SMARTER — the seven principles
SMARTER is seven principles that make a target effective. Specific -- one clear, precise improvement, not "get fitter". Measurable -- checked against a number, time or standard. Agreed -- set jointly by performer and coach. Realistic -- challenging but achievable. Time-phased -- a clear deadline. Exciting -- motivating, something the performer wants. Recorded -- written down and tracked. Aim for all seven, not just the first two or three.
Applying SMARTER to a performer
Naming and defining the seven letters earns limited credit. Higher-tariff questions ask candidates to APPLY goal setting to a named performer: the exact improvement (Specific), the number or method used to check progress (Measurable), who set it and when (Agreed), why it suits their ability (Realistic), a real date (Time-phased), what makes it motivating (Exciting), how it is recorded (Recorded). A goal that could fit any performer in any sport is not applied.
Outcome, performance and process goals
Three goal types matter for controlling anxiety. An outcome goal targets the result (winning) -- it depends on factors outside the performer's control and can raise anxiety. A performance goal compares to their own previous best, giving more control. A process goal targets technique alone (a high elbow catch every stroke) and is fully within their control. Process and performance goals keep attention on the controllable, so they best control anxiety.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Agreed, not Achievable (SMARTER)
Many candidates know the shorter SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) and wrongly carry A across as Achievable. In the 0413 SMARTER model, A is Agreed -- set together with a coach, not just judged within reach. Anchor it: Agreed = agreed WITH someone; Achievable belongs to a different, non-syllabus model.
Weak application to the performer
Candidates name and define the SMARTER letters well but lose marks applying them to a specific named performer. Weak answers give a generic version of each principle ("Specific means precise") rather than the performer's own improvement, an actual method of measuring it, or a real time frame. Name the activity, then give one concrete fact per principle asked about.
Flagged s22 P13 Q4a; s23 P12 Q4a; w23 P13 Q13b
Yes/No verdict without reasons
Asked to judge whether a goal meets a SMARTER principle ("is this goal Measurable?"), candidates often give only a bare Yes or No. Marks are for the REASONING, not the verdict: say WHY it does or does not meet the principle, using the detail in the question -- for Measurable, whether an actual number or checking method is included. A verdict alone earns little.
Flagged s22 P13 Q4a; s23 P12 Q4a; w23 P13 Q13b
Unrelated or unnamed activity
A goal-setting question names a performer and activity for a reason: the principles must be applied to it. An unrelated or vague activity makes it impossible to give the detail each principle needs, so the answer stays generic. Anchor every principle to the performer's actual sport -- e.g. penalty-corner conversion for a hockey player, not "getting better".
Flagged s22 P13 Q4a; s23 P12 Q4a; w23 P13 Q13b
Forgetting Exciting and Recorded
Because the extra E and R have no equivalent in the shorter SMART model, candidates who default to SMART drop Exciting and Recorded. Exciting means the goal is motivating -- something the performer wants. Recorded means the goal and progress are written down and tracked, so they can be reviewed. Both are examinable principles; omitting them loses easy marks.
Outcome goal ≠ process goal
These are confused when a question asks for a goal type. An outcome goal is about the RESULT -- winning, a podium finish -- and depends on rivals and officials. A process goal is about the ACTION or technique -- a controlled landing every routine -- within the performer's control. A performance goal sits between. Naming the wrong type loses the mark.
Not every goal calms anxiety
Students assume any goal is calming, but it is not. An outcome goal ("win the competition") depends on things outside the performer's control (a rival, the judges), so focusing on it can INCREASE anxiety. A process goal or performance goal rests on the performer's own action, so it is controllable. Only a controllable goal controls anxiety.
Match the command word
"State/identify" wants the meaning only. "Apply/suggest" wants a working SMARTER goal for the NAMED performer, a concrete detail per principle. "Evaluate" wants a reasoned judgement, not a bare Yes/No. Reciting definitions loses marks.
Give one concrete detail per principle
For an "apply" question, give the performer's actual detail per principle, not the definition -- the exact skill, a number to check progress, who agreed it, a real date, what motivates them, how it is recorded. Applying to the named activity is the most repeated Paper 1 demand.
Don't repeat the question stem
Restating the target given in the question, without adding detail, earns nothing -- "using part of the question" is flagged every sitting. If the stem gives the improvement, add the measuring method, a time frame, and why it suits the performer.
Goal setting uses seven linked principles, known by the acronym SMARTER.
| Letter | Stands for | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| S | Specific | The goal targets ONE clear, precise action or improvement, not a vague general aim. |
| M | Measurable | Progress can be checked against a number, a time, or an observable standard. |
| A | Agreed | The performer and their coach agree the goal together, so both are committed to it. |
| R | Realistic | The goal is challenging but genuinely achievable for that performer. |
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