What does the practical performance component assess, and how is it marked?
The practical performance component: performing in two physical activities with significantly different demands, assessed on the demonstration of skills, decision-making and overall effectiveness under competitive or challenging conditions, internally marked and externally verified.
An SQA Higher Physical Education overview of the practical performance component, covering performance in two contrasting activities, what is assessed (skills, decision-making and overall effectiveness under pressure), and how it is internally marked and externally verified.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to understand the practical performance component: what you perform, what is assessed, and how it is marked and quality assured. This is an overview of the practical half of the course assessment, which sits alongside the question paper. The detailed development of the skills and factors behind a strong performance is covered in the factor modules and the development-process module.
The answer
What is performed
What is assessed
How it is marked and verified
How it links to the rest of the course
Examples in context
A candidate might perform in badminton singles and gymnastics. In badminton the assessor looks for a broad range of strokes performed reliably, sound decision-making about shot selection, tactics that move the opponent around the court, and effectiveness across competitive rallies. In gymnastics the assessor looks for a routine of contrasting skills performed with control and fluency, a sound composition that links elements and meets the criteria, and effectiveness under the pressure of a single judged attempt. The two activities deliberately test different demands, racket-sport reaction and tactics versus the strength, flexibility and composition of gymnastics, so the candidate demonstrates breadth. The centre marks both against the SQA criteria and the SQA verifies a sample, ensuring the mark means the same across the country. This is why the four factors and the development process matter: they are the means by which a candidate improves the very performance that is assessed here.
Try this
Q1. How many activities must a candidate perform in, and how should they differ? [2 marks]
- Cue. Two activities with significantly different demands, for example a games activity and a performance activity.
Q2. Describe how the practical performance is marked and quality assured. [2 marks]
- Cue. Marked internally by the centre against SQA criteria, then externally verified by the SQA to confirm the national standard.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher (course assessment)6 marksExplain what is assessed in the practical performance component and why two contrasting activities are required.Show worked answer →
A -mark explain-style answer about the structure of the performance component.
The performance is assessed on the demonstration of a broad range of skills, sound decision-making, the use of tactics or composition, and overall effectiveness under competitive or challenging conditions, in two physical activities with significantly different demands.
Two contrasting activities are required so that a performer demonstrates a breadth of skills and qualities rather than relying on a single specialism: a games activity and a performance activity such as gymnastics, for example, test different movement and decision-making demands. Marks come from explaining both what is assessed and the reason for the breadth.
SQA Higher (course assessment)4 marksDescribe how the practical performance component is marked and quality assured.Show worked answer →
A -mark describe question about the assessment process.
The performance is marked internally by the centre (the school or college) against the SQA's assessment criteria, with each single performance assessed under conditions that allow skills, decision-making and effectiveness to be shown.
It is then externally verified by the SQA, which checks a sample to confirm that centres have applied the national standard consistently. Marks come from describing both the internal marking against criteria and the external verification that quality assures it.
Related dot points
- The physical factors that impact on performance, including their three areas of fitness, skills and tactics, and the positive and negative effects each can have on performance.
An SQA Higher Physical Education answer on the physical factors impacting on performance, covering the three areas (fitness, skills and tactics or composition) and the positive and negative effects each can have on a performer.
- Skills as an area of the physical factor: the qualities of a skilled performance, the classification of skills (simple to complex, open and closed), the stages of learning (cognitive, associative, autonomous), and how skill quality affects performance.
An SQA Higher Physical Education answer on skills as a physical factor, covering the qualities of a skilled performance, the classification of skills, the cognitive, associative and autonomous stages of learning, and how skill quality affects performance.
- Tactics and composition as an area of the physical factor: how tactics outwit an opponent in games and how composition structures a performance activity, the strengths and weaknesses they target, and how good and poor tactics affect performance.
An SQA Higher Physical Education answer on tactics and composition as a physical factor, covering how tactics outwit an opponent in games, how composition structures a performance activity, and how good and poor tactics or composition affect performance.
- Decision-making as a feature of the mental factor: how a performer selects the most appropriate response under time pressure, the influence of experience and information processing, and the impact of good and poor decision-making on performance.
An SQA Higher Physical Education answer on decision-making as a mental factor, covering how performers select and time responses, the role of experience and information processing, and how strong and weak decision-making affect performance in named activities.
- Methods of collecting information about the factors impacting on performance, including the difference between qualitative and quantitative methods, examples such as observation schedules, video analysis, standardised tests, questionnaires and match analysis, and why a performer uses more than one method.
An SQA Higher Physical Education answer on the methods of collecting information about the factors impacting on performance, covering qualitative and quantitative methods, examples such as observation schedules, video analysis and standardised tests, and why more than one method is used.
Sources & how we know this
- SQA Higher Physical Education Course Specification — SQA (2019)