OCR GCSE PE Revision Guide

Revising for OCR GCSE PE doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right approach (and a bit of structure), you can feel confident walking into your exams. This guide breaks everything down clearly – from how many papers there are, to exactly what content you need to revise and how the questions work.💪

📑 How Many Papers Are There?

OCR GCSE PE has two written exam papers.

• Both exams are 1 hour long ⏰

• Both are worth 60 marks

• Together, they make up 60% of your final GCSE PE grade

(The remaining 40% comes from practical performance and coursework – but this guide focuses on the written exams.)

📑 Paper 1: Physical Factors Affecting Performance

• ⏰Duration: 1 hour

• 🏆Marks: 60 marks (30% of total grade)

• 📌Content: Paper 1 covers the science behind sport performance, split into two major content blocks.

• ❓Question Types: Paper 1 mixes recall, understanding and application questions.

🔹 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

• Choose the correct answer from several options

• Usually test key facts (e.g. muscles, bones, training principles)
  📌 Quick wins if you revise definitions properly!

🔹 Short Answer Questions 

• Explain, identify or describe something briefly

• Often start with command words like:

  • Name

  • State

  • Identify

• Example skills tested:

• Naming muscles or bones

• Identifying components of fitness

🔹 Medium Answer Questions 

• Require some explanation, not just facts

• Often ask you to apply knowledge to sporting examples

• Use PE key terms clearly 🏋️‍♂️

🔹 Extended Response Questions

• The highest-mark questions in the paper

• Ask you to:

  • Explain

  • Analyse

  • Discuss

• Often linked to training methods, body systems or injury prevention
  ✏️ Structure matters here – make clear points and explain each one!

📑 Paper 2: Socio-Cultural Issues and Sports Psychology

• ⏰Duration: 1 hour




• 🏆Marks: 60 (30% of total grade)

• 📌Content: Paper 2 explores why people participate in sport, the psychology behind performance and health and wellbeing.

✅Socio-Cultural Influences

You’ll explore how society affects sport, including:

• Factors that influence participation (age, gender, ethnicity, access, cost)

• Engagement patterns in sport (who takes part and why)

• Commercialisation of sport - media, sponsorship and the “golden triangle”

• Ethical issues like sportsmanship, gamesmanship, deviance and drugs in sport

✅Sports Psychology

This topic focuses on the mindset and skill side of performance:

• What skill is and how it’s classified (simple/complex, open/closed)

• Goal setting (especially SMART goals)

• Mental preparation before performance

• Types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual)

• Types of feedback (intrinsic, extrinsic, knowledge of results)

✅Health, Fitness and Well-Being

This section looks at why staying active matters:

• Components of health (physical, emotional, social)

• Benefits of physical activity for health

• Risks of a sedentary lifestyle (e.g., obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes)

• Balanced diet and nutrition (macronutrients, micronutrients, hydration

• ❓Question Types: Paper 2 focuses more on discussion, explanation and real-world examples.

🔹 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

• Test understanding of key ideas like:

• Participation

• Ethics

• Health benefits
  📌 Know your definitions and examples!

🔹 Short Answer Questions 

• Straightforward questions checking understanding

• Example topics:

  • Types of guidance

  • Health benefits of exercise

  • Factors affecting participation

🔹 Medium Answer Questions 

• Ask you to explain how or why

• Often linked to:

• Commercialisation

• Goal setting

• Diet and health

🔹 Extended Response Questions 

• Common in this paper 🧠

• Usually ask you to discuss or evaluate

• Examples include:

  • Ethical issues in sport

  • How psychology affects performance

  • How lifestyle choices affect health
    💡 Use examples from sport or real life to boost marks!