How to Use the Study Guide for the P.E. Knowledge Assessment

Study Guide

The study guide is designed to help students prepare for the P.E. Knowledge Assessment. The following components are included in the study guide:

  • Overview (page 1) featuring:
    • Topics to be covered
    • List of documents to assist in studying
    • List of websites that contain additional information needed for studying but not otherwise in the Study Guide
  • Power Standards (page 2): Lists the three standards that form the content for the P.E. Knowledge Assessment.
  • Proficiency Scales (pages 3-5): Provides descriptors describing what a student must know and be able to do to approach the standard, be at standard or exceed the standard in each Power Standard.
  • Content pages (remaining pages in the guide) featuring information to be used to learn and study the material described in the Proficiency Scales.

Steps for studying

  • Download/print the Study Guide (the Study Guide can be found on the Student and Parent Portal).
  • Review the content that will be covered on the assessment by reading the cover page.
  • Review the three Power Standards (page 2 of the Study Guide) that are covered in the assessment:
    • Understands the components of health-related fitness and interprets information from feedback, evaluation, and self-assessment in order to improve performance.
    • Understands the components of skill-related fitness and interprets information from feedback, evaluation, and self-assessment in order to improve performance.
    • Analyzes personal fitness information to develop and monitor a fitness plan. The assessment will cover each of the Power Standards. The first approximately seven questions on the assessment will cover Power Standard 3, the next approximately seven questions will cover Power Standard 4, and the final approximately seven questions will cover Power Standard 5.

Use the Proficiency Scales to direct your studying. The questions from the assessment are written using the proficiency scale. There will be a couple of questions from the Level 2 (approaching standards) bullets, the majority of questions from the Level 3 (at standard) bullets, and one question from the Level 4 (exceeds standard) bullets. For example, Power Standard 3 has the following bullets under Level 2.
Students can expect questions directly aligned to these bullets. For example, the assessment may ask students to define a component of health-related fitness or recall/list the four components of the FITT Principle.

Simpler content, details, vocabulary, procedures, processes, and skills, including foundational knowledge and concepts, explicitly taught in class

  • Defines the components of health-related fitness (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition).
  • Recalls the four components of the FITT Principle.
  • Recalls the healthy level of fat mass for males and females.
  • Recalls the benefits of improving each component of health-related fitness.
  • Identifies training principles.
  • Records the progress of a health-related fitness plan (e.g., identifies the fitness component within the health-related fitness plan).

Use the information sheets in the rest of the study guide as a resource when reviewing the Proficiency Scales. They will provide the knowledge you will need to answer the questions based on the Proficiency Scales. Don’t forget to look at the websites on the Overview page to help you gather more of the needed information.


Lessons Learned for Grading the Assessment/Most Common Mistakes

  1. Many students mix up the components health-related fitness and skill-related fitness. It is essential to know the difference between them. Students receive no points if a question asks about the components of health-related fitness and the student writes about the components of skill-related fitness (or vice versa).
  2. Students need to know the training principles. These are different than the FITT principle.
  3. Students need not only memorize the components of health-related fitness and skill-related fitness, but also understand what sports, activities and careers require each component. Students should practice by choosing specific sports, activities and careers and explaining which components would be needed for each.
  4. Many students do not know how to write a SMART goal. (see pg. 4.148) They provide a fitness plan instead of a specific goal. Students should only write what they want to accomplish, not how they will accomplish it (e.g. In three months, I want to be able to do 20 pushups).
  5. Students need to fully read and answer the questions. Sometimes students do not answer all parts of the question and thus lose points.
  6. When writing a fitness plan for Power Standard 5, students forget to incorporate the FITT principle. For example, students forget to include days for rest and recovery (frequency) and often create workouts that are too short (time)