GCSE PE activity list - revised 2020 - Department for Education and awarding organisations guidance

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Ezra

GCSE PE activity list defines which physical education activities can be used to assess students’ skills within a GCSE qualification. Activities are selected using five key considerations designed to ensure parity and rigour in non-exam assessment, aligned with Ofqual principles. A 2018-2019 review added new activities and produced two versions: one for qualifications awarded until 2021 (full) or 2020 (short course), and a newer list for awards from 2022 (full) or 2021 (short course). The list specifies team and individual assessment constraints.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Activity list scope

Assessment rules and selection approach

Activities for qualifications awarded until 2021 (full) or 2020 (short course)

Team activities and restrictions

Individual activities and restrictions

Activities for qualifications awarded from 2022 (full) or 2021 (short course)

Team activities and restrictions

Individual activities and restrictions

GCSE PE activity list This list is based upon the suitability of activities as a means of assessing students’ skills as part of a physical education GCSE qualification. The Department for Education and awarding organisations developed a set of five key considerations which were applied to each activity in order to ensure parity and rigour. These considerations take into account Ofqual’s principles for non-exam assessment (outlined on page 3 here) . In 2018-2019 the Department conducted a review of the activity list. This review resulted in the addition of some activities. Therefore there are two separate lists: the current list that applies to qualifications awarded until 2021 for full GCSE or 2020 for short course GCSE and the new list that applies to qualifications awarded from 2022 for full GCSE or 2021 for short course GCSE. The list of activities below is a full and complete list of all available activities. The inclusion or non-inclusion of an activity in the proposed list does not represent a view on the legitimacy or value of the activity , but only its suitability for assessing students’ skills at GCSE as set out above. Students must be assessed in three different activities in the role of player/performer: one of these must be a team activity and one must be an individual activity. The third activity may come from either list. Candidates may only be assessed once in any activity, e.g. they may not be assessed in doubles tennis and also singles tennis. List of activities applying to qualifications awarded until 2021 for full GCSE or 2020 for short course GCSE | Team Activity | Comments | | --- | --- | | Association football | Cannot be five-a-side or futsal | | Badminton | Cannot be assessed with singles | | Basketball | | | Camogie | Cannot be assessed with hurling | | Cricket | | | Dance | This can only be used for one activity | | Gaelic football | | | Handball | | | --- | --- | | Hockey | Must be field hockey, not roller hockey | | Hurling | Cannot be assessed with camogie | | Lacrosse | | | Netball | | | Rowing | Cannot be assessed with sculling, canoeing or kayaking | | Rugby league | Cannot be assessed with rugby union (sevens or fifteen aside) . Cannot be tag rugby | | Rugby union | Can be assessed as sevens or fifteen a side. Cannot be assessed with rugby league. Cannot be tag rugby. This can only be used for one activity | | Squash | Cannot be assessed with singles | | Table tennis | Cannot be assessed with singles | | Tennis | Cannot be assessed with singles | | Volleyball | | | Specialist activity | | | Blind cricket | | | Goal ball | | | Powerchair football | | | Table cricket | | | Wheelchair basketball | | | Wheelchair rugby | | | Individual Activity | Comments | | --- | --- | | Amateur boxing | | | Athletics | | | Badminton | Cannot be assessed with doubles | | Canoeing | Cannot be assessed with kayaking, rowing or sculling | | Cycling | Track or road cycling only | | --- | --- | | Dance | This can only be used for one activity | | Diving | Platform diving | | Equestrian | | | Golf | | | Gymnastics | Floor routines and apparatus only | | Kayaking | Cannot be assessed with canoeing, rowing or sculling | | Rock climbing | Can be indoor or outdoor | | Rowing | Cannot be assessed with sculling , canoeing or kayaking. This can only be used for one activity | | Sculling | Cannot be assessed with rowing, canoeing or kayaking | | Skiing | Outdoor/indoor on snow; cannot be assessed with snowboarding. Must not be dry slopes | | Snowboarding | | | Squash | Cannot be assessed with doubles | | Swimming | Not synchronised swimming | | Table Tennis | Cannot be assessed with doubles | | Tennis | Cannot be assessed with doubles | | Trampolining | | | Specialist activity | | | Boccia | | | Polybat | | List of activities applying to qualifications awarded from 2022 for full GCSE or 2021 for short course GCSE | Team Activity | Comments | | --- | --- | | Acrobatic gymnastics |

FAQs

How are activities chosen for the GCSE PE assessment list?

Activities are evaluated against five key considerations developed by the Department for Education and awarding organisations, applying Ofqual principles for non-exam assessment to ensure parity and rigour.

What are the requirements for assessing students across activities?

Students must be assessed in three different activities as player/performer: one team activity and one individual activity, with the third activity taken from either list. Candidates may only be assessed once in any given activity.

Why are there two separate activity lists?

A 2018-2019 review resulted in the addition of activities, creating a current list for qualifications awarded until 2021 (full GCSE) or 2020 (short course) and a new list for qualifications awarded from 2022 (full GCSE) or 2021 (short course).

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Ezra