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IGCSE PE Past Papers & Drilling (0413 Paper 1): 8 Questions with Answers
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL DRILLING MOCK · CAMBRIDGE IGCSE PHYSICAL EDUCATION (0413) PAPER 1
Written to the Cambridge 0413 syllabus (2027-2028 sessions): Paper 1 Theory is 1 h 45 min, 100 marks and half the qualification, all short and structured questions with no choice, while the other half comes from Component 2 Coursework – four activities drawn from no fewer than two of the seven categories. This is a Paper 1 drilling mock: 8 questions for 60 marks (about 63 minutes) across anatomy and physiology, health and training, skill acquisition and psychology, and social and cultural influences, with answers.
How is IGCSE PE (0413) assessed, and what does Paper 1 carry?
Direct answer: Paper 1 Theory is 1 h 45 min, 100 marks and 50% of the qualification, all short and structured questions with no choice. The other 50% is Component 2 Coursework (four activities, 25 marks each, 100 marks, from at least two of the seven categories). Grades run from A* to G.
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Theory) | Short and structured questions, 100 marks | 50% | 1 h 45 min |
| Component 2 (Coursework) | four activities, 25 marks each, 100 marks | 50% | assessed at school across the course |
Paper 1 has no multiple choice: 100 marks must all be answered in 1 h 45 min, about a minute a mark. Structured marks are given by step, so write the principle or definition first (for example cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate), then substitute the figures from the question, then give the unit and one sentence of explanation. Answers that show formula, substitution and unit collect the method marks, and explanations need a cause and a consequence rather than a conclusion.
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original drilling mock: the questions follow the Cambridge 0413 structure (Paper 1 Theory, 100 marks, 1 h 45 min, 50% of the qualification, all short and structured questions) and the answers are our own, not Cambridge past papers or marking references.
Every numerical answer was recomputed programmatically (cardiac output, breathing-rate increase, energy-system percentages, 1RM load, vertical-jump improvement, training heart-rate band, HIIT total time, survey percentages).
The school survey in question 8 is a fictional example written for this paper; it exists only to show the calculation, and describes no real school or statistic.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Theory) | 50% | about 1 min per mark, 8 to check | take the parts in order, bank the steps |
| Component 2 (Coursework) | 50% | four activities spread across the whole course, not one sitting | four activities from at least two categories |
How many questions and marks does this mock have, and how long should it take?
Direct answer: 8 questions for 60 marks across anatomy and physiology, health and training, skill acquisition, and social and cultural influences, each with a full answer. Allow 63 minutes (the official Paper 1 is 100 marks in 1 h 45 min, about a minute a mark).
Paper 1 Theory drilling (8 questions, 60 marks)
Three anatomy and physiology questions (22 marks), three on fitness and training (23 marks) and two on skills and social context (15 marks). Allow 63 minutes (the official Paper 1 is 100 marks in 1 h 45 min).
Question 1 (6 marks)
(a) State three functions of the skeleton.
(b) What type of joint is the shoulder, and what type is the elbow?
(c) Which class of bone is the femur, and give one benefit of that class for performance.
Question 2 (8 marks)
(a) Using flexion at the elbow, explain the roles of the prime mover and the antagonist.
(b) Distinguish an isotonic concentric contraction from an isotonic eccentric contraction, with one example of each.
(c) Compare slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibres in force, fatigue tolerance and energy supply.
Question 3 (8 marks)
(a) Explain cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate, and give the relationship between them.
(b) At rest an athlete has a heart rate of 70 beats per minute and a stroke volume of 70 cm3; calculate the cardiac output in litres per minute.
(c) During hard exercise the same athlete reaches 150 beats per minute and a stroke volume of 120 cm3; calculate the cardiac output and explain why both figures rise.
Question 4 (8 marks)
(a) State three features of the alveoli that make gaseous exchange efficient.
(b) Breathing rate rises from 12 to 30 breaths per minute during exercise; calculate the percentage increase.
(c) Explain why excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC, also called oxygen debt) occurs after hard exercise.
