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

Swayum

I've updated my previous link to include every single STEP paper that's ever been set (all organised neatly into folders). It's a direct link (so you can avoid stuff like Megaupload/Rapidshare) and includes the following:

STEP Specification 2007
STEP I: 1987 - 2007
STEP II: 1987 - 2007 (+ Sample)
STEP III: 1987 - 2007

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

Enjoy!

I think I love you. :smile:

Reply 121

Swayum

18

marbles

I think I love you. :smile:

If only

.

Reply 122

Owl1867

6

I know that the STEP I and II papers are supposed to be accessible to those without A2 Further Maths. But I am a little worried that if (a big if) I manage to get an offer from Cambridge I will not be able to revise far in advance of the tests. They require knowledge of C4 which I will not be covered in class until close to my final A2 exams. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and if so are there many questions that can be attempted without full knowledge of C4

Reply 123

kabbers

4

correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought cambridge required II and III?

Reply 124

squeezebox

15

Owl1867

I know that the STEP I and II papers are supposed to be accessible to those without A2 Further Maths. But I am a little worried that if (a big if) I manage to get an offer from Cambridge I will not be able to revise far in advance of the tests. They require knowledge of C4 which I will not be covered in class until close to my final A2 exams. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and if so are there many questions that can be attempted without full knowledge of C4

I am in this situation - kind of. I started attempting STEP questions a bit before I recieved my offer, and managed to find many that were accessable without C4 knowledge. You shouldnt worry too much about it, to me, STEP practise is about getting used to the style and difficulty of the questions, not practising new stuff you have learnt. Having said that, It might be a good idea to teach yourself C4 over the summer - I wish I had done that, it would have saved me alot of time. Please note that I havent taken STEP yet, so my advice may be a load of rubbish :p:

Reply 125

Owl1867

6

squeezebox

I am in this situation - kind of. I started attempting STEP questions a bit before I recieved my offer, and managed to find many that were accessable without C4 knowledge. You shouldnt worry too much about it, to me, STEP practise is about getting used to the style and difficulty of the questions, not practising new stuff you have learnt. Having said that, It might be a good idea to teach yourself C4 over the summer - I wish I had done that, it would have saved me alot of time. Please note that I havent taken STEP yet, so my advice may be a load of rubbish :p:

Cheers for the advice I was thinking of looking over some of the textbooks before we cover them at school

Reply 126

Owl1867

6

kabbers

correct me if i'm wrong, but i thought cambridge required II and III?

I and II if you only do AS further maths

Reply 127

speedy_s

7

Owl1867

I and II if you only do AS further maths

It would be very difficult to get a Cambridge maths offer with only 1.5 a levels of maths. 2 a levels is becoming the norm for a maths degree at oxbridge, warwick, bristol etc... and many who apply to oxbridge have 2.5-3 a levels in mathematics.

This is unless, unlike me you are a genuis in maths!

Reply 128

Owl1867

6

speedy_s

It would be very difficult to get a Cambridge maths offer with only 1.5 a levels of maths. 2 a levels is becoming the norm for a maths degree at oxbridge, warwick, bristol etc... and many who apply to oxbridge have 2.5-3 a levels in mathematics.

This is unless, unlike me you are a genuis in maths!

Yes I know it will be difficult but at least they do say you shouldnt be disadvantaged if your school doesnt offer A2 further maths. I am doing quite a bit of Maths outside of the school curricullum. Teaching myslef some bits to try and improve my chanches. If you don't try you don't get!

Reply 129

insparato

15

Its desirable for you to have done Further Maths but its still possible. I would've thought it is much more important that they see your potential, that you can delve into questions that aren't things you know about during an interview, rather than displaying you're doing 12 modules of maths and getting A's in the ones you've done.

Reply 130

Hashshashin

13

speedy_s

It would be very difficult to get a Cambridge maths offer with only 1.5 a levels of maths. 2 a levels is becoming the norm for a maths degree at oxbridge, warwick, bristol etc...

All of these institutes have standard offers for students with one or one and a half A levels in Maths - if your school does not offer FM then they will not discriminate against you because of this. Even Cambridge only expects up to AS Further as a minimum, and people at my school have had no difficulty in securing offers from Cambridge, Warwick and Bristol with only AS level Further Maths.

Reply 131

qgujxj39

17

On STEP II I've seen some things that FM could help with. One thing I would do if you aren't doing FM is get an FP2 textbook (Edexcel) and learn the chapter on integration, it's got lots of helpful techniques.

Reply 132

kabbers

4

Owl1867

Yes I know it will be difficult but at least they do say you shouldnt be disadvantaged if your school doesnt offer A2 further maths. I am doing quite a bit of Maths outside of the school curricullum. Teaching myslef some bits to try and improve my chanches. If you don't try you don't get!

fair enough..

it might help then to study the pure modules (ie Fp1, Fp2 and Fp3), this would help once you get there too.
edit: this is what i did, and so far unis seem fine with it.

Reply 133

speedy_s

7

Is there a 2008 STEP takers/discussion thread? Might be useful to see how everyone is preparing for these exams!

Reply 134

DaveSimpson

7

I don't think there is, but I'm just doing as many past questions as I can.

Reply 135

clear.twilight

Don't know how long this has been available...

http://www.stepmathematics.org.uk/downloads.html

Papers I - III, 1998 - 2007

Reply 136

generalebriety

16

Oh, that's actually quite new. They didn't make the changeover from OCR to Cambridge Assessment till fairly recently.

Thanks.

Reply 137

qgujxj39

17

clear.twilight

Don't know how long this has been available...

http://www.stepmathematics.org.uk/downloads.html

Papers I - III, 1998 - 2007

That's been there for a few weeks, I think.

Reply 138

Dystopia

10

I just did the 1996 STEP III paper. What were the examiners thinking with some of those questions?

Also, I was thinking that while there's no point writing up solutions that have already been done last year, it would still be useful to have discussion threads for the various papers. Or we could just bump the old threads. Thoughts?

Reply 139

nota bene

15

Bump the respective solutions threads I think? (As the questions are already there - and there's already a load of discussion in them)

-note I'm speaking as a member and not a mod, so if you think it's better with separate discussion threads, then go for it-

*heads off to look at III 96 to be able to comment on Dystopia's question*

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

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