When it comes to GCSE PE, honing your practical skills alone won’t be enough to get you the highest grades.
Rather, 60% of your final mark will come down to theoretical knowledge – which is assessed in exam form.
Don’t worry. Here, we’ll break down how to revise for PE GCSE. With these tips, tricks and techniques, you can ace your GCSE PE revision and (with hard work and dedication!) even get a 9.
Psst! Our PE tutors are experts at bringing their subject to life and helping learners to boost their grades – start your search today.
How to revise for GCSE PE: 8 expert tips
Staring at your GCSE PE revision notes and textbook, wondering where to start?
Just follow these expert tips to kick off your revision on the right foot.
Then, head over to our guide on how to revise for your GCSEs for more general revision advice!
1. Start now!
Getting started is often the hardest part. So, don’t put it off!
Take the bull by the horns and start today – even if you just spend 10 minutes recapping what you learned in your last PE lesson and trying a couple of practice questions.
The sooner you begin revising, the more time you’ll have to get completely comfortable with the course content and exam structure – and the less panicked you’ll be when your exam dates roll around!
2. Know what to expect
Make sure you know exactly what to expect in your PE GCSE exams.
Every exam board will work slightly differently. But you can usually expect to sit two written exams.
Every exam board will also have the same assessment objectives:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport
- Apply knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport
- Analyse and evaluate the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport
- Demonstrate and apply relevant skills and techniques in physical activity and sport. Analyse and evaluate performance
We would always recommend finding the specification for your course and printing it off.
This will show you exactly what you can expect – including what you’ll be assessed on in each paper. So, you can make sure there are no nasty surprises on the day!
3. Create a detailed revision timetable
A detailed revision timetable will help keep your revision on track.
Plus, you’ll be able to stress less knowing you have everything covered that could come up in the exam room.
- Check your exam schedule
- Calculate how much time you have to study
- Decide which subjects and topics you need to spend the most time on
- Allocate time to each subject and topic
When it comes to prioritising topics, a traffic light system can be helpful.
For instance, you can use a green highlighter for topics you’re familiar with, yellow for uncertain, and red for unknown.
You can then easily see which topics you need to spend the most time on.
Top tip: Divide your revision into manageable chunks and plan regular breaks so that you don’t burn out!
4. Pace yourself
There’s only so much a brain can assimilate in a day.
So, try not to cram.
Instead, divide your revision up into manageable chunks, schedule in lots of breaks, and get plenty of fresh air and exercise.
Plus, plan things to look forward to so that you can enjoy a well-earned reward for working so hard – or for hitting key goals and milestones.
Remember, revising little and often is typically the best way to help material to stick – and to avoid burning out.
“I would say don’t cram, take 20-minute study sessions then take a break. Look after yourself and try to stick to regular bedtimes, no computers late at night etc.
“Get some fresh air and exercise to help with pent-up energy or nerves too.”
– Katherine R, tutor
5. Brush up on key terminology
When it comes to PE GCSE, there’s a lot of key terminology to learn.
You’ll need to know the names of various systems of the body, as well as their role.
Plus, you’ve got key terms associated with movement analysis, principles of training, health and fitness and so much more.
Some good ways to get key terminology to stick include:
- Diagrams
- Flash cards
- Sticking post-it notes around the home
- Making up acronyms and mnemonics
We’ll cover these revision techniques and more in a little bit!
6. Collect lots of examples
Being able to provide practical examples is important to so many elements of the PE GCSE exams.
You’ll need to be able to…
- Apply knowledge to sporting examples
- Use sporting examples to support points you make
- Provide practical examples when they’re requested
But it’s not always enough just to name a sport – rather, you’ll need to be more specific.
For instance, you could name a physical activity within a sport, like dodging an opponent in basketball.
Use the PEEL technique to incorporate examples into extended 6-mark essay questions:
- P: Make a point
- E: Give sporting examples
- E: Explain your point
- L: Linking sentence connecting back to the question
7. Regularly complete PE GCSE past papers
Practice makes perfect!
No matter what kind of learner you are, completing past papers and practice tests can be a huge boost to your revision.
They can…
- Familiarise you with the types of questions you might come across in the real thing
- Allow you to practise managing your time
- Give you valuable practice structuring essay-style answers
- Get you used to dealing with exam pressure
- Boost your confidence for the big day
- Reveal where you’re at in your learning
After completing a past paper, mock exam or practice test, always go through it to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.
This way, you can tweak your revision schedule to focus on those areas that need it most.
Top tip: You can find past exam papers for your exam board right here on the Tutorful website! Browse past papers now.
“I would always favour past paper revision over staring into textbooks.
“Seeing how concepts are applied in question form can be very useful. However, this can differ for some students.”
– Matthew B, GCSE tutor
8. Find a tutor
Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness!
If there’s anything you don’t quite ‘get,’ you need help marking past papers, or you simply want your own personal cheerleader to help you prepare for your exams, a PE tutor will have you covered.
They’re experts at bringing their subject to life and will be able to explain difficult concepts in a way that clicks for you.
With tailored lesson plans that take into account your strengths, weaknesses and learning style, it’s a fantastic way to improve your grades.
In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade – and many improve by even more!
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
10 tried and tested PE GCSE revision techniques
Every student is different. So, it’s important to figure out your learning style and use the revision techniques that suit you best.
Here are some techniques that can be particularly helpful in your PE GCSE revision.
For more ideas, head over to our guide on the best ways to revise for your GCSEs.
1. Draw diagrams
Drawing diagrams can help you to illustrate and remember key processes and terminology.
For instance, you could draw out the human skeleton and then label it to test your knowledge.
