The SEAB Syllabus | 2027 SEC Exercise and Sports Science K354: Theory, Coursework and Training

The 2027 SEC Exercise and Sports Science (ESS) K354 is a G3 subject that examines both the science of movement and the student’s ability to apply that knowledge in physical activities. It is not simply an examination of who can run fastest or play a sport most confidently.

The published syllabus connects exercise physiology, motor learning and development, biomechanics, sports psychology and sports sociology. Students study how bodies move, how skills develop, which factors influence performance and how sport connects to people and society.

The most important practical point for parents is that 60% of the overall result is coursework completed across 21 weeks, while the theory e-examination contributes 40%. Preparation must therefore begin during the year, not only when the final written examination approaches.

Information checked 4 November 2026. SEAB’s 2027 G3 school-candidate list identifies Exercise and Sports Science K354, previous reference 6081. The assessment breakdown and coursework descriptions here come from the official K354 syllabus. Exact school assessment schedules and submission arrangements should be confirmed with the coursework supervisor.

Quick answer: 2027 ESS K354 assessment

Level and code: G3 Exercise and Sports Science, K354; old reference 6081.
Paper 1: a compulsory two-hour theory e-examination, 80 marks, worth 40%.
Paper 1 Section A: assorted digital question types such as multiple choice, matching, drag and drop, fill-in-the-blank and short answers, worth 20 marks.
Paper 1 Section B: structured questions using text, images and video or animations, worth 40 marks.
Paper 1 Section C: structured questions based on one or two videos, worth 20 marks.
Paper 2: compulsory 21-week coursework, 80 marks, worth 60%.
Coursework practical performance: 40% of the overall subject, involving an individual/dual activity and a team activity.
Coursework Development Log: 20% of the overall subject, analysing tactical decisions and developing, implementing and evaluating a training programme.
Official documents: SEAB 2027 G3 list and K354 PDF.

How is ESS different from ordinary physical education?

Physical education encourages participation, movement literacy and personal development through various activities. ESS is a formally examined academic and practical subject with a defined syllabus.

ESS students must do more than demonstrate a skill. They must observe performance, use subject concepts to explain what happened, evaluate alternatives and make justified recommendations.

A player may know that their passing accuracy has declined. An ESS explanation asks whether the issue is related to movement technique, decision-making, practice history, fatigue, attention, environmental conditions or another factor supported by the evidence.

The student learns to distinguish a symptom from a cause and to test whether the proposed change actually helps.

Exercise physiology: understand the body as a system

Exercise physiology studies how the body functions during and after physical activity, within the scope specified by the syllabus. It includes the skeletal, muscular, circulatory and respiratory systems, energy systems, effects of exercise and relevant training principles.

For example, students may learn why movement requires coordinated activity from muscles, joints and the nervous system, and how different activities place different demands on the body’s energy systems.

The practical skill is to explain the relationship rather than list organs. A student who can name the heart and lungs but cannot describe why oxygen transport matters during activity has only part of the understanding.

ESS students should also learn the importance of exercise risks and control measures. A school learning exercise is not permission to prescribe or perform an extreme training plan.

Motor learning and development: why practice changes performance

Motor learning is concerned with how people acquire and refine movement skills. It helps explain why practice structure, feedback and attention affect improvement.

A learner might perform a simple movement correctly during a drill but struggle to reproduce it during a real game. The difference may arise because the context demands decisions, timing and response to another player’s actions.

Effective preparation should include both understanding a movement and applying that understanding in a suitable practical context. Practising the same action repeatedly without feedback may not reveal why a learner makes a recurring error.

Ask students what is being practised, how successful performance is identified and what feedback would make the next attempt more informative.

Biomechanics: movement follows physical principles

Biomechanics applies mechanical ideas to human movement. The ESS syllabus includes concepts such as stability, forces, projectile motion and the phases of a movement skill.

Consider a ball thrown toward a target. Students can study how the direction of release, speed and other relevant factors affect the flight path. They should not claim the result was caused by “more power” without identifying the measurable or observable change.

A careful movement analysis asks:

What action occurred?
Which part of the movement is being assessed?
What evidence is visible or measured?
Which biomechanical principle helps explain the result?
What alternative explanation must be considered?
What reasonable adjustment might improve performance?

