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Unit 4 of Class 12 Physical Education is short, but it is one of the units where a clear grasp of a few definitions turns straight into marks. Here is what the syllabus asks, the three organisations, classification versus divisioning, and a one-evening revision plan.
What does Unit 4 cover in Class 12 Physical Education?
The CBSE Physical Education (048) curriculum for 2026-27 names Unit 4 Physical Education and Sports for CWSN (Children with Special Needs - Divyang). It lists five topics:
Organisations promoting disability sports (Special Olympics, Paralympics, Deaflympics)
Concept of classification and divisioning in sports
Concept of inclusion in sports, its need and implementation
Advantages of physical activities for children with special needs
Strategies to make physical activities accessible for children with special needs
In the same document, Unit 4 is weighted 04+04 b* marks out of a 70-mark theory paper, where b* marks are concept-based questions such as a tactile diagram, data interpretation or a case study for visually impaired candidates. That makes it 8 of the 70 theory marks.
What are the Paralympics, Special Olympics and Deaflympics?
Paralympics. According to the International Paralympic Committee's history page, Dr Ludwig Guttmann organised the first Stoke Mandeville Games for wheelchair athletes on 29 July 1948, and these became the Paralympic Games, first held in Rome in 1960.
Special Olympics. Special Olympics serves people with intellectual disabilities and has run since 1968, when it started in Chicago. It grew out of Camp Shriver, which Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded in the early 1960s.
Deaflympics. The ICSD constitution says the first Deaflympics, then called the International Silent Games, were held in Paris in 1924, and that the IOC recognised the ICSD in 1955. Under the ICSD audiogram regulations, an athlete is eligible with a hearing loss of at least 55 dB pure tone average in the better ear. The same rules forbid hearing aids and external cochlear implant parts in the competition area.
What is the difference between classification and divisioning?
Classification groups athletes by how much their impairment affects performance in a particular sport. The IPC's classification page says it exists to minimise the impact of impairment on the outcome of competition. The IPC currently lists seven eligible impairments: five physical (impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency or limb length difference, short stature, coordination impairments), plus vision impairment and intellectual impairment. Your textbook may group these differently, so learn the version your teacher uses as well.
Divisioning groups athletes by ability. Special Olympics' divisioning guidance says ability is the primary factor, with age and sex also significant. It suggests that within a division, the highest and lowest scores should differ by no more than 15 percent, and calls this a guideline rather than a rule.
Worked example: dividing a 100 m race
Say eight athletes run 100 m heats in these times (in seconds): 17.8, 18.4, 19.6, 20.1, 23.0, 24.2, 25.5, 26.3. Here is one simple way to apply the 15 percent guideline:
Start with the fastest time, 17.8 s. 17.8 x 1.15 = 20.47 s, so 17.8, 18.4, 19.6 and 20.1 form Division 1.
Take the next time, 23.0 s. 23.0 x 1.15 = 26.45 s, so 23.0, 24.2, 25.5 and 26.3 form Division 2.
Each athlete now races people of similar ability, which is the point of divisioning.
How do schools make PE inclusive for children with special needs?
Inclusion means children with and without disabilities take part in the same PE class, with the activity changed to fit the child rather than the child left out. For the strategies topic, organise your answer under four headings:
Equipment: bigger or lighter balls, balls with bells for visually impaired players, lower targets
Rules: more time, a smaller playing area, seated versions of a game
Instructions: demonstrate as well as explain, use visual cards or signs, and give one step at a time
Environment: ramps, even surfaces, and a quieter space when noise is a problem
To see what a school's grounds offer, our school sports facilities checklist is a useful starting point. If a younger sibling avoids games, read what to do when a child is left out of sports day. For individual needs, a physiotherapist or special educator is the right person to ask.
How should you revise Unit 4 in one evening?
Write the five syllabus topics as headings on one page.
For each organisation, note its origin, year and who it serves.
Write classification and divisioning side by side, then redo the 100 m example from memory.
List four inclusion strategies.
Answer one case-based question aloud.
If you are not sure where to start across the whole paper, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what you already know and build a plan for the session. If this unit has you thinking about a career in the field, see our guide to physical education teacher courses after 12th.
