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The big fat STEP megathread (NOT for getting help with maths questions)

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Reply 3000
Does anyone know where I can get pre-1998 STEP papers? The files reported by the OP no longer works.

Thanks in advance.
Original post by FFC94
Does anyone know where I can get pre-1998 STEP papers? The files reported by the OP no longer works.

Thanks in advance.

Here.

See the OP for a link to all papers (and pretty much everything else).
Original post by Rahul.S
you might have a bit of a problem in STEP III.....


What do i need to do FP3 to be able to do it!!!??? My school doesn't offer FP3. Would i have to self teach or could i get away with it
(edited 12 years ago)
Do the decision units help at all with STEP?
Original post by kitkat19
Do the decision units help at all with STEP?

No.
Original post by kitkat19
What do i need to do FP3 to be able to do it!!!??? My school doesn't offer FP3. Would i have to self teach or could i get away with it


It depends which exam board you're on I suppose... For MEI (mine), nothing in MEI FP3 is used in STEP (at least, not that I can think of - someone correct me if I'm wrong) though the DE module is extremely useful. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, I think some of Edexcel FP3 is required.

It might be worth looking up the STEP Specification to see what you don't know, and then working from there. :smile:
Original post by kitkat19
What do i need to do FP3 to be able to do it!!!??? My school doesn't offer FP3. Would i have to self teach or could i get away with it


I would say it is really helpful if you are aiming for a top grade....just look at the spec for STEP III....fp2 and fp3 are needed :tongue: I would advise self-teaching FP3 :smile:
Original post by Rahul.S
I would say it is really helpful if you are aiming for a top grade....just look at the spec for STEP III....fp2 and fp3 are needed :tongue: I would advise self-teaching FP3 :smile:


Thanks this is really helpful. Ive looked at the spec and I have 2 do FP3 or M3 and M4. So ive decided to self teach fp3. Quite annoyed that we are doing D2 which is apparently a waste of time. One question...two actually. Can i start learning FP3 once ive finished AS maths and further maths(will have completed c1 c2 d1 s1 m1 fp1) or will i have to wait a bit until ive learnt some of the c3 or c4 content. And finally.....will any of the M3 or M4 content be covered in aqa A2 physics?

I do AQA for everything btw
Original post by kitkat19
Thanks this is really helpful. Ive looked at the spec and I have 2 do FP3 or M3 and M4. So ive decided to self teach fp3. Quite annoyed that we are doing D2 which is apparently a waste of time. One question...two actually. Can i start learning FP3 once ive finished AS maths and further maths(will have completed c1 c2 d1 s1 m1 fp1) or will i have to wait a bit until ive learnt some of the c3 or c4 content. And finally.....will any of the M3 or M4 content be covered in aqa A2 physics?

I do AQA for everything btw


FP3 would need a solid base which for edexcel indeed is provided by learning c3 and c4....I would say try covering c3 and c4 as quickly as you can to start fp3.

I do aqa physics and lets face it....its nowhere near the standard that is set in the mechanic modules in Maths :tongue: at least when comparing it to edexcel :colondollar:
Original post by Rahul.S
FP3 would need a solid base which for edexcel indeed is provided by learning c3 and c4....I would say try covering c3 and c4 as quickly as you can to start fp3.

I do aqa physics and lets face it....its nowhere near the standard that is set in the mechanic modules in Maths :tongue: at least when comparing it to edexcel :colondollar:


Erm...i do AQA A level maths and so it will be AQA fp3. The specification says that you can do it after FP1, but i was just wondering if C3 and c4 aqa would be needed...but i guess you won't know because you do edexcel....

Oh i thought phyiscs would have been helpful..neva mind. Are you doing A2 physics. How much harder is it than AS?

Oh ive just found out that you were right You need core 3 and 4 before you do fp3. I think i will get ahead on c3 myself and then start fp3 my own alongside c3 and c4 learning in class
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by kitkat19
Erm...i do AQA A level maths and so it will be AQA fp3. The specification says that you can do it after FP1, but i was just wondering if C3 and c4 aqa would be needed...but i guess you won't know because you do edexcel....

Oh i thought phyiscs would have been helpful..neva mind. Are you doing A2 physics. How much harder is it than AS?


not a lot.....are you in year12 :eek:
Original post by Rahul.S
not a lot.....are you in year12 :eek:


ermm yeah...lol i think about the future a lot...

what did you think???
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3012
Original post by Beth1234
It depends which exam board you're on I suppose... For MEI (mine), nothing in MEI FP3 is used in STEP (at least, not that I can think of - someone correct me if I'm wrong) though the DE module is extremely useful. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, I think some of Edexcel FP3 is required.


Arc length of a curve, from the differential geometry chapter?
Original post by Blazy
Arc length of a curve, from the differential geometry chapter?


I stand corrected :h:

Hopefully that's all I missed though.
Reply 3014
Original post by kitkat19
Erm...i do AQA A level maths and so it will be AQA fp3. The specification says that you can do it after FP1, but i was just wondering if C3 and c4 aqa would be needed...but i guess you won't know because you do edexcel....

Oh i thought phyiscs would have been helpful..neva mind. Are you doing A2 physics. How much harder is it than AS?

Oh ive just found out that you were right You need core 3 and 4 before you do fp3. I think i will get ahead on c3 myself and then start fp3 my own alongside c3 and c4 learning in class


Physics wont be helpful for STEP. It will be useful afterwards however and is certainly better than anything else you could choose.

As for the AQA modules, FP3 will be useful for STEP and FP4 is very interesting, but is unlikely to have a direct application for STEP (although doing the AQA FP4 module will cover eigenvectors, a major part of the maths courses when you start Uni).
If you plan on relying on applied questions, you're going to have to take the modules quite far. STEP III Mechanics questions have M3/M4/M5 content. It may sound slightly daunting, but M4 was easily the most fun out of any of the AQA modules I did and I highly recommend doing it.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3015
Original post by kitkat19
Do the decision units help at all with STEP?


No, but D2 helped with my first algebra module at university.
Original post by Spungo
Physics wont be helpful for STEP. It will be useful afterwards however and is certainly better than anything else you could choose.

As for the AQA modules, FP3 will be useful for STEP and FP4 is very interesting, but is unlikely to have a direct application for STEP (although doing the AQA FP4 module will cover eigenvectors, a major part of the maths courses when you start Uni).
If you plan on relying on applied questions, you're going to have to take the modules quite far. STEP III Mechanics questions have M3/M4/M5 content. It may sound slightly daunting, but M4 was easily the most fun out of any of the AQA modules I did and I highly recommend doing it.


Would I have to do M3 first to do M4 or can the mechanics modules be taken in any order. I think im more likely to do well in pure questions because my strength is algebra so not sure about relying on the mechanics part of STEP. Thanks for the help btw
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3017
Original post by kitkat19
Would I have to do M3 first to do M4 or can the mechanics modules be taken in any order. I think im more likely to do well in pure questions because my strength is algebra so not sure about relying on the mechanics part of STEP. Thanks for the help btw


They rely on M1/M2 but not to each other.

Almost everyone does focus on pure (You kind of need to, unless you've done a lot of statistics and mechanics), but having the option to do mechanics questions as well can be very useful. Take a look at Q9 on II last year as an example.
Reply 3018
Original post by Beth1234
I stand corrected :h:

Hopefully that's all I missed though.


Do you know if the vectors and calculus from FP3 will be useful?

EDIT: MEI FP3
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 3019
Original post by Blazy
Do you know if the vectors and calculus from FP3 will be useful?


yes, very much yes

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