QCE Physical Education most tested topics
Across the six QCAA Physical Education external papers from 2020 to 2025, Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity carries 100.0% of the marks. At dot-point level 4.1.18 carries 10.0% of paper marks, and three of the 23 dot points that the board assesses externally have not appeared in one of these papers. Every percentage below covers the 99.7% of marks that map to a syllabus dot point.
Computed from 6 QCAA Physical Education external papers, 2020 to 2025: 82 questions, 90 question parts and 339 marks.
Unit, topic and dot-point shares below are of the 338 marks that map to a dot point, so each of those tables adds to 100%. 32 of the 90 parts are assessed against more than one dot point, and their 229 marks are divided evenly between the dot points they cover.
What these papers are
| Year | Exam | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Exam | 14 | 55 |
| 2024 | Exam | 14 | 59 |
| 2023 | Exam | 14 | 54 |
| 2022 | Exam | 14 | 57 |
| 2021 | Exam | 13 | 52 |
| 2020 | Exam | 13 | 62 |
Marks by unit
| Unit | Share of marks |
|---|---|
| Unit 4: Energy, fitness and training in physical activity | 100.0% |
Marks by topic
| Topic | Share of marks | Papers it appears in | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 100.0% | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 |
Marks by dot point
Dot-point numbers and wording are QCAA's own. Where a dot point is written as a list, its items run together here separated by semicolons.
| Dot point | Content | Topic | Share of marks | Papers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1.18 | Optimise performance in physical activity by devising one personal training strategy for a mesocycle or microcycle that considers the components of fitness and energy demands of the physical activity; relevant training methods, principles of training and recovery principles; personal performance of specialised movement sequences and movement strategies; training objectives to achieve a determined outcome | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 10.0% | 5 of 6 |
| 4.1.9 | Identify and explore the application of training methods for physical activity, including flexibility training — to enhance the motion of the body’s joints; resistance training — to enhance muscular strength, power and muscular endurance; variations of interval training — manipulation of work periods and rest periods to enhance specific components of fitness and enhance the aerobic, lactic acid and ATP–PC energy systems, e.g. high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprint interval training (SIT), aerobic interval training; circuit training — to enhance specific components of fitness; continuous training — to enhance aerobic capacity; fartlek training — to enhance aerobic capacity | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 9.9% | 6 of 6 |
| 4.1.13 | Recognise and explain the features of a training session, including warm-up — e.g. RAMP (raise, activate, mobilise and prepare) approach designed to; raise body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and joint viscosity; activate and mobilise key muscle groups, joints and range of motion; prepare for exercise by incorporating dynamic stretching; conditioning phase — specifies the relevant fitness components being developed, training methods used, intensity and volume of work, work:rest (W:R) ratios and repetitions, while following relevant training principles; cool down — gentle cardiovascular exercise and stretching designed to gradually reduce heart rate, body temperature, remove waste products and relax muscles | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 9.3% | 6 of 6 |
| 4.1.8 | Recognise and explain the application of the principles of training in physical activity, including progressive overload — the planned, gradual increase in training load to ensure that fitness continues to be optimised; frequency — the number of times training occurs in a given period; reversibility — the reversal of adaptations due to a cease in training or training load; intensity — the magnitude of exertion required; duration — the length of training time; specificity — relevant to the energy system, position-specific movements and fitness requirements of an activity; individuality — considerate of personal needs, goals, fitness levels, motivation and skills; variety — the inclusion of a range of movement options, activities and contexts in training | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 8.4% | 6 of 6 |
| 4.1.17 | Analyse and synthesise primary data and secondary data about position- or event-specific fitness testing of the relevant components of fitness to identify personal performance capacities; specialised movement sequences and movement strategies in authentic performance environments to identify the frequency, direction, intensity and duration of movements; work:rest (W:R) ratios; target heart rate (THR) and maximum heart rate (MHR) to identify training zones | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 8.0% | 4 of 6 |
