AQA GCSE Physical Education Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport, June 2025: Question 15

✅ Mark Scheme Accepted Answers

• Hinge [1 mark]
• Hinge joint [1 mark]

💡 Key Knowledge: GCSE Joint Types

AQA GCSE PE requires you to know two main types of freely movable (synovial) joints:

• Hinge joint: Moves in only one plane like a door hinge (flexion and extension). Examples: Knee and Elbow.
• Ball and socket joint: Allows movement in almost all directions (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, circumduction). Examples: Hip and Shoulder.

🧠 Exam Technique & Strategy

• Keep it simple: The command word is "Name". You only need to write one or two words. Do not write full sentences or explain the movements possible.
• Be specific: If a question asks for a "type of joint", write the specific mechanical type (e.g. hinge), not the broader category (synovial).
• Quick 1-markers: Spend no more than 30–45 seconds on recall questions like this so you have plenty of time for 6-mark and 9-mark extended answers later.

❌ Common Errors to Avoid

• Writing "Synovial": While the knee is a synovial joint, writing just "synovial" is too vague and does not gain the mark when the specific type is required.
• Confusing joint types: Calling it a ball and socket or a pivot joint. Remember: the knee bends and straightens like a door hinge.
• Naming the bones instead: Writing femur, patella, or tibia instead of identifying the joint type.