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This lesson introduces the Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) — Component 4 of the Edexcel GCSE PE specification (1PE0). The PEP is a piece of coursework worth 10% of your overall GCSE grade and is marked out of 20 marks. It is unique to Edexcel — no other exam board requires a PEP at GCSE level. You will plan, carry out and evaluate a personal training programme designed to improve one or more components of fitness. The final written document should be approximately 1,500 words long (not including data tables and graphs) and must demonstrate your ability to apply theoretical knowledge from Topics 1–5 of the specification to a real, practical training programme.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Component | Component 4: Personal Exercise Programme |
| Weighting | 10% of the overall GCSE |
| Total marks | 20 |
| Word limit | Approximately 1,500 words (excluding data tables and graphs) |
| Sections | 3 — Planning and Analysis, Implementing and Monitoring, Evaluation |
| Marking | Levels-based (Level 0 to Level 5) |
| Assessed by | Your teacher (internally assessed), then moderated by Edexcel |
| Unique to Edexcel | Yes — AQA, OCR and WJEC do not have a PEP component |
Exam Tip: The PEP is internally assessed, meaning your teacher marks it. Edexcel then selects a sample of work from your school to moderate. This means your teacher's marking must be accurate and consistent. You should aim for the highest possible level because moderation can only adjust marks — it cannot improve the content of your work.
The PEP is divided into three sections. Each section has a specific focus and contributes to the overall 20 marks. All three sections are marked together using a single levels-based mark scheme — there are no separate marks for each section. However, to achieve the higher levels, you must demonstrate quality across all three sections.
graph LR
A["Section 1<br><b>Planning and<br>Analysis</b><br>Pre-PEP data,<br>SMART targets,<br>training method"] --> B["Section 2<br><b>Implementing and<br>Monitoring</b><br>12+ sessions,<br>training diary,<br>progressive overload"]
B --> C["Section 3<br><b>Evaluation</b><br>Post-PEP data,<br>compare pre/post,<br>analyse targets"]
style A fill:#3498db,color:#fff
style B fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
style C fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
In this section you:
In this section you:
In this section you:
The PEP is marked using a levels-based mark scheme with six levels (Level 0 to Level 5). This means you are not simply awarded one mark per correct point — instead, the marker reads the whole PEP and decides which level descriptor best fits the quality of the work overall, then awards a mark within that level.
| Level | Marks | Descriptor Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | 0 | No rewardable material |
| Level 1 | 1–4 | Basic, limited knowledge; superficial treatment of the three sections; data may be absent or incorrect |
| Level 2 | 5–8 | Some relevant knowledge shown; some data collected and presented; targets may lack justification; limited application of principles |
| Level 3 | 9–12 | Reasonable knowledge and application; data collected and compared to normative data; SMART targets set but justification may be incomplete; some evidence of progressive overload |
| Level 4 | 13–16 | Good knowledge and detailed application; thorough data collection and presentation; well-justified SMART targets; clear evidence of progressive overload; thoughtful evaluation |
| Level 5 | 17–20 | Excellent, sophisticated knowledge and application; comprehensive data analysis; fully justified SMART targets with clear rationale; strong evidence of progressive overload throughout; insightful evaluation with specific, realistic improvements |
graph TB
L5["<b>Level 5</b> (17–20 marks)<br>Sophisticated, fully justified,<br>insightful evaluation"] --- L4["<b>Level 4</b> (13–16 marks)<br>Good detail, well justified,<br>thoughtful evaluation"]
L4 --- L3["<b>Level 3</b> (9–12 marks)<br>Reasonable, some justification,<br>some progressive overload"]
L3 --- L2["<b>Level 2</b> (5–8 marks)<br>Some knowledge,<br>limited application"]
L2 --- L1["<b>Level 1</b> (1–4 marks)<br>Basic, superficial,<br>data absent or incorrect"]
L1 --- L0["<b>Level 0</b> (0 marks)<br>No rewardable material"]
style L5 fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
style L4 fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
style L3 fill:#f1c40f,color:#000
style L2 fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
style L1 fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff
style L0 fill:#95a5a6,color:#fff
Exam Tip: The difference between Level 3 and Level 4/5 is almost always justification and application of theory. It is not enough to state what you did — you must explain why you did it, linking to components of fitness, principles of training, and SMART targets. The word "because" should appear frequently in a high-scoring PEP.
The PEP is not just a practical task — it is a chance to demonstrate your theoretical understanding from across the Edexcel specification. The following topics feed directly into your PEP:
| Specification Topic | How It Links to the PEP |
|---|---|
| Topic 1: Applied Anatomy and Physiology | Understanding which muscles are being trained and how joints move during exercises |
| Topic 2: Physical Training | Components of fitness, fitness testing, principles of training, training methods |
| Topic 3: Sport Psychology | Goal setting (SMART targets), intrinsic and extrinsic motivation during the programme |
| Topic 4: Sport and Society | Barriers to participation (facilities, equipment, time) that affect your programme design |
| Topic 5: Health, Fitness and Well-being | Links between exercise and physical, mental and social health |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| PEP | Personal Exercise Programme — a structured, planned training programme designed to improve one or more components of fitness |
| Component of fitness | A specific aspect of fitness (e.g. cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility) that can be tested and trained |
| Normative data | Published tables of average fitness test results for a given population, usually organised by age and sex |
| SMART targets | Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound |
| Progressive overload | Gradually increasing the intensity, duration or frequency of training to continue making improvements |
| Levels-based marking | A marking method where the marker reads the whole piece and matches it to a level descriptor, rather than awarding individual marks for each point |
Although the PEP is coursework, the concepts behind it can appear in the written exam (Paper 1 or Paper 2). Common mistakes include: