Cambridge A Level Physical Education 9396 Past Papers 2026
Download free Cambridge AS & A Level Physical Education 9396 past papers, mark schemes, examiner reports & grade thresholds. 21 exam sessions from 2009–2026.
2023 Oct-Nov
Latest Session
21
Sessions
2009–2026
101
Question Papers
100
Mark Schemes
99% coverage
17
Examiner Reports
81% of sessions
18
Grade Thresholds
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute shows how fast you have to work — the higher the number, the tighter the time pressure in that paper.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | AS Theory (Written) — Variants 11/12/13 | 90 | 2h | 0.75 | Moderate |
| Paper 2 | AS Coursework (Practical Performance + Action Plan) | 90 | Centre-assessed and externally moderated | — | — |
| Paper 3 | A Level Theory (Written) — Variants 31/32/33 | 90 | 2h 30m | 0.60 | Steady |
| Paper 4 | A Level Coursework (Performance + Evaluation and Appreciation) | 90 | Centre-assessed and externally moderated | — | — |
Component structure extracted from 1 official Cambridge documents (2023). Timings and mark totals are taken from the papers themselves.
Yearly Exam Sessions
How is Cambridge AS & A Level Physical Education 9396 examined?
Cambridge AS & A Level Physical Education is examined through 4 paper components. Understanding each component helps you allocate revision time effectively.
Paper 1
90 marksAS Theory (Written) — Variants 11/12/13
Duration: 2h
Paper 2
90 marksAS Coursework (Practical Performance + Action Plan)
Duration: Centre-assessed and externally moderated
Paper 3
90 marksA Level Theory (Written) — Variants 31/32/33
Duration: 2h 30m
Paper 4
90 marksA Level Coursework (Performance + Evaluation and Appreciation)
Duration: Centre-assessed and externally moderated
What Cambridge examiners say about Physical Education
Verbatim quotes from 1 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things Cambridge markers flag year after year.
Vague terminology unsuitable for advanced level
Candidates need to answer questions with an appropriate depth of theoretical knowledge. Some general terms are too vague at advanced level.
Failing to satisfy the command word
Candidates should consider the command word that is used so that the depth of their answer is in line with the command word set.
Repeating points already given in the question stem…
Very weak candidates resorted to repeating the points already given in the question.
Most Common Mistakes — Physical Education (9396)
Based on analysis of 1 official Cambridge examiner reports (2023). Avoid these errors to maximise your marks.
Vague terminology unsuitable for advanced level — generic terms instead of precise technical language
Paper 1, Paper 3 · Flagged as a key message in Paper 11, 13, 31, 32, 33 (2023)
Failing to satisfy the command word — describing when asked to explain, listing when asked to describe
Paper 1, Paper 3 · Flagged as a key message in Papers 11, 13, 32 (2023)
Repeating points already given in the question stem instead of adding new content
Paper 1, Paper 3 · Flagged across Papers 11, 32 (2023)
Omitting units and typical values in physiology questions
Paper 1 · Flagged in Paper 11 1(e) and Paper 12 1(d)(i) (2023)
Confusing similar syllabus terms — open vs closed-loop, recall vs recognition schema, drive vs inverted-U, sponsorship vs other funding
Paper 1, Paper 3 · Flagged across Papers 12, 13, 33 (2023)
Topics Students Struggle With Most
Recognition schema vs recall schema
'Only the stronger candidates could explain the features of recognition schema. Weaker candidates often wrote about recall schema rather than recognition schema or did not seem to know the topic area.' (9396 Paper 13, 2023)
Paper 1
Conduction system of the heart
'Some candidates gave comprehensive descriptions of the conduction system of the heart. Weaker candidates sometimes described the flow of blood through the heart instead. Some weak candidates did not attempt this question.' (9396 Paper 12, 2023)
Paper 1
Open-loop vs closed-loop control
'The strongest responses showed an excellent understanding of closed-loop control. Weaker candidates were generally limited to knowledge that adjustments can be made during the performance of the skill. A few very weak candidates misread the question and described a closed skill instead.' (9396 Paper 12, 2023)
Paper 1
Drive theory vs inverted-U arousal
'Most candidates correctly explained the drive theory of arousal. Weaker candidates often explained the Inverted-U theory rather than Drive theory.' (9396 Paper 13, 2023)
Paper 1
Effects of blood doping (evaluation, not description)
'Stronger responses evaluated the effects of blood doping and gave positive benefits as well as the health risks. Weaker candidates tended to describe the process of blood doping instead. A few candidates seemed to describe the effects of anabolic steroids.' (9396 Paper 31/33, 2023)
Paper 3
Voluntary provision in sport
'Some candidates found this question challenging. Some weak candidates described private provision rather than voluntary provision. Other candidates could not go beyond the concept of volunteers, the stronger candidates tended to qualify this with sufficient detail for credit.' (9396 Paper 11, 2023)
Paper 1
Weiner's attribution model
'Stronger responses covered the four different attributions from Weiner's model and used suitable sporting examples for each. Weaker candidates sometimes did not show any knowledge of the model.' (9396 Paper 31/33, 2023)
Paper 3
Amateurism vs professionalism in the Olympic Games
'The strongest responses considered why there was a lack of policy over the transition from amateurism to professionalism... Some weak candidates did not attempt this question.' (9396 Paper 31/33, 2023)
Paper 3
Physical Education (9396) — Cambridge AS & A Level Full Archive 2009–2026
This page contains all 236 available papers for Cambridge A Level Physical Education (9396) — 21 exam sessions from 2009 to 2026. Each session includes question papers, mark schemes, and where available, examiner reports and grade threshold documents. All files are free to download as PDF — no account required.
Cambridge A Level Physical Education (9396) is examined through multiple paper components. Question papers are available in two or three variants per session (v1, v2, v3) — each variant is sat in a different time zone but covers the same syllabus content and is equivalent in difficulty. The paper number in the filename indicates which component: for example, 9396_qp_12 is Paper 1, Variant 2.
Mark schemes for 9396 show the exact marking points accepted by Cambridge examiners. Many questions have multiple acceptable phrasings — look for 'accept', 'allow', and 'credit' in the mark scheme to understand the full range of valid responses. Examiner reports (where available) reveal the most common errors made by the cohort and what top-band answers looked like, making them essential reading before the actual exam.
The most effective way to use this archive is to attempt past papers under timed exam conditions, then analyse your mark scheme results by component. Track which paper components and question types you score lowest on — this tells you exactly where to focus revision. Grade threshold documents show the minimum mark needed for each grade in that specific session, which helps calibrate how your practice scores translate to actual grades.
Physical Education 9396 at other levels
Questions, answered.
You can download all Cambridge Physical Education 9396 past papers right here on PapersDaddy. We have 21 exam sessions from 2009–2026 — including question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports, and grade thresholds for 9396. Click any session below to view and download PDFs.
Yes! Every Cambridge AS & A Level Physical Education (9396) exam session includes the corresponding mark scheme alongside the question paper. Mark schemes show exactly how marks are allocated, helping you understand what examiners look for in top-scoring answers.
Start with recent 9396 papers (2025–2023) to understand current trends. Practice under timed conditions, then mark yourself using the mark scheme. Read examiner reports to learn common mistakes. For targeted revision, use Physical Education 9396 topical past papers to focus on specific topics.
We have Cambridge AS & A Level Physical Education (9396) papers from May/June, October/November, and March sessions (where applicable), covering 2009–2026. That's 21 exam sessions in total.