These eight questions are original and get harder, from simple arithmetic to careful conclusions. Write your answer before opening the explanation.
This set belongs to SPM subjects and learning resources. Use the timed original practice session builder if you want a timer.
Questions
1. A student counts 15 heartbeats in 10 seconds. Estimate beats per minute.
Answer
There are 6 lots of 10 seconds in a minute, so 15 × 6 = 90 beats per minute (bpm).
2. A jumper’s three standing-jump attempts are 1.80 m, 1.95 m and 1.85 m. Find the mean and the best jump.
Answer
Total = 1.80 + 1.95 + 1.85 = 5.60 m. Mean = 5.60 ÷ 3 = 1.87 m (to two decimal places). The best jump is 1.95 m. The mean and the best are different summaries, so read which one the question wants.
3. Resting heart rate is 72 bpm and after a five-minute run it is 138 bpm. Find the increase.
Answer
138 − 72 = 66 bpm. The question says increase, so subtract the smaller from the larger.
4. In a 50 m sprint a student’s times in two trials are 9.4 s and 9.1 s. Has the student improved? Explain.
Answer
Yes, by 0.3 s. A smaller time means a faster run, so 9.1 s is better than 9.4 s. Always decide whether lower or higher is better before you answer.
5. Use the define, example, link pattern to explain the term “progressive overload”.
Answer
A sample: “Progressive overload is gradually raising the demand of training so the body keeps adapting. For example, a student does 10 push-ups in week one and 12 in week two. The small planned rise in repetitions is the gradual increase in demand.”
6. Four students’ push-up counts before and after a month: W 12 then 18, X 20 then 19, Y 15 then 21, Z 10 then 14. Calculate the mean change.
Answer
Changes: +6, −1, +6, +4, which total 15. Mean change = 15 ÷ 4 = 3.75 push-ups. Three of four students improved. X did not.
7. A student writes: “The table proves that the training plan works.” The table is the one in question 6. Rewrite the sentence.
Answer
A sample: “The mean push-up count rose by 3.75 and three of the four students improved, which is consistent with the plan helping, but four students and no comparison group cannot prove it.” The rewrite states the number, hedges and names the limit.
8. Classify each as an observation or an unsupported claim: (a) “Aina’s 200 m time fell from 34 s to 32 s.” (b) “Stretching every day makes you faster.”
Answer
(a) Observation: it states a measured change in the record. (b) Unsupported claim: it gives a general cause that no single record can show.
If you got these wrong
- Questions 1 to 4 and 6: read interpreting a small sports-data table.
- Question 5: read explaining a concept using a concrete example.
- Questions 7 and 8: read distinguishing observations from unsupported claims.
Check your written wording with the structured-answer self-review tool. For one-to-one help, see online one-to-one Sports Science tuition.