OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education (J587)
Exam structure at a glance for OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education: every paper with its time, marks and weighting, plus tiers, practicals and the links you need.
- Board
- OCR
- Specification code
- J587
- Tiers
- No tiers (one paper set for all)
- First teaching
- 2016
- First exams
- 2018
- Exam papers
- 2 · 2 h in total
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
The national curriculum content behind this GCSE: KS4 Physical-education programme of study.
Plan the whole year: open this course in the Year Planner – every lesson dated around your term dates, with a coverage check. Free.
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Papers and weightings
| Paper | Time | Marks | Weight | What it is (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 01: Physical factors affecting performance | 1 h | 60 | 30% | Written paper on the physical side of performance: anatomy and physiology, physical training and related data. |
| Component 02: Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology | 1 h | 60 | 30% | Written paper on socio-cultural influences, sports psychology, and health, fitness and well-being. |
| Component 04: Practical performances Non-exam assessment | not stated | 60 | 30% | Performance in three activities (one individual, one team, one other), assessed in competitive situations. |
| Component 05: Analysis and evaluation of performance Non-exam assessment | not stated | 20 | 10% | One written task produced under controlled conditions analysing and evaluating performance. |
Times are exam lengths; weightings are shares of the whole GCSE. Summaries are in our own words.
Good to know
- Non-exam assessment: Components 04 and 05 are non-exam assessment (40% together).
Not yet confirmed by us: Dates conflict in the spec: cover says first assessment 2018 (stored), p.28 says certificated from June 2021 and p.38 mentions first assessment June 2021 for version 1.3 (probably a revised version). First teaching 2016 taken from the page address from-2016. Check with OCR.. Check the specification.
Key dates
Summer 2027 exam series
- Entries deadline: Sun, 21 February 2027
- First exam: Mon, 10 May 2027
- Last GCSE exam: Fri, 18 June 2027
- Contingency day: Wed, 23 June 2027
- GCSE results day: Thu, 19 August 2027 (from a provisional board timetable)
Sources: JCQ key dates June 2027 (final (JCQ key dates)); JCQ key dates and timetables; JCQ timetable commentary. Check each board's final timetable for paper dates. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Specification, past papers and grade boundaries
- OCR: Specification at a glance (board website)
- OCR: Specification (PDF, board website)
- OCR: Past papers and mark schemes (board website)
- OCR: Grade boundaries (board website)
Facts checked against: ocr.org.uk, ocr.org.uk.
More packs
Exam facts (paper names, times, marks, weightings, tiers, codes) are taken from each exam board's own specification pages and summarised in our own words; no specification text, papers or mark schemes are reproduced. Exam details checked against the board's specification on 2026-10-20. Always check the current specification on the board's website.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Ofqual and DfE pages on GOV.UK). Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education, Ofqual, JCQ, AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR or WJEC Eduqas.
Questions teachers ask
How long are the OCR GCSE (9-1) Physical Education exams?
Component 01: 1 h; Component 02: 1 h.