Course Overview

The Higher course is divided into two components:

1. Practical performance (50%)
2. Exam (50%)

Practical performance

The practical element of the course revolves around assessment in two different activities. Each of these activities will be assessed out of 30 marks. Your combined score in these activities contributes 50% to your overall award. Both activities will be assessed as a 1-off performance; how you do on the day determines your score. You will be scored in the following categories in each assessment:

1. Skill repertoire (7): do you perform a range of skills demonstrate different techniques within each skill?
2. Control and fluency (7): does your performance of the above skills and techniques appear to be automatic and well-controlled?
3. Cognitive skills (7): did you use your problem-solving skills to make and execute effective decisions?
4. Composition and/or tactical understanding (7): how well did you perform your role and show an understanding of your responsibilities (team activities)? Did you play to your strengths whilst identifying and exploiting opposition weaknesses (team and individual activities)?
5. Rules and regulations (1): did you follow the written and unwritten laws of the activity?
6. Controlling emotions (1): did you manage to control factors such as anger, fear and resilience during your performance?

Exam

The written element of the course is assessed in an end of year exam. The exam is out of 50 marks and you will have 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete this. Your exam score will also contribute 50% to your overall award. The exam is divided into the following three sections:

1. Section 1 (32): the content knowledge assessed in this section of the exam can come from any part of the course elements (see below).
2. Section 2 (6-10): the content knowledge assessed in this section of the exam will focus on the creation and implementation of personal development plans in two factors.
3. Section 3 (8-12): the content knowledge assessed in this section of the exam can come from any part of the course elements (below) through a scenario which refers to two factors.

There are five course elements that sections 1 and 3 of the exam can focus upon:

1. Factors impacting performance and performance development.
2. Data collection and analysis.
3. Key planning information.
4. Developing performance.
5. Recording, monitoring and evaluating progress.

Let’s now consider how such content knowledge is examined by looking at the command words.