| 4.1.21 | Reflect on primary data and secondary data to evaluate the effectiveness of the training strategy to achieve a determined outcome, including meeting the energy and fitness requirements of the physical activity; using relevant training principles, training methods and recovery principles; optimising performance of the specialised movement sequences and movement strategies | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 7.4% | 3 of 6 |
| 4.1.19 | Justify the development of the training strategy and movement strategies using evidence from primary data and secondary data | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 5.7% | 3 of 6 |
| 4.1.10 | Recognise and explain how the application of different training phases can be sequenced to form an annual plan, known as periodisation, that includes the preparatory phase, pre-competition phase, competition phase and transition phase | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 4.8% | 4 of 6 |
| 4.1.22 | Make decisions to maintain or modify the training and movement strategies using evidence from primary and secondary data | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 4.7% | 3 of 6 |
| 4.1.23 | Justify maintenance or modification of the training strategy using evidence from primary data and secondary data | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 4.7% | 3 of 6 |
| 4.1.6 | Identify and explore the energy requirements for specialised movement sequences and movement strategies in physical activity by analysing how ATP is resynthesised and transferred during performance; the contribution ratios and interplay of the different energy systems during performance | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 3.8% | 5 of 6 |
| 4.1.2 | Recognise and explain that energy requirements for physical activity involve an ongoing process of ATP resynthesis using various fuel sources; are provided by the interplay of three different pathways, known as energy systems; are dependent on the intensity and duration of exercise | Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity | 3.7% | 5 of 6 |
These 12 dot points carry 80.4% of the paper marks between them. Another 8 assessed dot points share the rest, and 3 of the 23 externally assessable dot points have not been assessed in any of these 6 papers. Content that has not appeared is still examinable.
What has moved between papers
No topic's share moved by more than 3.0 percentage points between the 2020 to 2022 papers and the 2023 to 2025 papers. The largest movement was 0.0 points, which is inside the range two papers a year produce by chance, so nothing here is a trend to revise around.
How the papers are built
Short answer carries 51.0% of the marks across these 6 papers.
| Question type | Share of marks | Marks | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short answer | 51.0% | 173 | 24 |
| Extended response | 31.3% | 106 | 6 |
| Multiple choice | 17.7% | 60 | 60 |
| Verb | Share of marks | Marks | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|
| justify | 49.3% | 167 | 11 |
| devise | 30.1% | 102 | 6 |
| explain | 21.8% | 74 | 10 |
| identify | 20.9% | 71 | 9 |
| evaluate | 20.1% | 68 | 4 |
| analyse | 10.0% | 34 | 2 |
| select | 10.0% | 34 | 2 |
| describe | 8.3% | 28 | 4 |
What these percentages do not tell you
Where to practise
Every topic above links to its own page of real QCAA questions with marking criteria and average scores attached: Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity. For how students actually score on this content, read QCE Physical Education hardest topics, and for the full question bank start at QCE Physical Education.
Frequently asked questions
Which topic carries the most marks in the QCE Physical Education external exam?
Energy, fitness and training integrated in physical activity carries 100.0% of the marks across the 6 QCAA papers from 2020 to 2025, because it is the only topic these papers assess. The separation is at dot-point level, where 4.1.18 carries 10.0% of paper marks.
How are marks split between question types in the QCE Physical Education exam?
Short answer carries 51.0% of the marks, extended response carries 31.3% of the marks and multiple choice carries 17.7% of the marks, measured across 6 papers and 339 marks from 2020 to 2025.
Has the topic balance changed in recent QCE Physical Education papers?
No. Comparing the 2020 to 2022 papers with the 2023 to 2025 papers, the largest movement in any topic's share was 0.0 percentage points, which is too small to plan revision around.
How many past papers is this QCE Physical Education analysis based on?
6 QCAA external papers from 2020 to 2025, covering 82 questions and 339 marks. 0.3% of those marks carry no dot-point mapping and sit outside the percentages.
Sources
- Physical Education External Assessment, QCAA, 2025. 6 papers, 2020 to 2025, covering 82 questions and 339 marks. Listed individually in the table at the top of this guide. Dot-point numbering follows the current QCAA Physical Education syllabus.
Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is © State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority), licensed under CC BY 4.0. See our QCAA licensing notice. AusGrader is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the QCAA.
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