For AQA and Edexcel GCSE PE, the written theory papers are worth 60% of your grade, practical performance is 30%, and the personal exercise programme coursework is 10%. Many students underestimate the theory weighting and over-rely on being good at sport. Two hours of theory revision is worth more than another football training session when exams approach. Check your exam board because weightings and paper structures differ slightly between AQA, Edexcel and OCR.

Use labelled diagrams and test yourself with the labels removed. Print a blank skeleton and muscular system, fill them in daily for a week, then every few days. Group muscles by the joint they move (for example, all the muscles at the shoulder together). Link each muscle to a specific sporting action — the bicep flexes the elbow during a bicep curl or a basketball shot. Applied examples are how examiners test real understanding.

Continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). For each, know the definition, how it is structured, which fitness component it develops, and one sport that would use it. A marathon runner uses continuous training for cardiovascular endurance; a sprinter uses plyometrics for explosive power. Also learn the principles of training — SPORT (Specificity, Progression, Overload, Reversibility, Tedium) and FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type).

Structure is everything. Plan for two minutes, write for ten. Include a short introduction, then two or three developed points that link theory to a named practical example. For example, if asked about training principles for a footballer, define overload, explain how it applies to pre-season training, and give a specific example (increasing sprint distances by ten per cent each week). End with a brief justified conclusion. Examiners want application, not just definitions copied from the textbook.

These topics are often underrevised and can easily pick up 15 to 20 easy marks. Sports psychology covers skill classification, goal setting (SMART), types of guidance and feedback, and mental preparation. Socio-cultural influences covers commercialisation, sponsorship, the media, and ethics like doping and deviance. Use mind maps to link concepts and flashcards for definitions. These topics reward clear structured answers with real examples from professional sport, which you already watch on TV every week.