STEP Prep Thread 2016 (Mark. II)

I wouldn't bother trying to grade old STEP papers. Just do them for practice, trying to assign grades to them is a bit futile.

ETA: I've done 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14 off that paper.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 301

Original post by Zacken

I wouldn't bother trying to grade old STEP papers. Just do them for practice, trying to assign grades to them is a bit futile.

ETA: I've done 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14 off that paper.

How can I see progress then? I do agree though, which is why 1998 was my last mock of 90s papers or at least until I finish the questions from the new spec that I haven't done. Gonna work through all the vectors, complex numbers, mechanics (this one's gonna be difficult to finish in one/two weeks) from 2014 and down (starting with later papers because they are better practice) so I can make sure Siklos doesn't try to trip me by infesting the whole pure section with vectors/complex numbers like he did in III 2013, and also so even if the pure section does not go in my favour I would be able to dive into mechanics with (hopefully) not that much trouble.

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Reply 302

Original post by Zacken

I wouldn't bother trying to grade old STEP papers. Just do them for practice, trying to assign grades to them is a bit futile.

ETA: I've done 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14 off that paper.

You should've done Question 9, it is literally an M5 A-level question haha.

What do you think of Question 3 and 7? I did all the other questions very fast but then got stuck on last part of Question 7 for quite a long time because I didn't know how to integrate b(X), binomial expansion was pretty tricky to see, I guess I am not used to it. Also, I think I took like over 40 minutes on Question 3, even started the question from the start at one point. I wrote so much that I got some marks on that question but I had like so many pages of work that should've been condensed into max one page. I think I just couldn't see how to get to the solution. :biggrin:

Reply 303

IrrationalRoot

20

Original post by Insight314

@physicsmaths,

How much easier are older papers compared to newer ones? I did 1998 III, and I got 96/120 but not sure if this is S or Grade 1. What do you think might be the grade boundaries for it? You should consider that Q1, 2 and 9 are literally a 10 minute job for current STEP III candidates (not sure about then though, since I don't know if standard M.I techniques were in M5 back in the old days).

Also, has anyone tried 1998 III (@IrrationalRoot since I know you do 90s papers)? We can discuss if you want, I found 3 very difficult and Question 7 I couldn't spot the binomial expansion and how to pretty much integrate

b(x)

at the end. I did 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10.

I can't do any of the applied so I just did 1,2,3,4,7. It was a good paper yeah, but not sure what the GBs would be since 3 of the pures looked like Qs that most candidates would avoid. Then again I don't know how difficult the applied was.
7 was bit weird but 1,2,3,4 were definitely nice.

Reply 304

Woke up late, already so behind on A-level revision for this half-term, thinking of only doing mech questions today with some vectors, complex numbers.

Gonna start from 2014 and work backwards. :smile:

Reply 305

gasfxekl

8

Original post by Insight314

Woke up late, already so behind on A-level revision for this half-term, thinking of only doing mech questions today with some vectors, complex numbers.

Gonna start from 2014 and work backwards. :smile:

What college did you apply to?

Reply 306

username1162972

18

Original post by Insight314

Woke up late, already so behind on A-level revision for this half-term, thinking of only doing mech questions today with some vectors, complex numbers.

Gonna start from 2014 and work backwards. :smile:

Im doing III 2010 stuff today. If yur interested.
Im stuck on Q11 III lolz

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Reply 307

Original post by gasfxekl

What college did you apply to?

I already told you m8.

I am a proud Churchillian. :wink:

Reply 308

Original post by physicsmaths

Im doing III 2010 stuff today. If yur interested.
Im stuck on Q11 III lolz

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All right, gonna start Q11 now.

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Reply 309

username1162972

18

Also who has done III 2010 Q4
So I did the way the MS did in part i)
Proved both ways.
But in part ii)
I started with the equations and said these equations have a common root iff
x^2+(q-b)x+r and x^2+ax+b have a common root and from i) this is iff then the result.
Why would i need to prove this backwards aswell since the result is iff from i).
Or is the complication from the cubic and quadratic having common root iff the two quadratics do (this iff is surely trivial).

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Reply 310

drandy76

13

When is everyone doing the 2015 papers? Next weekend?

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Reply 311

EnglishMuon

16

Is there a nice method to the last part of Q3 III 2013 or is it just an algebra bash? The m.s. is a bit sparse so would I get away with forming my horrible expression with x,y,z and saying all the x,y,z terms cancel and just look at the constants? or would I have to expand manually (if this is indeed the only method).

Reply 312

username1258398

19

Original post by EnglishMuon

Is there a nice method to the last part of Q3 III 2013 or is it just an algebra bash? The m.s. is a bit sparse so would I get away with forming my horrible expression with x,y,z and saying all the x,y,z terms cancel and just look at the constants? or would I have to expand manually (if this is indeed the only method).

yeah I think you just have to do the algebra, it's not toooo bad though

I'd do it manually in the actual exam, no point risking it, unless I was running out of time

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 313

EnglishMuon

16

Original post by Insight314

I already told you m8.

I am a proud Churchillian. :wink: