BTEC Tech Award in Sport (2022) - February update

Are you ready for Results day and prepared for the Summer series? 

Why not come along to one of the support sessions and I will provide support to ensure you are ready for Dec/Jan series results day (March 21) and options for re-takes/re-sits and also offer guidance for the Summer 2024 series.  The session is repeated so please only sign up for one of the sessions.  

Training zones 

On the BTEC Tech Award in Sport (2022), I have received several emails asking for clarification as to what is expected to be taught under A3 Exercise intensity and how it can be determined – specifically in relation to training zones.

Learners must have an understanding of exercise intensity and how it can be measured or worked out.Learners must also have an understanding of target zones. 

Learners must have the knowledge and understanding on target zones and training thresholds, including:  

• calculate training zones  
• apply HR max (220-age) to training 
• aerobic training zone  
• anaerobic training zone. 

Although learners must understand how to calculate training zones. In the external assessment, learners will NOT be expected to calculate a training zone (so they do not need a calculator) but they must be able to describe/explain/analyse/evaluate etc different training zones and how they are applied. 

There is a range of values that are permitted to be in aerobic and anaerobic zone.  As a guide   

• Anaerobic training zone - between 80-90% eg the learner could say 80, 85 or 90%. 
• Aerobic training zone - 50-80% eg learners have a choice of the % they use for this within this 50-80% range. 

Learners would be expected to understand this information and apply it to a question.  They would need to know how to calculate it but not actually carry out the calculation (unless considered applicable) to get full marks. 

Component 2 – do all the tasks have to be completed on the same sport/activity?    

On the BTEC Tech Award in sport (2022) component 2 

• Task 1 – learners must select the type of sport/physical activity named in the PSA   
• Task 2, 3 and 4 – learners must select a sport of their choice – It must be appropriate for the vocational context. 

Task 1 - Components of fitness - the category of sport/physical activity is specified in the PSA and will be either team sports, individual sports, outdoor activities or physical fitness activities. Learners must then choose a type of sport/physical activity that meets the category provided in the PSA to meet the requirements of the task. Any sport/physical activity that meets the requirements of the task and the assessment criteria could be used (including dance, if appropriate).  

Task 2 - Participating in Sport – learners are assessed on their performance for a sport of their choice. Any sport that can be assessed can be used for Task 2 – including dance.  As with all sports selected, it must be appropriate for the scenario.  For all sports, learners must demonstrate skills in isolated practices as well as skills and strategies in competitive situations.  Assessment and videoing must include practical demonstrations of:  

• at least three sports skills being performed in isolated practices  
• sports skills and strategies being performed in a competitive situation  

Task 3 - the sport must have an NGB as it is the NGB that sets the rules and regs.   The task can be broken down into three distinct components -  

• an account of the different roles and responsibilities of officials in your selected sport 
• an account of the two rules or regulations specified in the PSA 
• an account of the actions that official(s) will take with the two rules specified in the PSA to ensure adherence of the rules and regulations covered within the task.  

Please remember that the learners should only consider the two key rules and regulations listed in the PSA for the series that they are entered in.  Dance – the type of dance must have an NGB which can easily be found and clearly states the rules and regulations.  If you cannot find the rules and regulations from the NGB then you must not use dance for Task 3 as the learner will not be able to successfully complete the task.  In this scenario, learners must be assessed on a different sport for Task 3   which meets the requirements in the specification shown in the teaching content in topic B3.  

This can also apply to other sports e.g trampolining, rock climbing etc where there are limited rules and regulations which may not cover the teaching content shown in the specification. Learners may be great performers in a sport, and hence assessed in this sport for Task 2.  However, due to the nature of the sport, they may find Task 3 challenging using this sport as there are insufficient rules and regulations to meet the requirements of the specification content. 

For example – in the SAMs, one of the rules was ‘the number of players’– if a learner wanted to use a sport such as trampolining, they would have very minimal content to write on this section which would therefore limit the number of marks they could achieve. In these situations, learners could use one sport for Task 2 and a different sport for Task 3.   

Task 4 - Improving participants' sport skills - leading a session. A learner must plan and lead a session that will provide practical support to help the participants learn how to improve one sports skill of their choice for their selected sport – which could include dance, (providing it is appropriate for the scenario),  

Again, a learner may have been assessed in a sport for Task 2 and/or Task 3 but may find it difficult to lead a session in that sport and may want to select a different one for Task 4. 

For Component 2 we would recommend that Tasks 2, 3 and 4 are on the same sport where possible- this will provide continuity within the assessment.  However, we do understand, as mentioned above, there may be some situations where this is not possible - and therefore Tasks 2, 3 and 4 could all be on different sports (but the sport must be appropriate to the scenario).  Task 1, however, must always be on the category of sport/physical activity specified in the PSA.