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The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

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Original post by Dog4444
Actually, it might be the case of raw talent. To do really hard Olympiad stuff consistently (I managed to get 1 problem from Balkan at the moment :frown: ) (IMO, Balkan, Romanian etc), you have to be a... not a human I guess? :confused:

Again, realised how rubbish I am. :frown:

I don't believe in raw talent, not in the case of the brain anyway, as it has too much potential/capacity. It takes practise, good schooling, good environment, parenting, etc. I've never heard of a 'chav' who had a talent for problem solving, for example. Statistically there should be a few if 'talent' mattered a lot. He's having you on.

There was a guy off this forum who got a B in GCSE Maths and a U in M1, yet went on to get 599/600 in Further Maths (Top 5 in Country), AEA Distinction (Top 5 in Country), 1st Class MMath at Warwick (90+ %) and is finishing off a PhD there. Btw this was years ago too, when 599/600 in FM was extraordinary (people were getting into Cambridge with modest A's in M + FM).

As for myself, I was in Set 2 for Maths in Years 8+9 in a bad comp school, on track for a B at GCSE (got an A), yet have a Theoretical Physics degree from Imperial (only a 2.2 though)
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by f1mad
Lol basically ask them to write their name on the paper and walk out :biggrin:.

That's what I did in my Group Theory exam at Imperial last year, lol.
Reply 1122
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f1mad
13
Original post by Physics Enemy
That's what I did in my Group Theory exam at Imperial last year, lol.


Tut tut :tongue:.
Original post by f1mad
Tut tut :tongue:.

Wasn't on purpose, I revised hard for it. I opened the paper and didn't recognise a single Q. Didn't even recognise the notation. It was an academic death sentance.
Original post by Physics Enemy
Wasn't on purpose, I revised hard for it. I opened the paper and didn't recognise a single Q. Didn't even recognise the notation. It was an academic death sentance.


You should've stayed. My maths group theory exam was a joke - no one could do any of it (including people who now have PhD's from MIT and Cambridge). Answered just under 1 question (out of 5), and got a first.

By the way the 2010 STEP I paper is a good reason why I recommend people brush up on at least a little bit of the stats - Q12 is very simple if you know what you're doing (an experienced person can write out the solution in about 5 minutes) and if its an easy paper getting some easy marks in to bump up your score might just push you over a boundary.
Reply 1125
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TSong
Original post by shamika
You should've stayed. My maths group theory exam was a joke - no one could do any of it (including people who now have PhD's from MIT and Cambridge). Answered just under 1 question (out of 5), and got a first. By the way the 2010 STEP I paper is a good reason why I recommend people brush up on at least a little bit of the stats - Q12 is very simple if you know what you're doing (an experienced person can write out the solution in about 5 minutes) and if its an easy paper getting some easy marks in to bump up your score might just push you over a boundary.
I really like STEP statistics qs. :biggrin: It's sad that now we only get two. Unfortunately I can't do any of mechanics qs - never studied. I feel disadvantaged as there are three qs on mechanics. Well, statistics seems to be not a very popular option in England. Most people opt to do mechanics modules instead.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by ben-smith
I remember generalbriety saying he got SS with minimal revision. **** him
Where did he say this? As I recall, he did a lot of prep in the lead-up. Of course, it's worth noting that not everything is "revision". If I was doing STEP papers all the way up to the exam, I'd tend to think of that as exam-practice, not revision.
Reply 1127
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TSong
If I fail to show the fraction leads to the required form in a proof by induction question, how many marks would I lose?

I did the 2002 STEP III paper in timed conditions and, could not completed the proof by induction in Q2. The rest of Q2 was pretty straightforward though.
(edited 12 years ago)
just to show the induction.....
Document1.pdf46.8KB
Can anyone see how Kln(K(e-1)+1) cancels down to K/2? :s-smilie:
Original post by shamika
You should've stayed. My maths group theory exam was a joke - no one could do any of it (including people who now have PhD's from MIT and Cambridge). Answered just under 1 question (out of 5), and got a first.