Not only is the process of creating a diagram a great revision exercise in itself, but you can also stick it up on your wall to refer to in the leadup to your exams!
2. Make mind maps
Mind maps are another good tool for visual learners.
You can use them at lots of different points in your revision, but we particularly love using them to summarise everything you’ve learned after you’ve covered a specific topic.
That way, you can cross-reference your mind map against your notes and see if you’ve missed anything out – if you have, that’s a sign you need to spend some more time revising it!
3. Create flash cards
Flash cards can be a valuable tool to help you learn key bits of information – like terminology or facts.
Go through your PE textbook or revision guide to pick out short questions, and write these on one side of each flash card. Then, write the answers on the alternate side.
Now, go through your flash cards and test yourself – or, give them to a friend or family member and ask them to test you instead!
4. Stick up post-it notes
Post-it notes are fantastic for memorising facts and key terminology.
Write the info you need to memorise on colour coded post-its and stick them in places where you’ll see them on a regular basis – like the bathroom mirror.
By seeing them again and again, this can help the information to stick.
5. Record your notes and listen to them back
Many learners like to record their revision notes.
This way, you can listen to them back when you’re doing other things – whether you’re out and about or just doing the washing up!
Repeatedly listening to the information you need to remember can really help to cement it in your mind.
6. Explore different revision resources
There are lots of resources available to help you revise for GCSE PE, which can help to make revision more engaging.
Here are some of our favourite revision websites for PE:
You can also find helpful resources on YouTube, podcasts and revision apps.
A PE tutor will be able to point you towards the best revision resources for your learning style.
7. Speak it back in your own words
Memorising content from textbooks or revision notes can be helpful.
But it’s important to make sure you fully understand it – rather than just learning it word-for-word.
Paraphrasing the content you’ve learned in your own words is a valuable exercise and will help you to check that you really do ‘get it.’
8. Make up mnemonics, acronyms or songs
When it comes to helping complex info to stick in your mind, there are no rules. Clever tricks like mnemonics, acronyms or even making up songs can really help to jog your memory!
As an example, you could use ELF to help you remember the three key terms involved in lever systems: Effort, Load and Fulcrum.
You can also try…
- Constructing narratives to help you recall a sequence of information
- Conjuring up vivid mental images
- Changing the lyrics to your favourite tunes
- Developing catchy phrases
Ultimately, you do you! If it helps you recall complex information in the exam room, that’s what’s important!
9. Teach someone else
Teaching someone else the content you’ve just learned can help you increase your confidence on a topic.
It’s also a great test of how well you understand the material.
If you can’t get your student to understand the concept you’re teaching them, you probably don’t know it well enough yourself yet!
10. Form a study group
Meeting regularly with a study group is a great way to give yourself some accountability.
Plus, you can help one another if there’s anything you’re struggling with.
In particular, we think study groups are great for discussing potential arguments to longer questions – by discussing potential responses together, you can gain new ideas, especially when it comes to sporting examples!
Top tip: Make sure to pick your study mates wisely – it can be easy to get distracted!
How to pass GCSE PE: 5 tips for exam day
With these revision tips and techniques, hopefully, you’ll be feeling prepared by the time your GCSE PE exams roll around.
But the right approach to exam day itself can also make a big difference.
Here are some things to bear in mind.
1. Give yourself the right fuel
Don’t stay up late revising the night before.
Instead, get a good night’s sleep and have a proper breakfast in the morning. This will give you the best chance of feeling energised for the day ahead.
2. Overcome exam fear
Try some calming techniques to help you overcome exam fear – like listening to a calming playlist.
Watch those negative voices in your head and try to focus on what you have done rather than what you haven’t. Remember, you’ve worked hard and can be proud of yourself, whatever happens!
3. Plan your time
Keep an eye on the clock in the exam room so that you’re not spending more time than you should on each question.
As a general rule, try to spend the most time on the questions that are worth the most marks, and vice versa.
4. Read every question carefully
Read each question at least twice so that you’re not making silly mistakes.
You can even underline key words in the question to keep you focused.
In particular, make sure to differentiate between different command words, so you understand the type of response you need to give.
5. Stay calm!
Last but not least, don’t panic!
Work through the PE GCSE exam papers calmly and methodically, without rushing.
And remember that you’ve worked hard. So, you can be proud of yourself whatever the outcome.
Find a tutor to help you revise PE GCSE
If you’re worried about passing PE GCSE – or getting the best grade possible – you don’t have to worry alone.
A PE tutor will have the skills, knowledge and experience needed to help you achieve the grade you’re after.
From tailored plans to practice exams, they’ll give you the one-to-one attention and dedicated time you need to ensure you reach your full potential.
Browse expert, vetted tutors, message free, and book instantly.
FAQs
What to revise for GCSE PE?
What exactly you need to revise for GCSE PE can vary from exam board to exam board. However, here are the main topics that learners with the exam board AQA will need to cover:
- Applied anatomy and physiology
- Movement analysis
- Physical training
- Use of data
- Sports psychology
- Socio-cultural influences
- Health, fitness and wellbeing
Is 2 hours of revision a day enough for GCSE?
Yes, as long as you start early enough to cover everything.
Ideally, we’d recommend revising for no more than 4 hours a day for your GCSEs.
How to study for PE GCSE?
An effective way to study for PE GCSE is to attempt past papers so that you can identify your areas of weakness.
Then, use your preferred revision techniques to focus on those areas in particular, in order to improve as much as possible as quickly as possible.
How hard is GCSE PE?
GCSE PE is a challenging subject, especially if you want to reach the highest grades. This is because it requires both strong practical skills in sports, and a solid understanding of theoretical concepts.
A GCSE PE tutor can help you to reach the requirements of the course and reach your full potential.