Question 5 (8 marks)
(a) Write the word equations for aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
(b) An athlete runs 400 m in 120 s; the coach estimates 30 s from the phosphocreatine system, 30 s from the lactic acid system and 60 s from the aerobic system. Calculate the percentage contribution of each.
(c) Explain why long, low-intensity activity is supplied mainly by the aerobic system.
Question 6 (8 marks)
(a) Match four components of fitness to a suitable test: cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, power and speed (choose from the 12-minute run, sit and reach, vertical jump and 30-metre sprint).
(b) An athlete has a one rep max of 80 kg and is told to train at 75% intensity; calculate the load.
(c) The same athlete improves a vertical jump from 45 cm to 52 cm; calculate the improvement in centimetres and as a percentage to one decimal place.
Question 7 (7 marks)
(a) An athlete has a maximal heart rate of 190 beats per minute; continuous training needs 60%-80% of maximal heart rate for aerobic gains, so calculate the training band.
(b) Compare high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with continuous training for improving cardiovascular endurance.
(c) A HIIT session uses 30 s of work with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:2 for eight rounds; calculate the total time including rest.
Question 8 (7 marks)
(a) This fictional school survey was written for this paper: of 250 students, 155 boys and 95 girls play sport outside school every week; calculate each group as a percentage (whole numbers).
(b) State two social or cultural factors that keep participation lower among girls.
(c) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of sponsorship for the development of a sport.
(d) Name one current issue linked to fair play and explain why it is a problem.
How should the time be split inside Paper 1?
Direct answer: Work in paper order at about a minute a mark: definitions in well under a minute, calculations written as formula then substitution, and eight minutes at the end to check units and decimals. Skip a question that will not come and never spend more than three minutes on one item.
Paper 1 answers (Questions 1-8)
Question 1
(a) Any three: shape and support, muscle attachment for movement, protection of organs, red blood cell production (3).
(b) The shoulder is a ball and socket joint (movement in many directions); the elbow is a hinge joint (only flexion and extension) (2).
(c) The femur is a long bone; long bones act as levers, so a muscle contraction produces greater force and range of movement (1).
Question 2
(a) On flexion the biceps is the prime mover, contracting concentrically and shortening, while the triceps is the antagonist, relaxing and lengthening: they work as a pair (3).
(b) Concentric: the muscle shortens under tension, as the biceps do in a pull up. Eccentric: the muscle lengthens under tension, as the quadriceps do to control the drop into a squat (2).
(c) Slow twitch fibres produce less force, resist fatigue and rely on aerobic supply; fast twitch fibres produce more force, fatigue quickly and rely on anaerobic supply (3).
Question 3
(a) Cardiac output is the volume pumped by the heart each minute; stroke volume is the volume pumped per beat; heart rate is beats per minute. The relationship is cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate (3).
(b) 70 x 70 = 4,900 cm3 per minute = 4.9 litres per minute (2).
(c) 150 x 120 = 18,000 cm3 per minute = 18 litres per minute (2). Heart rate rises because sympathetic stimulation speeds up the sinoatrial node, and stroke volume rises because the ventricles contract more forcefully and venous return increases, so the working muscles receive more oxygenated blood (1).
Question 4
(a) Any three: the alveolar wall is one cell thick, the surface area is large, there is a dense capillary network, the surface is moist so gases dissolve first, and the concentration gradients of oxygen and carbon dioxide are steep (3).
(b) (30 – 12) / 12 x 100% = 150% (2).
(c) Anaerobic respiration during hard exercise builds up lactic acid and uses the phosphocreatine store, so afterwards the body needs extra oxygen to refill the phosphocreatine and myoglobin stores, to oxidise or convert the lactic acid, and to return heart rate, breathing, temperature and hormone levels to normal (3).
Question 5
(a) Aerobic: glucose plus oxygen yields carbon dioxide plus water; anaerobic: glucose yields lactic acid (2).
(b) Phosphocreatine 30 / 120 = 25%; lactic acid 30 / 120 = 25%; aerobic 60 / 120 = 50% (3).
(c) The aerobic system breaks down glucose with oxygen, releasing energy more slowly but sustainably and without lactic acid build-up, so it suits low-intensity work over a long time; the anaerobic systems release energy quickly but only for a short period (3).