This teaches scientific reasoning through movement and helps distinguish what a video shows from an assumption about the athlete’s intentions.

Sports psychology: explain performance without mind-reading

Psychological factors can affect attention, confidence, motivation and responses to pressure. But a student should not claim they know another player’s thoughts simply because a performance looked nervous.

A responsible explanation distinguishes observed behaviour from an inferred psychological explanation. A missed shot could have several causes, including technique, timing, fatigue, opponent pressure and concentration.

When discussing mental factors, students should work from the syllabus and evidence. ESS is not clinical psychology training, and students should not attempt to diagnose themselves or team-mates.

The useful learning habit is to consider psychological factors as part of a broader performance system, not a universal explanation for every mistake.

Sports sociology: who participates, and why does it matter?

Sports participation is shaped by opportunities, culture, resources, social conditions and the wider meaning of sport.

A student could examine why access to facilities, time, transport or social support may affect participation. Another might discuss sportsmanship, commercialisation, equity or the role of sport in communities.

Evidence matters here too. A claim that “all students prefer competitive sports” is too broad without suitable data. Some enjoy team competition, others prefer individual activities or informal movement. People also face different practical constraints.

ESS encourages students to consider both participation and performance, including the benefits and risks of particular decisions.

Paper 1: why videos change how students should revise

The two-hour theory e-examination uses digital stimulus materials. Some structured questions involve short videos or animations, while Section C uses one or two videos.

A student who has memorised written definitions but cannot identify the relevant movement detail in a video may struggle. Practice should therefore connect theory to appropriate observation.

Use approved or teacher-supplied video examples and ask the student to describe what is visible before interpreting it. Where the question asks for a tactical decision, identify the alternatives and the conditions that made one choice effective or ineffective.

The aim is not to guess what an athlete “must have felt”. The aim is to make a defensible analysis of the presented performance.

Paper 2: coursework is the majority of the grade

The 21-week coursework is internally assessed and externally moderated. Its 80 raw marks are distributed between practical performance and the Development Log.

The practical performance component assesses an individual or dual physical activity and a team physical activity. The course uses specified skill and performance criteria, not a universal comparison of who is naturally the strongest athlete.

The Development Log requires students to analyse tactical decisions and undertake a structured process of improving performance. It should reflect what the student actually observed, planned, did and learned.

A student who leaves the log until the final week loses the opportunity to document genuine development across the required period.

Development Log Task 1: better tactical decisions

Task 1 focuses on improving tactical decisions in a team practical activity. The syllabus allocates 10 raw marks for this task within the Development Log.

A useful analysis starts with a specific moment or pattern. Perhaps a player repeatedly passes toward a team-mate who is closely defended. Rather than writing “make better passes”, the student could examine available passing options, positioning, timing and the likely consequences of each choice.

The conclusion should follow from the observed play. A claim that one change would always succeed ignores the movement of opponents and team-mates.

This is a problem-solving exercise with physical evidence.

Development Log Task 2: plan, carry out and evaluate improvement

Task 2 asks students to analyse performance and design, implement and evaluate a four- to five-week training programme for the chosen activity. The published syllabus separates it into:

Task 2(A): Analysis and Development of Training Programme — 15 raw marks.
Task 2(B): Implementation and Evaluation — 10 raw marks.
Task 2(C): Consolidation of Experience — 5 raw marks.

The plan must reflect relevant training principles and the student’s actual performance needs. The syllabus also places restrictions on how coursework supervisors may consult with candidates, and requires safety considerations before a proposed training programme is endorsed.

The student should not simply download a professional athlete’s training plan. A school learner has different circumstances, needs and limits. The coursework requires justified choices and honest evaluation of a plan developed for the individual student’s task.

What a good performance record looks like

A useful log contains enough information to answer three questions:

What was the starting point? Define the skill or outcome being measured, and record how it was assessed.

What changed during the programme? Document appropriate activity, observations, feedback, difficulties and any authorised adjustments.

What evidence supports the conclusion? Compare relevant outcomes, consider limitations and make realistic recommendations.

The student should not quietly replace an inconvenient measurement or invent a training session that did not take place. Authenticity is part of good scientific and academic practice.

