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The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

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Original post by GreenLantern1
I am in year 11 and want to do STEP in hope of going to Cambridge/Warwick or others, so could you please tell me ta few STEP questions that appear to be of GCSE ability. I know C1 and C2 as well, and have done S1; so slightly advanced stuff wouldn't be a problem. Also, I know about modular arithmetic since I learnt it when doing the Intermediate Maths mentoring scheme, so of you could highlight any questions at my ability I would be very grateful.


You could also try doing MAT questions as they are specifically designed for those with only C1 and C2 and are reasonably interesting (although not as hard as STEP)
Original post by TheMagicMan
You could also try doing MAT questions as they are specifically designed for those with only C1 and C2 and are reasonably interesting (although not as hard as STEP)


I did try the Specimen MAT paper and actually did fairly well, but I was wondering if there were any STEP questions at my ability since they are,as you said yourself, a lot harder.
Original post by shamika
Check out the 1992 STEP 1 paper, and see how many of those you can do. If you are on the mentoring scheme, perhaps we can expect big things from you :smile:

EDIT: Immediately after I made the post, I realised that could be misconstrued as pressuring. If its your first time doing STEP, it might take a while to get used to the style. I wouldn't worry about doing it in the time limit - just pick out questions that take your fancy and see how you get on.


Thank you, I will have a look at that particular paper.:biggrin:
Does anyone now where I can access STEP papers pre-1998, as the link on the Cambridge Website have papers post-1998.

Cheers.
Original post by GreenLantern1
Does anyone now where I can access STEP papers pre-1998, as the link on the Cambridge Website have papers post-1998.

Cheers.


Sorry - check out the first post on this thread, XX has made a megapost with everything you need in one place.
Reply 1405
Please could someone tell me if this integral is correct; in the answers on thestudentroom they've used a different substitution and our final answers look quite different so I can't tell if I've done something wrong or not.
Original post by shamika
Sorry - check out the first post on this thread, XX has made a megapost with everything you need in one place.


Would you mind just helping me?:colondollar: I am doing number 1 on STEP 1 1992. Once you get to 107 is congruent to 2 mod 7. How do you go back from here. Would you work back till April 3rd 1992 and then till April 3rd 1991 and then use modular arithmetic to go back to April 3rd 1905, going back two days of the week?

edit: And on 3i) do the lines mean absolute value? Recently came across that in the mentoring scheme.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Ulgoo
Please could someone tell me if this integral is correct; in the answers on thestudentroom they've used a different substitution and our final answers look quite different so I can't tell if I've done something wrong or not.


what question is this?
Original post by Ulgoo
Please could someone tell me if this integral is correct; in the answers on thestudentroom they've used a different substitution and our final answers look quite different so I can't tell if I've done something wrong or not.

Your answer is correct. Differentiate it and check that you get the same thing that you started with.

FWIW, I'd have gone for a u2=1+sinxu^2=1+\sin x substitution here.
Reply 1409
Original post by Ulgoo
Please could someone tell me if this integral is correct; in the answers on thestudentroom they've used a different substitution and our final answers look quite different so I can't tell if I've done something wrong or not.


Your answer is correct, it can easily be shown that your answer is the same as the answer given on thestudentroom
Unparseable latex formula:

[br]-2ln[((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)/(sinx)^1^/^2][br]ln[(sinx)/((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)^2][br]ln[(sinx)((1+sinx)^1^/^2-1)/((1+sinx)^1^/^2-1)((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)][br]ln[(sinx)((1+sinx)^1^/^2-1)/(1+sinx-1)((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)][br]ln[((1+sinx)^1^/^2-1)/((1+sinx)^1^/^2+1)][br]



@ ben-smith - the paper is 1988 step I q9
Reply 1410
Thank you very much kind sirs.

Original post by ben-smith
what question is this?


It's STEP I 1988 Q9.
Reply 1411
Original post by Ulgoo
Please could someone tell me if this integral is correct; in the answers on thestudentroom they've used a different substitution and our final answers look quite different so I can't tell if I've done something wrong or not.


I have not looked at the question (so ignore me if incorrect, or I might be missing something really obvious), but how can you use the substitution sinx=(tan (theta))^2 without knowing the integral limits (where sinx might be negative)?
Reply 1412
Original post by Farhan.Hanif93
You need to be careful of the cases where the exponent of any linear term is -1.

Parts and substitution is a very hammer-fisted approach. I would observe that x(x+1)m=(x+1)m+1(x+1)mx(x+1)^m = (x+1)^{m+1} - (x+1)^m.


How did you "observe" that?!
Reply 1413
Original post by Blazy
How did you "observe" that?!


x = x + 1 - 1
Original post by GreenLantern1
Would you mind just helping me?:colondollar: I am doing number 1 on STEP 1 1992. Once you get to 107 is congruent to 2 mod 7. How do you go back from here. Would you work back till April 3rd 1992 and then till April 3rd 1991 and then use modular arithmetic to go back to April 3rd 1905, going back two days of the week?


Essentially, yes. Try it - what do you get?

edit: And on 3i) do the lines mean absolute value? Recently came across that in the mentoring scheme.


Yep.

Try Q2 and Q5 too, they should be accessible given your background...
On the train to cambridge for the step week. Train has just stopped in the middle of nowhere. As if I wasn't bored enough.
Original post by hassi94
On the train to cambridge for the step week. Train has just stopped in the middle of nowhere. As if I wasn't bored enough.


My train's delayed -_-
Reply 1417
Original post by twig
I have not looked at the question (so ignore me if incorrect, or I might be missing something really obvious), but how can you use the substitution sinx=(tan (theta))^2 without knowing the integral limits (where sinx might be negative)?


It's an indefinite integral, step 1 1988 q9,.
Original post by shamika
Essentially, yes. Try it - what do you get?



Yep.

Try Q2 and Q5 too, they should be accessible given your background...


Cheers. Do you know where I can get the answers or can you just tell me if this is right. For number 1 I got Monday. And for 3i) i got 4. What is the difference between 3i and 3ii. What does the notation then mean? And btw was 1992 a lot easier than recent years because it took me 15-20 minutes to work that one out, or is it just since it is the first question:redface:

And I will have a go at the other questions but I should probably revise first; still got GCSEs.

EDIT: On number 5 when it says po(x) - does that mean f(x). Can you explain the notation in that question if you get a chance. You an do it wheneverr - obviously you're busy, and I probably won't have enough time to attempt them today anyway.Cheers :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1419
Original post by hassi94
On the train to cambridge for the step week. Train has just stopped in the middle of nowhere. As if I wasn't bored enough.


Have fun :wink:.

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