GCSE Physical Education Paper 4
Covers The Skeletal System, The Muscular System, The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise and 9 more.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Health, Fitness and Well-being
A GP explains to a patient that being healthy involves more than just not being ill.
Define health, and state the three components that make up the World Health Organisation's definition of health.
Question 2 [2 marks]
Components of Fitness
A 100 m sprinter needs to reach maximum speed as quickly as possible after the starting gun.
Name the skill-related component of fitness most needed at the start of the race, and give its definition.
Question 3 [2 marks]
Socio-cultural Influences on Participation
In televised football and tennis matches, an electronic system tracks the ball to help officials make correct decisions on close calls.
Name one piece of sports technology like this, and state one way it benefits the sport.
Question 4 [3 marks]
Classification of Skill and Guidance
A sprinter chooses exactly when to drive out of the blocks once she is set, while a boxer must react to the exact moment her opponent throws a punch.
State whether the sprinter's start and the boxer's reaction are self-paced or externally-paced, giving a reason for each.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Diet, Nutrition and Hydration for Performance
A rugby player is advised to eat more protein-rich foods, such as chicken and eggs, during pre-season training.
State one function of protein in the diet, and explain why a rugby player in pre-season might need more of it than usual.
Question 6 [4 marks]
The Muscular System
A sprinter drives her leg powerfully backward and downward against the blocks at the start of a race.
Name the muscle at the back of the hip that contracts to extend the hip during this drive, state whether it is the agonist or antagonist, and explain why this muscle is especially important during the initial acceleration phase of a sprint.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Principles of Training and Injury Prevention
A 15 year old hockey player wants to train aerobically. Maximum heart rate can be estimated using 220 minus age.
Calculate her estimated maximum heart rate, then calculate the lower boundary of her aerobic training zone, which is 60% of her maximum heart rate.
Question 8 [4 marks]
Socio-cultural Influences on Participation
Cricket's shortest format, T20, was introduced partly to fit matches into a single evening and attract larger television audiences, unlike a five-day test match.
Explain why commercialisation and the demands of television audiences can lead to changes in the rules or format of a sport, using T20 cricket as your example.
Question 9 [4 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A coach records the vertical jump height, in cm, of six players before selecting a squad: 42, 38, 51, 45, 39, 47.
Calculate the range of the vertical jump data, and explain one limitation of using the range to describe this data set.
Question 10 [4 marks]
The Skeletal System
During a basketball free throw, a player bends and then straightens her knee and elbow.
Identify the type of synovial joint found at the knee and at the elbow, and state the type of movement each joint allows during the free throw.
Question 11 [4 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
A 400 m runner's heart rate rises noticeably in the minutes before her race starts, even though she is still standing still on the start line.
Explain what causes this rise in heart rate before exercise has even begun, and name the effect.
Question 12 [6 marks]
Arousal, Goal Setting and Mental Preparation
A cricket bowler sets herself the goal: reduce my average number of wides per over from 1.2 to below 0.5 by the end of the season, by completing extra bowling accuracy practice twice a week.
Explain, using each letter of the SMART principle, why this is a well set goal.
Question 13 [6 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A javelin thrower uses a whip-like action through her shoulder and elbow to accelerate the javelin just before release, while her planted front leg acts almost like a rigid pivot.
Explain, using the terms fulcrum, effort and load, how a first class lever system could describe the action of the neck extending the head, and explain one way this class of lever differs from the third class lever used at the elbow during the throw.
Question 14 [6 marks]
Health, Fitness and Well-being
A case study describes a 17 year old who trains for football twice a week, sleeps for around five hours a night, regularly drinks alcohol at weekends, and otherwise spends most of his free time sitting playing video games.
Identify the two lifestyle factors in this case study most likely to be harming his health and performance, justify your choices, and recommend one realistic change he could make.
Question 15 [6 marks]
Socio-cultural Influences on Participation
A local authority is deciding whether to fund a new sports facility in a low income area with historically low participation rates, or to spend the same budget on a marketing campaign promoting existing facilities across the whole town.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option, and recommend which is likely to have the greater impact on participation in the low income area specifically.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct definition of health, e.g. a state of complete well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity | B1 |
| correctly naming the three components: physical, mental and social well-being | B1 |
| Final answer: Complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease | |
| Question 2[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| reaction time | B1 |
| a correct definition, e.g. the time taken to respond to a stimulus | B1 |
| Final answer: Reaction time - the time taken to respond to a stimulus | |
| Question 3[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a valid named technology, e.g. goal-line technology, Hawk-Eye, or VAR | B1 |
| a correct benefit, e.g. it helps officials make more accurate decisions on very close calls that the human eye could easily get wrong | B1 |
| Final answer: E.g. Hawk-Eye/goal-line technology/VAR - it helps officials make more accurate decisions on very close calls | |
| Question 4[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the sprinter's start being self-paced | B1 |
| a correct reason, e.g. she controls the timing of her own movement | B1 |
| the boxer's reaction being externally-paced, controlled by when the opponent throws the punch | B1 |
| Final answer: Sprinter's start is self-paced (she controls the timing); the boxer's reaction is externally-paced (controlled by the opponent) | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct function, e.g. protein is needed for growth and repair of muscle tissue | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. pre-season training breaks down muscle fibres, so more protein is needed to repair and build them | B1 |
| a correct link to outcome, e.g. this supports increases in muscle strength and size needed for contact in rugby | B1 |
| Final answer: Protein is needed for growth and repair of muscle; extra is needed to rebuild muscle broken down during pre-season training | |
