GCSE Physical Education

Overview

For parents: AQA writes your child's Physical Education course and exams. AQA writes the specifications and exams for most GCSE subjects taught in English state schools. If your school uses AQA, every topic, paper and mark scheme follows AQA's specification.

Topics

Physical Education key terms

Original definitions for core course vocabulary, informed by the references below. Not an official or exhaustive board-specific glossary.

40 of 40 terms

Agonist

The muscle chiefly responsible for producing a particular movement.

Body systems and movement

Antagonist

A muscle that opposes the agonist's action and can relax or lengthen to allow movement.

Body systems and movement

Flexion

A movement that decreases the angle at a joint.

Body systems and movement

Extension

A movement that increases the angle at a joint.

Body systems and movement

Abduction

Movement of a body part away from the body's midline.

Body systems and movement

Adduction

Movement of a body part towards the body's midline.

Body systems and movement

Tendon

Strong connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone.

Body systems and movement

Ligament

Strong connective tissue joining bones and helping stabilise a joint.

Body systems and movement

Stroke volume

The volume of blood pumped from a ventricle in one heartbeat.

Body systems and movement

Cardiac output

The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated as heart rate multiplied by stroke volume.

Body systems and movement

Cardiovascular endurance

The ability of the heart, lungs and circulation to support sustained exercise by supplying oxygen to working muscles.

Fitness and training

Muscular endurance

The ability of a muscle or muscle group to repeat contractions or maintain force over time.

Fitness and training

Strength

The ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force against resistance.

Fitness and training

Power

The rate of doing work; in sporting movement it involves producing force quickly.

Fitness and training

Flexibility

The available range of movement at a joint.

Fitness and training

Agility

The ability to change direction or body position rapidly while remaining controlled.

Fitness and training

Balance

The ability to maintain a stable body position, either still or during movement.

Fitness and training

Coordination

The ability to use body parts together smoothly and effectively.

Fitness and training

Progressive overload

Gradually increasing training demands so that the body continues to adapt.

Fitness and training

Specificity

Matching training to the muscles, movements and energy demands of the intended activity.

Fitness and training

Aerobic exercise

Exercise in which energy demand is met predominantly through oxygen-dependent processes.

Exercise, health and preparation

Anaerobic exercise

High-intensity exercise relying substantially on energy pathways that do not directly require oxygen.

Exercise, health and preparation

Interval training

Training that alternates periods of work with planned periods of recovery.

Exercise, health and preparation

Continuous training

Sustained exercise without planned rest breaks during the main activity.

Exercise, health and preparation

Fartlek training

Continuous training that varies pace and often terrain.

Exercise, health and preparation

Circuit training

Training through a sequence of exercise stations targeting selected fitness components.

Exercise, health and preparation

Warm-up

Progressive preparation that raises activity levels and readies the body and mind for exercise.

Exercise, health and preparation

Cool-down

A gradual reduction in exercise intensity after activity to support the transition towards rest.

Exercise, health and preparation

Dehydration

A body water deficit that can impair temperature regulation and sporting performance.

Exercise, health and preparation

Sedentary lifestyle

A pattern of living involving substantial sitting and little physical activity.

Exercise, health and preparation

Skill

A learned ability to achieve a task effectively and consistently.

Skill, psychology and participation

Open skill

A skill performed in a changing, unpredictable environment that requires adaptation.

Skill, psychology and participation

Closed skill

A skill performed in a stable, predictable environment with limited external change.

Skill, psychology and participation

Intrinsic motivation

The desire to participate because the activity itself is enjoyable or satisfying.

Skill, psychology and participation

Extrinsic motivation

The desire to participate because of external rewards, recognition or other outside influences.

Skill, psychology and participation

Arousal

A state of physical and mental activation that affects readiness to perform.

Skill, psychology and participation

Feedback

Information about a performance or its outcome that can guide learning and improvement.

Skill, psychology and participation

Mental rehearsal

Imagining a successful skill or performance without physically carrying it out.

Skill, psychology and participation

Sportsmanship

Fair, respectful conduct towards opponents, officials and the rules of an activity.

Skill, psychology and participation

Gamesmanship

Using tactics that stretch the spirit of fair play to gain an advantage without necessarily breaking explicit rules.

Skill, psychology and participation

Exams

Add your exam dates in My Exams and see a countdown for every paper on your dashboard.

Revision

Tell GCSE.es which Physical Education topics feel weak. Your dashboard then picks a short, timed next step — learn the key idea, check yourself, review mistakes.

Practice

• ✓ Key terms you tap to reveal
• ✓ Quick multiple-choice quizzes
• ✓ 3, 6, 9 and 12-mark exam-style questions
• ✓ Marking with feedback and a model answer

Available free inside your GCSE journey. Questions are written by GCSE.es, not taken from real past papers.

Resources

Short, focused tasks for the Physical Education topics you find hardest — learn the key idea, check yourself, then try a marked exam-style question.