The K354 syllabus explicitly addresses acknowledgement of reference materials and the risks of passing off AI-generated content as original coursework. Use digital tools only within the examination’s permitted rules, and make sure the work submitted reflects the student’s genuine analysis.

Safe participation and privacy in coursework

Any physical activity can have risks. Participation and training should follow the school’s supervision, safety procedures and the individual’s appropriate level of readiness.

Students should not use weight-loss challenges, extreme exertion, unsafe drills or self-prescribed rehabilitation as shortcuts to a better mark. A new or worsening injury requires appropriate professional assessment rather than internet-based experimental training.

Where performance recordings involve other students, consent, school policy and appropriate handling of footage matter. Video is evidence, but it is also personal information. Students should use it only for the authorised educational purpose.

A sample preparation calendar

Early school term — establish the syllabus. Confirm K354, practical activity choices, coursework supervisor and the school’s 21-week schedule.

First coursework phase — observe and document. Learn the assessment criteria. Record starting performance and identify a manageable issue for improvement.

Development phase — apply knowledge. Connect exercise physiology, motor learning, biomechanics, psychology or sociology to appropriate observations.

Training-programme phase — plan under supervision. Prepare the assigned task according to the school’s endorsed arrangements, including appropriate risk controls.

Implementation phase — record honestly. Complete supervised training and collect relevant evidence without inventing missing sessions.

Evaluation phase — examine results. Compare starting and later performance, explain limitations and assess what can reasonably be concluded.

Theory-exam revision — interleave topics. Use written and video-based tasks. Practise concise explanations and apply the five areas of study in unfamiliar situations.

The actual deadlines are set by the school and examination authorities. This sequence illustrates the work, not a substitute for the formal coursework calendar.

Which post-secondary and career options might fit?

ESS may interest students considering sports science, sports management, sports coaching, physical education, community fitness, exercise-related research or other pathways involving human movement.

ITE and polytechnic programmes and university degrees have different entry requirements, and some professions require additional accreditation, clinical training or registration. Taking SEC ESS does not independently qualify a student to diagnose injuries, prescribe clinical rehabilitation or work in a regulated healthcare role.

A student considering physiotherapy, for example, should research the exact academic pathway and professional requirements rather than assuming that studying ESS alone is sufficient.

Use MOE CourseFinder and each receiving institution’s current course requirements. The 2027 SEC graduating cohort also needs to review MOE’s 2028 post-secondary admissions arrangements.

What students should do, avoid and think about

Do

Confirm the SEC subject code K354 and the school’s course offering.
Read the theory and coursework requirements early.
Practise analysing movement using specific observations and appropriate concepts.
Keep an accurate, dated Development Log.
Use the coursework supervisor’s permitted consultation and safety procedures.
Make measured claims rather than assume one change caused all improvement.
Check tertiary-course prerequisites and professional recognition for future study.

Do not

Treat ESS as a subject assessed only by athletic talent.
Leave the 21-week Development Log until the end.
Copy an athlete’s training programme without individual justification and school approval.
Invent evidence or submit AI-generated coursework as personal analysis.
Diagnose a team-mate’s medical or psychological condition based on a video.
Use extreme or unsafe training to chase a grade.
Assume ESS automatically provides admission to physiotherapy or another regulated field.

Think about

Sport provides a powerful context for learning science because the outcomes are observable. But a performance improvement becomes meaningful academically only when the student can explain what was measured, which factors may have contributed and what remains uncertain.

Frequently asked questions

Is Exercise and Sports Science offered at G1, G2 and G3 in 2027?

The published school-candidate SEC list identifies G3 Exercise and Sports Science K354. It does not list a corresponding named G1 or G2 SEC paper.

Is the theory examination a written paper on paper?

SEAB describes K354 Paper 1 as a theory e-examination. It can contain digital question types, images, videos and animations.

How much of ESS is coursework?

60%. The remaining 40% is the two-hour theory e-examination.

Is the Development Log optional?

No. It forms part of the compulsory coursework and accounts for 20% of the total subject weighting.

Official sources and connected reading

The best ESS students are not merely active. They are curious about movement, accurate about evidence and responsible about improving performance safely.