| Question 6[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| gluteals (gluteus maximus) | B1 |
| agonist (prime mover) | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. powerful hip extension against the blocks generates much of the force needed to accelerate quickly out of the blocks | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this muscle is especially important because the whole body's weight must be driven forward from a stationary start | B1 |
| Final answer: Gluteals (gluteus maximus), the agonist extending the hip to generate driving force out of the blocks | |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| maximum heart rate = 220 - 15 | M1 |
| 205 beats per minute | A1 |
| 60% of 205 | M1 |
| 123 beats per minute | A1 |
| Final answer: Maximum heart rate = 205 bpm; lower training zone boundary = 123 bpm | |
| Question 8[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct explanation of the commercial pressure, e.g. broadcasters want a format that fits into a set time slot and holds a large television audience's attention | B1 |
| a correct link to T20, e.g. a three hour match is far easier to schedule and broadcast than a five day test match | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. a shorter, faster format is also seen as more exciting/accessible for casual viewers and new fans | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. this shows how a sport's own traditional format can be adapted to meet the commercial needs of broadcasters and sponsors | B1 |
| Final answer: T20's short format fits a single broadcast slot and holds a wide audience's attention far better than a five day test, showing how commercial and TV pressures can reshape a sport's rules and format | |
| Question 9[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying the highest value, 51 | M1 |
| identifying the lowest value, 38 | M1 |
| range = 13 cm | A1 |
| a valid limitation, e.g. the range only uses the two most extreme values, so it can be distorted by one unusually high or low result and does not show the spread of the rest of the data | B1 |
| Final answer: Range = 13 cm; limitation - it only considers the two extreme values, ignoring the spread of the rest of the data | |
| Question 10[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| identifying the knee as a hinge joint | B1 |
| identifying the elbow as a hinge joint | B1 |
| the knee allows flexion and extension | B1 |
| the elbow allows flexion and extension | B1 |
| Final answer: Both are hinge joints, allowing flexion and extension | |
| Question 11[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| this being known as the anticipatory rise | B1 |
| the release of the hormone adrenaline, from the adrenal glands | B1 |
| adrenaline causing an increase in heart rate in preparation for exercise | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the benefit, e.g. this helps deliver more oxygenated blood to the muscles slightly before exercise starts, so the body responds more quickly once running begins | B1 |
| Final answer: The anticipatory rise - adrenaline released before exercise raises heart rate in preparation, helping the body respond faster once exercise begins | |
| Question 12[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| specific, as the goal clearly states which aspect of performance (wides bowled) is being targeted | B1 |
| measurable, as the goal uses numbers (1.2 to below 0.5) so progress can be tracked precisely | B1 |
| achievable, e.g. reducing wides through regular extra practice is a realistic target rather than an impossible one | B1 |
| realistic, e.g. the target reflects a sensible improvement given her current level rather than an unrealistic leap | B1 |
| time-bound, as the goal has a clear deadline (by the end of the season) | B1 |
| correctly noting the goal also states how it will be achieved (extra practice twice a week), which supports the realistic/achievable elements | B1 |
| Final answer: It meets all five SMART criteria: it is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound | |
| Question 13[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the fulcrum being the joint between the skull and the top of the spine, acting as the pivot | B1 |
| the effort being applied by the neck muscles | B1 |
| the load being the weight of the head (and helmet, if worn) | B1 |
| stating that in a first class lever the fulcrum lies between the effort and the load | B1 |
| stating that in a third class lever the effort lies between the fulcrum and the load | B1 |
| a correct comparison, e.g. a first class lever can be arranged for either force or speed depending on where the fulcrum sits, whereas a third class lever, like most joints in the body, is always arranged for speed and range of movement rather than force | B1 |
| Final answer: Fulcrum = top of the neck; effort = neck muscles; load = weight of the head; in a first class lever the fulcrum lies between effort and load, unlike the third class lever at the elbow, where the effort lies between the fulcrum and the load | |
| Question 14[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct factor identified, e.g. his lack of sleep (around five hours) | B1 |
| a correct justification, e.g. this limits recovery and growth hormone release, harming both his physical recovery and his long term health | B1 |
| a second correct factor identified, e.g. his largely sedentary free time (sitting playing video games) | B1 |
| a correct justification, e.g. two football sessions a week is unlikely to offset many hours of daily inactivity, raising his long term health risks | B1 |
| a correct additional comment on the third factor (alcohol), e.g. weekend alcohol use is also a concern, though arguably a smaller daily influence than sleep or overall activity level | B1 |
| a realistic recommendation with justification, e.g. gradually increasing daily activity, such as walking or cycling, rather than relying only on his twice-weekly football | B1 |
| Final answer: His lack of sleep and largely sedentary free time are the most concerning factors, since they limit recovery and raise long term health risks; adding some daily activity, such as walking or cycling, alongside his football would be a realistic first change | |
| Question 15[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct advantage of a new facility, e.g. it directly removes an access barrier by providing somewhere nearby to take part | B1 |
| a correct disadvantage of a new facility, e.g. building and running a facility is expensive and can take a long time before it is ready to use | B1 |
| a correct advantage of a marketing campaign, e.g. it is generally cheaper and can raise awareness of opportunities that already exist more quickly | B1 |
| a correct disadvantage of a marketing campaign, e.g. it does not remove other barriers, such as cost of use or a genuine lack of nearby provision | B1 |
| a recommendation made, e.g. the new facility | B1 |
| correct justification for the recommendation, e.g. because in a low income area with historically low participation, a lack of local, affordable provision is likely to be the bigger barrier, which marketing alone cannot solve | B1 |
| Final answer: A new facility is likely to have the greater impact in this specific area, since it removes the access barrier that a marketing campaign alone could not solve, even though it costs and takes longer to deliver | |