Mark Johnson, PE and Sport Subject Advisor

The Evaluation and Analysis of Performance for Improvement (EAPI) is a key part of assessment for the Cambridge OCR A Level Physical Education (H555). For many candidates, it can feel like one of the most challenging aspects of the course. 

The EAPI assessment requires candidates to think critically, apply theory to practical performance, and communicate their ideas clearly under timed conditions. 

The good news is that our assessment criteria make it very clear what teachers and moderators are looking for. 

In this blog I’ll share guidance that teachers can share with students to help them maximise their achievement in the EAPI assessment.

What does a Level 6 response look like?

If you understand the requirements of the highest mark band and structure your response effectively, achieving Level 6 (26-30 marks) is entirely possible. 

According to Cambridge OCR’s assessment grid, top-band candidates: 

• Require no additional prompting. 
• Stay within the permitted time
• Accurately identify all major strengths and weaknesses.
• Analyse skills, tactics/compositional ideas, fitness and overall effectiveness. 
• Fully justify the priority area selected for improvement. 
• Produce an excellent development plan. 
• Apply relevant physiological, psychological and socio-cultural theory accurately throughout their response.

In simple terms, in the evaluative comments section, Level 6 candidates do not just describe what happened. They explain why it happened, what impact it had on performance, and apply relevant theory to support their response.

Evaluative comments: analyse, don’t just describe

One of the biggest reasons candidates miss out on top marks is that they simply describe performance. The key is coverage and justification of the strengths and weaknesses observed in the performance. 

A Level 3 style comment would be: 

“The performer missed several passes during the game.” 

A Level 6 style comment would be: 

“When under pressure, the performer tended to under-hit their passes, with a number of them falling short of teammates during the game. As a result, possession was lost more frequently and attacking momentum was disrupted. This seemed to be caused by a combination of technical errors and poorer decision-making as fatigue increased, likely due to limited cardiovascular endurance”. 

Notice the difference. The second response: 

• identifies the weaknesses. 
• explains why it is a weakness from the performance observed. 
• explains how it negatively impacted performance. 

This deeper level of analysis is exactly what Cambridge OCR rewards.

Cover all performance areas

Cover all performance areas Many candidates overly focus only on the skill section and mention a limited number of strengths and weaknesses per section. 

Top-band candidates analyse performance from three perspectives, skills, tactics and fitness and then draw all three together to indicate overall success: 

Skills 

• technical execution
• consistency
• success rate

Tactics or compositional elements 

• decision making
• positioning
• strategy
• awareness

Fitness

• strength
• speed
• cardiovascular endurance
• muscular endurance
• agility
• reaction
• balance
• flexibility.

Overall success

• How did the strengths and weaknesses influence the overall outcome?

Cambridge OCR specifically expects candidates to address these areas when evaluating performance.

Development plan: prioritise one key weakness

Level 6 performers identify one major weakness and justify why it should be the focus and how improving this weakness it will impact the performer. 

For example: 

“Improving passing accuracy should be prioritised because giving the ball away too often made it difficult for the team to keep control of the game. This put them under pressure and gave the opposition more chances to score. More accurate passing would help the team keep possession, create better attacking opportunities, and improve their chances of winning”.

The justification is crucial.

Create an outstanding development plan

The development plan is where many marks are gained or lost. 

Cambridge OCR states that A Level candidates should produce a detailed improvement plan covering between 8-12 weeks. A high-level plan should include: 

Frequency 

How often training will occur, for example three sessions per week.

Duration 

Length of each session, for example, fifteen-minute sessions. 

Progressive practices 

Teachers and moderators are looking at the appropriateness and realism of the practices you include in relation to: 

• the level of the performer observed, and 
• the frequency and duration of the plan stated by the candidate. 

Weaker candidate responses include basic practices not adequate for the level of performer, while stronger responses show realistic practices for the performer’s level and session duration. 

While “level of challenge” is not an explicit marking criterion, it is embedded within “realistic and appropriate practices.” Moderators therefore judge whether the plan would meaningfully improve the observed performer over time.

Show development from simple to complex. Candidates should include a suitable range of practices which are challenging and progressive. 

These practices must remain realistic in relation to the duration and frequency of sessions, as well as being appropriate to the level of the performer observed.

Candidates should consider short micro-cycles of 2-3 weeks, with a range of practices within each micro-cycle, which are both progressive and competitive in nature and can be used alongside one another as appropriate.

Justification 

Candidates should explain why they are doing each practice and how it is improving the selected weakness.

Example: 

“This practice develops passing accuracy under increasing pressure, replicating competitive match conditions.”

Level 6 plans are specific, realistic and progressive. They never consist of a list of random training activities. 

Detailed coaching points

Explain exactly what the performer should focus on. These coaching points should be developed throughout the plan as the practices become more advanced. 

Example: 

• head up before receiving
• first touch into space
• weight of pass
• body position on contact.

Application of theory: use theory throughout

Cambridge OCR expects candidates to apply theory within both the evaluative comments and development plan using relevant physiological, psychological and socio-cultural concepts from the prescribed theory list. 

Some examples of appropriate theory that can be included in your verbal response are included below. For full details, refer to Appendix D on pages 137-148 of the Guide to NEA for the full prescribed theory content which can be applied to ensure you are choosing and applying the most appropriate theories. 

Note that students will not be credited marks for attempting to apply theory that is in the specification if it is not included in Appendix D.

Physiological examples 

• analysis of movement
• muscle contractions 
• training of specific components of fitness 
• energy systems 
• ergogenic aids 

Example: 

“The performer showed reduced passing effectiveness late in the match due to fatigue. A targeted aerobic endurance programme would improve recovery and maintain technical execution.”

Psychological examples  

• arousal 
• aggression 
• confidence 
• self-efficacy 
• motivation. 

Example: 

“Decision making deteriorated under pressure, suggesting attentional narrowing associated with elevated arousal levels.” 

Socio-cultural examples 

• role of schools 
• using technology to monitor exercise 
• globalisation of sport.

Example: 

“The school has excellent facilities, such as an all-weather pitch and floodlights, which enable the performer to take part in training sessions and matches throughout the year. As a result, they can practise more consistently and make greater improvements in both their skills and fitness”. 

The strongest candidates naturally weave theory into every section of the EAPI rather than adding theory at the end.

Practise the verbal response

Remember that EAPI is a spoken assessment. Cambridge OCR requires candidates to deliver a verbal response within the permitted time and with minimal support. 

The highest-scoring candidates:

• use PE terminology confidently
• speak fluently
• follow a logical structure
• link observations to theory naturally
• avoid reading from a script. 

A useful structure is: 

Evaluative comments 

• identify strengths for skills, tactics/compositional ideas and fitness 
• justify why and how they impact overall success of performance 
• apply theory
• identify weaknesses for skills, tactics/compositional ideas and fitness
• justify why and how they impact overall success of performance 
• apply theory. 

Development plans 

• state and justify why chosen weakness 
• give duration and frequency of plan and sessions 
• detailed practices realistic to duration of sessions/whole plan and performer 
• coaching points
• apply theory.

Final thoughts 

Achieving Level 6 in OCR A Level PE EAPI is not about identifying the most weaknesses. It is about demonstrating sophisticated analysis, justifying the weakness to improve, creating a detailed and progressive development plan, and supporting judgements with accurate theoretical knowledge. 

Candidates who consistently follow this approach are demonstrating exactly what we describe in the highest level of the assessment criteria and give themselves the best possible chance of securing 26-30 marks.

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About the author

Mark joined Cambridge OCR as a PE and Sport Subject Advisor in 2018. He graduated from Staffordshire University with a BSc in Sports Studies, having previously completed an HND in Sports Science and Sports Injuries at Nottingham Trent University. After university he worked as a residential social worker, delivering the PE provision for a group of 11 to 16-year-olds with challenging behaviour. He then moved into PE teaching, spending a year at his old secondary school before lecturing Sports Studies and Sports Science at an FE College for nearly 15 years. During that time he delivered, assessed and internally moderated a range of Level 1-3 qualifications including Cambridge OCR. Alongside his education career Mark has also been a sports therapist, nutritionist and fitness coach at several rugby clubs for nearly 25 years.