How do you analyse a performance, identify a weakness and justify a plan to improve it?
The Analysis and Evaluation of Performance (AEP): analysing a performance to identify strengths and weaknesses, prioritising one weakness, and producing a justified action plan to improve it that draws on the theory content.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE on the Analysis and Evaluation of Performance (AEP): how to analyse a performance to find strengths and weaknesses, prioritise one weakness, and produce a justified action plan that uses the theory (components of fitness, training methods, skill acquisition), and how the task is marked under controlled conditions.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to analyse a performance to identify strengths and weaknesses, prioritise one weakness, and produce a justified action plan to improve it that draws on the theory content, under controlled conditions.
What the AEP is
Analysing the performance
The first part is analysis: watching a performance (live or on video) and identifying strengths and weaknesses. A strength is a skill or component of fitness the performer does well; a weakness is one that lets the performance down. The analysis should use correct terminology (naming the skill or the component of fitness) and be supported by evidence from the performance, for example "the player's first touch is strong, controlling most passes cleanly", or "cardiovascular endurance is weak, with the player slowing noticeably in the final quarter".
Prioritising a weakness
Producing a justified action plan
Why the AEP matters
The AEP is where the whole course comes together: it draws on the components of fitness, fitness testing, the methods and principles of training, and skill acquisition (guidance and feedback) to improve a real performance. It mirrors what a coach does, and it rewards the ability to apply theory, justify decisions and use correct terminology, which is exactly what the written papers also reward.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20198 marksFor a chosen activity, analyse a performance to identify one strength and one weakness, and justify why the weakness should be prioritised for improvement.Show worked answer →
An AEP-style task. Mark for a clear analysis, a justified priority weakness, and use of correct terminology.
Analysis: describe a strength (a skill or component the performer does well, with evidence, for example "accurate passing, completing most passes in a game") and a weakness (a skill or component that lets the performance down, for example "poor cardiovascular endurance, fading in the last quarter").
Justify the priority: explain why the chosen weakness matters most for this activity, for example that fading late costs goals and undermines every other skill, so improving it has the biggest effect on overall performance.
A strong answer uses correct terms (naming the component of fitness or the skill), supports the analysis with evidence from the performance, and gives a clear reason for the priority.
OCR 20218 marksProduce a justified action plan to improve a prioritised weakness in a chosen activity, explaining the training methods and how you would monitor progress.Show worked answer →
An AEP-style action-plan task. Mark for a relevant, justified plan that draws on the theory.
The plan should select appropriate training methods for the weakness (for example continuous and interval training to improve cardiovascular endurance), apply the principles of training (specificity, progressive overload), and be specific to the activity.
It should explain how to monitor progress, for example re-testing with the multi-stage fitness test against normative data, and justify each choice (why interval training suits a games player, why progressive overload is needed).
A top answer links the method to the weakness, applies FITT and the principles of training, includes fitness testing to monitor progress, and justifies the choices, showing the theory applied to a real performance.
Related dot points
- The structure of the non-exam assessment (three activities including at least one team and one individual), how practical performance is assessed under competitive or formal conditions, the approved activity lists, and how skills, techniques and decision making are marked.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE practical performance: the structure of the non-exam assessment (three activities, at least one team and one individual), assessment under fully competitive or formal conditions, the approved activity lists, the marking of skills and decision making, and how the practical marks fit the qualification.
- The components of physical fitness (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, speed, power, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time), their definitions, and their importance to performance in different sports.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE Component 01 on the components of fitness: the definitions of cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, speed, power, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time, and how each is important to performance in named sports.
- The methods of training (continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and high-intensity interval training), how each is carried out, the components of fitness they develop, and their advantages and disadvantages for different performers.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE Component 01 on the methods of training: continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and high-intensity interval training, how each is carried out, the components of fitness they develop, and the advantages and disadvantages of each for different performers.
- The reasons for fitness testing, the recognised tests for each component of fitness, how to carry them out, and how to interpret the data against normative tables, including the limitations of testing.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE Component 01 on fitness testing: why we test, the recognised test for each component of fitness (Cooper run, multi-stage fitness test, sit and reach, Illinois agility, vertical jump, grip dynamometer and others), how to interpret results against normative data, and the limitations of testing.
- The types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual and mechanical), the types of feedback (intrinsic and extrinsic, knowledge of results and knowledge of performance, positive and negative), and how each suits beginners and elite performers.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE PE Component 02 on guidance and feedback: the four types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual, mechanical), the types of feedback (intrinsic and extrinsic, knowledge of results and performance, positive and negative), and which suit beginners and elite performers.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education J587 specification — OCR (2016)