level-eduqas/physical-education/syllabus.

For the official specification

Eduqas publishes the full specification, sample assessment materials and past papers at eduqas.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and Eduqas's own past papers, because question style and mark allocations are board-specific.