Question 6
(a) Cardiovascular endurance to the 12-minute run; flexibility to the sit and reach; power to the vertical jump; speed to the 30-metre sprint (4).
(b) 80 x 75% = 60 kg (2).
(c) 52 – 45 = 7 cm; 7 / 45 x 100% = about 15.6% (2).
Question 7
(a) 190 x 60% = 114 beats per minute; 190 x 80% = 152 beats per minute; the training band is 114-152 beats per minute (3).
(b) HIIT needs little time and stresses both the aerobic and the anaerobic systems, but the intensity is high, recovery is longer and injury risk is greater; continuous training is simple, low risk and builds a base, but takes longer and offers little variety (2).
(c) Rest = 30 x 2 = 60 s; each round = 30 + 60 = 90 s; 8 x 90 = 720 s = 12 minutes (2).
Question 8
(a) Boys 155 / 250 = 62%; girls 95 / 250 = 38% (2).
(b) Any two: gender stereotypes and tradition, few female role models or media coverage, unsuitable facilities, family and cultural expectations, and time or household duties (2).
(c) Advantage: sponsorship supplies money, kit, equipment or specialist facilities, so performers can train full time and prize money and exposure grow. Disadvantage: the sponsor may demand changes to dates, kit or formats to suit advertising, which affects the traditions of the sport and the spectators (2).
(d) Any one, explained: for example performance-enhancing drugs damage fair play and the health of the athlete, and teach young people that results can be bought (1).
How do I answer the calculation questions for marks?
Direct answer: Three steps collect the method marks: state the relationship (cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate; aerobic band = 60%-80% of maximal heart rate), substitute the figures from the question, then give the unit (litres per minute, beats per minute) and one sentence of explanation. A bare final number loses the step marks.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number without principle | Writing 4.9 when asked to explain cardiac output | Loses every explanation and application mark | Principle or formula first, then the numbers, then one sentence of explanation |
| Missing units | Writing 4.9 instead of 4.9 litres per minute | One mark off each value | Add litres per minute, kg, cm and per cent every time |
| Mixing up the energy systems | Putting a 100 m sprint under aerobic supply | The whole answer goes the wrong way | Judge duration and intensity before choosing the system |
| Ignoring the data given | Answering a percentage question from impression | All calculation marks lost | Work from the figures in the question, then write the conclusion |
| Pacing collapse | Ten minutes on a three-mark question | Later questions left blank | Spend about a minute a mark and bank the questions you can do first |
How to use this paper
First drill: the full 63 minutes on all 8 questions with no notes, writing the formulas out in the margin first.
Mark it: check every unit and decimal place, and check that each explanation gives both cause and consequence.
Second drill: redo three to seven days later, aiming to finish inside 55 minutes, and settle which four activities will be assessed for coursework.
What should I do after drilling this paper?
Direct answer: Log each error by type (concept, unit, misread); redo the paper in three to seven days aiming to finish inside 55 minutes; fill the gaps (skill acquisition and psychology, social and cultural influences); and settle the four coursework activities from at least two categories early, because coursework is 50% of the qualification.
FAQ
Is this a Cambridge past paper?
No. The questions and answers are TutorZone originals, not Cambridge past papers or marking references.
What does IGCSE PE 0413 Paper 1 test?
Theory: anatomy and physiology (skeleton, muscles, respiration, circulation, energy systems), health, fitness and training (components, tests, training methods), skill acquisition and psychology, and social, cultural and ethical influences – 100 marks in 1 h 45 min.
Can coursework be improved by drilling papers?
Coursework is the practical performance in four activities, 25 marks each for 100 marks and 50% of the qualification, taken from no fewer than two of the seven categories. It improves through practice and filmed review, not written drilling, although the theory (training methods, components of fitness) is what you use to plan that practice.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| Cambridge IGCSE Physical Education 0413 programme page | Confirm the marks, time and weightings of Paper 1 and the coursework |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-dse-physical-education-paper-2-mock-2027/ | DSE Physical Education Paper 2 drilling mock |
Related: practice area · DSE PE Paper 2 drilling mock
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