CCEA GCSE · Analysis & Prediction

2025 CCEA GCSE Physical Education 7210 Past Paper: Analysis & Answers

The 2025 CCEA GCSE Physical Education examination consists of two structured papers: Paper 1 (Factors Underpinning Health and Performance) and Paper 2 (Developing Performance), each carrying 100 marks over 1 hour 15 minutes. The assessment effectively balances recall and basic classification with extensive data analysis, training prescription tables, tournament draws, and extended Quality of Written Communication (QWC) 6-mark and 9-mark responses. Key high-tariff focus areas include training methods (circuit design and progressive overload), event organisation, learning theory, and population physical activity guidelines.

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Analysis Sample paper

Difficulty 2.9/5

Total marks

200

Duration

150 mins

Most tested

Principles and Methods of Training

Paper breakdown

Paper 1: Factors Underpinning Health and Performance (G9771): 100 marks · 75 minsPaper 2: Developing Performance (G9772): 100 marks · 75 mins

Top chapters

Principles of training · 23 marksMethods of training · 22 marksFactors underpinning the learning of skills for physical activities and sports · 21 marksPhysical fitness · 17 marksEvent management · 17 marks

CCEA GCSE Physical Education 2025 Examination Breakdown

The 2025 CCEA GCSE Physical Education suite provides a comprehensive and balanced evaluation across both components: Paper 1 (Factors Underpinning Health and Performance) and Paper 2 (Developing Performance). With a cumulative total of 200 marks across two 75-minute papers, the assessment tests theoretical recall, physiological understanding, real-world practical application, and structured analytical writing.

Where the Marks Lie

Marks are concentrated heavily in specific practical applications and high-tariff extended questions:

Training Methods & Prescription (Paper 2): Extensive marks are dedicated to completing and justifying training programmes, including specific circuit parameter allocations (work-to-rest ratios and RPE) and progressive overload weight tables.
Event Management & Active Leisure (Paper 1): Tournament organisation (specifically constructing single-elimination draws) and financial budgeting (income vs. expenditure optimization) represent key application marks.
Health, Lifestyle, and Survey Data Analysis (Paper 1): Interpreting multidimensional bar charts comparing adolescent exercise time, frequency, and intensity against PHA guidelines formed a major 9-mark QWC question.
Skill Acquisition & Psychology (Paper 2): The Inverted-U theory of arousal, guidance methodologies, practice scheduling, and feedback mechanisms provide steady middle-to-high tier mark opportunities.

Key Examiner Pitfalls & Strategy

To access top mark bands (Level 3 in 6-mark and 9-mark responses), candidates must avoid generic answers:

Link Justifications Explicitly: In progressive overload and training plan tables (e.g., Q10 & Q12 in Paper 2), candidates frequently change numbers arbitrarily. Examiners look for precise rationale tied directly to physiological adaptations, rep-max parameters (e.g., maintaining within 15–25 RM for muscular endurance), and recovery limits.
Balanced Data Comparison: For survey comparison questions, candidates often describe only the chart data without explicitly cross-referencing official Public Health Agency (PHA) baseline criteria (e.g., minimum 60 mins/day moderate-to-vigorous activity).
Precision with Terminology: Avoid confusing isotonic with isometric contractions, or confusing the three functional divisions of the nervous system (sensory, interpretative, and motor).

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Charts

Marks by chapter

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Question type mix

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Multiple Choice & Matching11 marks · 4 questions
Short Answer & Identification43 marks · 18 questions
Table Completion & Applied Planning36 marks · 6 questions
Structured Explanation & Justification59 marks · 16 questions
Extended Response (Levels of Response / QWC)51 marks · 6 questions

Mark accessibility

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76%within easy or medium reach

easy: 64 marksmedium: 88 markshard: 48 marks

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

Command word frequency

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Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

Principles & Methods of Training (FITT, Overload, Circuit Design)

45 marks · Difficulty 2.5 · recurrence 5%

Event Management (Knockout Draws & Financial Budgeting)

17 marks · Difficulty 2.2 · recurrence 5%

Skill Acquisition (Guidance, Feedback, Stages, Arousal)

27 marks · Difficulty 2.6 · recurrence 5%

Health Guidelines & Survey Data Interpretation

15 marks · Difficulty 2.8 · recurrence 4%

Skeletal & Muscular Physiology (Joints, Contractions, Fibre Types)

21 marks · Difficulty 2.3 · recurrence 4%

Time vs marks

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marksmins

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Cardiovascular adaptations to training (Cardiac Output, Stroke Volume, Bradycardia)5%

Paper 1 contained minimal direct testing of the cardiovascular system beyond a 1-mark recall question, whereas respiratory adaptations were tested with a 6-mark QWC.

Physical health risks: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illegal Drugs4%

Neither alcohol nor smoking/drugs appeared on this series, leaving these mandatory syllabus areas ripe for high-mark focus in upcoming series.

Skeletal System: Levers and Mechanics4%

Joint structures and planes of movement were examined, but lever systems (1st, 2nd, 3rd class) were omitted entirely.

Assessment of Physical Fitness protocols & validity/reliability4%

Fitness test analysis was restricted to basic tabular evaluation (Cooper/Sit-up), making protocol description and evaluation highly probable in future cycles.

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

Topic-year heatmap

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Jun 2023

Jun 2024

Jun 2025

Muscular system

Cardiovascular system

Respiratory system

Skeletal system

Digestive system

Nervous system

Mental health

Physical health: nutrition

Physical health: sleep

Physical health: alcohol

Examiner insights

Official report

Common pitfalls

Giving generic justifications in training tables without specifying how Repetition Maximum (RM) directly restricts maximal repetitions (e.g. failing to state that 25 RM means a maximum of 25 repetitions can be performed).
Describing lifestyle survey percentages in isolation without explicitly contrasting them against the Public Health Agency standard guidelines (60 mins daily moderate-to-vigorous activity).
Confusing isometric (static muscle length, no joint movement) with isotonic (dynamic contraction, shortening/lengthening) muscle actions.
Incorrect bracket construction in knockout tournament draws, such as incorrect seed placements, unbalanced rounds, or omitting the third-place play-off match between semi-final losers.

Misconceptions

Believing that fitness is an absolute rather than a relative concept, failing to illustrate that an individual can be elite in one discipline (e.g. power in discus) while unfit for another (aerobic capacity in marathon running).
Assuming continuous steady pace training includes rest/recovery intervals, confusing it with interval training or fartlek pace variation.
Assuming higher arousal always improves performance, failing to articulate that over-arousal leads to excessive muscle tension, narrowed attention, and poor decision-making.

Where marks are lost

Failing to attain Level 3 in QWC questions (6-mark and 9-mark) due to poor structural organisation, lack of specialist terminology, or one-sided arguments in evaluation questions.
Vague explanations of nervous system functions, such as not distinguishing the sensory nerve gathering role from the central nervous system interpretative decision-making process.
Stating financial strategies in event management that are unrealistic or inapplicable at the planning stage (e.g. attempting to cut fixed overhead costs rather than seeking sponsorships or utilizing volunteers).

Estimated grade boundary

Updated: 31 Aug 2026

Source: CCEA

Grade	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Official grade boundaries published by CCEA.

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Grade	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Grade	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%

Grade	Mark	Percentage
A*	—	90%
A	—	80%
B	—	70%
C*	—	65%
C	—	60%
D	—	50%
E	—	40%
F	—	30%
G	—	20%