Free Health and Physical Education: Content Knowledge Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Health and Physical Education: Content Knowledge practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A student believes that a disease can have serious consequences but thinks that their own chance of developing it is very low. Which Health Belief Model construct is reflected in the student's estimate of personal risk?

   1. A.Perceived severity
   2. B.Perceived susceptibilityCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Perceived benefits
   4. D.Perceived barriers

   Explanation: The source states, "Believe they are susceptible to the condition (perceived susceptibility)". Susceptibility concerns the perceived chance of developing a condition. Severity concerns its consequences, benefits concern the value of protective action, and barriers concern its costs.

   Reference: Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice — Part 2, Health Belief Model, pp. 13–14

2. 2According to CDC handwashing guidance, what is the minimum time for scrubbing hands with soap?

   1. A.5 seconds
   2. B.10 seconds
   3. C.20 secondsCorrect answer: C
   4. D.30 seconds

   Explanation: The guidance states, "Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.". The minimum is 20 seconds. Five and ten seconds fall below it; thirty seconds exceeds it but is not the minimum asked for.

   Reference: About Handwashing — How it works

3. 3A student accustomed to a given training load works against a greater resistance to create an additional physiological demand. Which principle is most directly illustrated by that increased demand?

   1. A.Specificity
   2. B.OverloadCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Reversibility
   4. D.Recovery

   Explanation: The source states, "Overload is the physical stress placed on the body when physical activity is greater in amount or intensity than usual.". Overload concerns a demand beyond the usual load. Specificity concerns which systems benefit, reversibility concerns loss of adaptation, and recovery concerns restoration after exertion.

   Reference: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — Chapter 2, It Is About Overload, Progression, and Specificity, p. 34

4. 4A PE class has long lines because only one ball is available for a practice task. Which management change most directly increases each student's opportunity to practice?

   1. A.Provide a ball for each pair at separate practice stations.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Divide the same one-ball line into ability-based groups.
   3. C.Demonstrate the task again before resuming one-ball turns.
   4. D.Rotate student order within the same one-ball practice line.

   Explanation: CDC recommends, "ensuring all students have enough needed equipment such as balls and jump ropes to prevent students from waiting in lines". More balls and stations permit simultaneous practice. Regrouping, another demonstration, and rotating order may serve other management purposes, but each retains the single-ball bottleneck.

   Reference: School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity — Guideline 4, Implement curricular and instructional practices to increase student physical activity

5. 5A school proposes replacing its PE curriculum with unstructured activity time. Which essential function of PE would this plan fail to preserve?

   1. A.Providing any opportunity for students to move during the school day
   2. B.Allowing students to be active in a space outside their classroom
   3. C.Teaching the knowledge and skills needed for lifelong physical activityCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Offering students a break from prolonged periods of sitting

   Explanation: The source states, "providing the opportunity for students to learn knowledge and skills needed to establish and maintain physically active lifestyles". PE is an academic subject with intentional learning, beyond simply providing movement time. The proposed unstructured time could still provide movement and a break, but does not preserve the planned knowledge and skill curriculum.

   Reference: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Guide for Schools — Quality Physical Education, p. 12

6. 6A health educator learns that students value a prevention program but expect transportation costs to keep them from attending. Which Health Belief Model construct should the educator address to reduce this obstacle?

   1. A.Self-efficacy
   2. B.Perceived benefits
   3. C.Perceived susceptibility
   4. D.Perceived barriersCorrect answer: D

   Explanation: The source states, "Beliefs about the material and psychological costs of taking action". Transportation expense is a material cost of participation and therefore a perceived barrier. Self-efficacy concerns confidence in carrying out an action; susceptibility concerns disease likelihood; benefits concern the value of the program, which the students already recognize.

   Reference: Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice — Part 2, Health Belief Model, pp. 13–14

7. 7When soap and water are not readily available, what is the minimum alcohol concentration CDC recommends for an alcohol-based hand sanitizer?

   1. A.60%Correct answer: A
   2. B.40%
   3. C.50%
   4. D.80%

   Explanation: The guidance states, "If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.". The minimum concentration is 60%. Forty and fifty percent are below it; eighty percent also meets the concentration criterion but is not the minimum.

   Reference: About Handwashing — Use hand sanitizer when you can't use soap and water

8. 8Which training adjustment best demonstrates progression while limiting the risk associated with abrupt increases in workload?

   1. A.Retaining the initial workload despite improved capacity
   2. B.Switching activities without considering their physical demands
   3. C.Raising the workload to the maximum possible in one session
   4. D.Increasing training demands in small steps as the body adaptsCorrect answer: D

   Explanation: The source states, "Small, progressive changes in overload help the body adapt to the additional stresses while minimizing the risk of injury.". Progression raises demand gradually as adaptation occurs. An unchanged load, an unrelated activity switch, or a sudden maximal jump does not implement this approach.

   Reference: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — Chapter 2, It Is About Overload, Progression, and Specificity, p. 34

9. 9A PE teacher is revising a game in which students sit out after errors. Which revision best applies CDC guidance on maintaining participation during games?

   1. A.Keep elimination but give the last remaining player an extra turn.
   2. B.Keep elimination but let students choose who starts the next round.
   3. C.Use a non-elimination version with ongoing roles for every player.Correct answer: C
   4. D.Keep elimination but post individual scores after each round.

   Explanation: CDC recommends, "aerobic games modified to be noncompetitive and that do not include eliminating students from the game". Non-elimination with ongoing roles preserves participation. Extra winner turns, choice of the next starter, and posting scores change incentives or administration while retaining the exclusion that reduces activity opportunities.

   Reference: School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity — Guideline 4, Implement curricular and instructional practices to increase student physical activity

10. 10A teacher plans a 40-minute PE class using the guideline that students should spend at least 50% of class time in moderate-to-vigorous activity. What is the minimum number of active minutes needed to meet that planning target?

    1. A.20 minutesCorrect answer: A
    2. B.10 minutes
    3. C.30 minutes
    4. D.40 minutes

    Explanation: The source states, "students engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 50% of the time they spend in physical education class". Half of 40 minutes is 20 minutes. Ten is below the target; thirty and forty exceed it but are not the minimum requested.

    Reference: School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity — Guideline 4, Provide a Substantial Percentage of Each Student's Recommended Daily Amount of Physical Activity in Physical Education Class