I managed to find the grade boundaries after; people did pretty well. I don't get why the paper was alien to me. The first 60% of the course wasn't tested; I revised that the most and nothing appeared!

Original post by shamika
By the way the 2010 STEP I paper is a good reason why I recommend people brush up on at least a little bit of the stats - Q12 is very simple if you know what you're doing (an experienced person can write out the solution in about 5 minutes) and if its an easy paper getting some easy marks in to bump up your score might just push you over a boundary.

More fool me then, I only revised Pure and Mech at the time.
Original post by snow leopard
Can anyone see how Kln(K(e-1)+1) cancels down to K/2? :s-smilie:

Is it meant to, or are you hoping it does?
Original post by Physics Enemy
Is it meant to, or are you hoping it does?


It's meant to (according to the mark scheme of STEP I 2008 Q8).
Original post by snow leopard
Can anyone see how Kln(K(e-1)+1) cancels down to K/2? :s-smilie:

You need to be more specific with what K is. It doesn't hold for all K (take k=1, for example) but since you're given that K=1/(1+√e), you can then simplify e−1e+1\dfrac{e-1}{\sqrt e +1} by multiplying numerator and denominator by e−1\sqrt{e} - 1.
Original post by snow leopard
It's meant to (according to the mark scheme of STEP I 2008 Q8).

It doesn't in general, however ...

If you set ln[1 + k(e - 1)] to 1/2 (which is what you want), you get ke - e^(1/2) + (1 - k) = 0. That's quadratic in e^(1/2). Solving gives e^(1/2) = 1 (false) or e^(1/2) = (k + 1)/k

So, it works for e = (1 + 1/k)^2.
Original post by DFranklin
Where did he say this? As I recall, he did a lot of prep in the lead-up. Of course, it's worth noting that not everything is "revision". If I was doing STEP papers all the way up to the exam, I'd tend to think of that as exam-practice, not revision.


This though your point about the distinction between work, revision, effort, et al is certainly a valid one.

On a separate note, my teacher is going to take STEP alongside me (and others at my school). This should be, interesting...
Original post by ben-smith
On a separate note, my teacher is going to take STEP alongside me (and others at my school). This should be, interesting...

LOL, you're going to demolish him. :tongue:
Original post by ben-smith
This though your point about the distinction between work, revision, effort, et al is certainly a valid one.
I have to say, that's not really my recollection of things, although it's 5 years ago now.

On a separate note, my teacher is going to take STEP alongside me (and others at my school). This should be, interesting...
Grudge match!

Any idea how he's expecting to do?

[I confess, I've wondered about doing this myself, but I'd be annoyed to not get straight S's and I wouldn't be confident about doing that without some actual exam prep. (It may look like I never struggle with STEP questions, but I'm quick to resort to other resources/calculator/Wolfram when I'm just trying to help people out). I don't have the "quality thinking time" these days for that kind of prep.
Original post by ben-smith

Massive liar. If it was really that little effort on his part, the effort will have come from elsewhere i.e.) teaching, environment, parenting. It doesn't simply 'happen' by magic. Be wary of those types, they're not trustworthy.
Original post by DFranklin
I have to say, that's not really my recollection of things, although it's 5 years ago now.

Grudge match!

Any idea how he's expecting to do?

[I confess, I've wondered about doing this myself, but I'd be annoyed to not get straight S's and I wouldn't be confident about doing that without some actual exam prep. (It may look like I never struggle with STEP questions, but I'm quick to resort to other resources/calculator/Wolfram when I'm just trying to help people out). I don't have the "quality thinking time" these days for that kind of prep.


I would bet money that he'll get 115+ on both papers.
We do have a semi-serious bet going on that if any of us beat him on 1 paper he'll buy drinks on results day:biggrin:
Do you think you'd have got SS if you had taken STEP back in the day?

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