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

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Reply 80

Opsimathmo

I might still have them <goes to check>

Reply 81

nota bene

squeezebox

I don't have the paper(s), could you (or anyone who has them) email me them pretty please? :smile:

Still in need of them? If so, post here or PM me and I'll send them.

Reply 82

Taak_

Two questions:

- How much are STEP papers useful for NatSci? Is it worth doing III?

- Is specific work for STEP papers nescessary, or just a general knowledge of A-level maths/Olympiad style questions?

Thanks

Reply 83

Swayum

I've uploaded the following into one organised ZIP file (39.4 MBs) that you can directly download without using Rapidshare or something:

STEP Specification 2007
STEP I - 1989-2003 + 2007
STEP II - 1989-2004 + 2007 + Sample
STEP III - 1989-2004 + 2007

Here's the link:

http://www.byond.com/members/DeathAwaitsU/files/STEP.zip

Reply 84

Zhen Lin

Very nice! Thank you.

Reply 85

generalebriety

Taak_

- How much are STEP papers useful for NatSci? Is it worth doing III?

Can't do any harm. If you can do STEP III, you'll be on very good foundations to do natsci maths.

Taak_

- Is specific work for STEP papers nescessary, or just a general knowledge of A-level maths/Olympiad style questions?

Specific work in the form of working your way through lots of STEP papers, yes; extra learning, probably not depending on the syllabus you do for A-level.

Reply 86

gibsion

Please does anyone have STEP I 04, 05 and 06?

Reply 87

brianeverit

gibsion

Please does anyone have STEP I 04, 05 and 06?

Which year?

Reply 88

Swayum

brianeverit

Which year?

I think he meant 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Reply 89

trickz

Hey.

I'm going to be taking step II and step III though I don't think they'll be part of my offers. Just wondering where to start with this. Should I revise all C1-C4, FP1-FP4, S1,S2, M1 & M2? What then...

Any help appreciated :smile:

Reply 90

generalebriety

trickz

Forget the stats and mechanics modules, they won't help you; you'll need at least S3 or M3 to be able to attempt the questions reasonably (and since there's 6 of those in total, and 8 pure, which are always considerably easier than stats/mechanics, it won't cost you too much). If you're doing well in maths and further maths, I wouldn't bother revising them; maybe the FP modules, nothing more (you should have the rest pretty solid in your mind by now!). Then (pretty rapidly) start off working through Siklos's booklets, giving each question at least half an hour before you give up and look at the solution (for hints only, unless it's been hours and you're completely stuck!), and then start the STEP I papers and work up through II and III.

Don't become discouraged if you can't do anything when you start off. STEP is very hard, and practice never quite makes perfect, but will certainly get you most of the way there. Feel free to ask for help on TSR, but do make it clear that you only want hints - looking at solutions is really bad for STEP, because there's only a very limited amount of material you can practice from, and the questions don't repeat themselves anyway, so it's not a case of learning how to do stuff, it's all practice (and a small amount of luck on the day).

Good luck. :smile:

Reply 91

brianeverit

I have most of the solutions for 1988 nPaper I but there is no threasd to post them on. Can anyone get one started? Similarly with 1989

Reply 92

Kolya

generalebriety

Forget the stats and mechanics modules, they won't help you; you'll need at least S3 or M3 to be able to attempt the questions reasonably

Aren't a fair few of the STEP Statistics questions on Probability, which is only covered in S1 and briefly mentioned in S2?

Reply 93

generalebriety

Lusus Naturae

Aren't a fair few of the STEP Statistics questions on Probability, which is only covered in S1 and briefly mentioned in S2?

Probability is covered 'properly' in S3, I think. At least, I did S2 and couldn't have done many of the probability questions.

Reply 94

Kolya

generalebriety

Probability is covered 'properly' in S3, I think. At least, I did S2 and couldn't have done many of the probability questions.

I only did up to S2 as well, but according to the Specification the only mention of probability would be in the chapter on "combinations of random variables" and I doubt that would feature (as an assumption) in many STEP questions. I think the problem is that the probability questions require a high level of intuition, and that is something which students definitely do not gain from S1! ;no;

Reply 95

Glutamic Acid

brianeverit

I have most of the solutions for 1988 nPaper I but there is no threasd to post them on. Can anyone get one started? Similarly with 1989

There's a 1989 thread a few pages back. Well, on the front page now.

Reply 96

qgujxj39

Where are the 2005 and 2006 papers (and 2004 paper I), anyone have them?]

EDIT - I found the II and III for 2006 earlier in the forum, but the link for the 2005 ones doesn't work, as the poster below has said.

Reply 97

speedy_s

2005 paper link is given on page 3 of this thread but it is not working for me. Can some one re-upload it?

thanks

Reply 98

DFranklin

Lusus Naturae

The intuition thing is pretty spot on - a lot of probability questions come down to thinking about a problem in the right way so as to keep the complexity down to a manageable level. There's no particularly advanced knowledge, but you have to have a lot of practice.

The STEP III questions tend to very much require knowledge of the the later bits of the syllabus though.

I have to say, my perception is that the stats and mechanics questions are actually noticably easier than the pure ones. Even coming at them 20 years after I did any serious stats/mechanics I rarely have much difficulty answering them. On the other hand, it is much much easier to make catastrophic blunders answering stats questions than the pure or applied - one wrong assumption and you're stuffed.

My feeling is that people tend to see it differently because they're a lot stronger at the pure than the applied, at least compared to people like me who studied them 20 years ago. I think this is one area where the 'modular' A-level has made a big change: I very much get the feeling people now do the pure courses, and then a few random applied modules to fill the quota. Whereas the applied courses were almost as "core" as the pure when I did the exams.

Reply 99

Kolya

DFranklin

My feeling is that people tend to see it differently because they're a lot stronger at the pure than the applied, at least compared to people like me who studied them 20 years ago. I think this is one area where the 'modular' A-level has made a big change: I very much get the feeling people now do the pure courses, and then a few random applied modules to fill the quota. Whereas the applied courses were almost as "core" as the pure when I did the exams.

Well, only four years ago they moved from a 50/50 split to a 66/33 split weighted towards pure (although this was a case of just removing some applied material, not adding any pure). The Admissions Tutor here says that he would much prefer applicants to have studied the basic pure Maths rather than any of the applied modules, but I doubt he meant that the bias towards pure should be achieved by just chopping out material from the A-level!

Anyway, what you say is definitely true: Some of the STEP examiners' reports say that very, very candidates even bother attempting the Stats questions. The person who writes the questions must sometimes feel like they are just wasting their time

I think the reason that the STEP Mechanics questions are slightly more popular than the Stats is that the A-level Mechanics at least has some element of problem solving involved, so I would suggest that stepping from the A-level Mechanics to STEP is less of a leap than from the plug-and-chug A-level Stats to STEP Probability.