The 2013 STEP Prep Thread!

I would say it is. I still think STEP II is harder than III

Is STEP II much harder than I?

Slightly different style imo. Which I suppose means most people find II harder. However this year I found II easier than I hence I scored more in II than I.

Properly started STEP revision - aiming for at least a question a day up until the January exams with STEP I questions and then solidly revising STEP II/III.

I really need to start doing this, where did you begin, just past papers?

That and the Stephen Siklos booklets, but I prefer doing the questions straight from past papers.

If you want good papers to start on I'd say 2004/2005 for STEP I are very accessible papers. Q1 in the 2005 paper (My "Question of the Day" today :P) was so easy for a STEP question I feel like I've cheated my regime...

That and the Stephen Siklos booklets, but I prefer doing the questions straight from past papers.

If you want good papers to start on I'd say 2004/2005 for STEP I are very accessible papers. Q1 in the 2005 paper (My "Question of the Day" today :P) was so easy for a STEP question I feel like I've cheated my regime...

How on earth did you find this years II easier than I !

Just a general point to the step 2013 people. I sat step this year. To kick off my preparation, I basically started off past papers about this time last year. I started with step 1 with the intent for it to be helpful for the Cambridge Interviews in December as well, whether it was or not, i cant tell. Straight after christmas i started step2 papers slowly. Then upped the pace gradually and included step3 into my practice about March. From April onwards I would try to do 3 hours a day and no more.

The words of advice siklos gives in his booklet at the start is certainly useful. I did not actually go through the booklet as I thought the answers being on the page after was too tempting for me.

My first step paper was Step1 2005 which is a real nice one to get started. I also suggest Step1 2010, they are 2 of the nicer ones to get you started.

Good luck with your step prep!!



Haha, well, I just did.

Of course during practice I found step1 easier in general.

Did you sit both step1 and 2 this year?

I am one who certainly suffers under the pressure of exams, and given that step1 this year was my first ever step exam i sat for real, it certainly felt a whole lot different to doing a past paper for 3 hours in my bedroom/the library. After the step1 exam however, I got an idea of how to control my nerves and hence I found step2 exam easier to deal with.

Also, this years step1 paper was harder than normal, and this years step2 paper was easier than normal. My perception though.

[Note; I might have used the term 'easier' but I am in no way suggesting that it was 'easy', I just found it a more comfortable paper relative to some of the other past papers.]

Then challenge yourself! For example, try to get all the pure questions in a paper done in one day.

new specification

Huh?

I think it's had a new specification since 2003, and I'm wondering whether the style of the questions has changed much since then.

Why not check yourself then? Apart from second order diffrentials and complex numbers they seemed pretty much the same to me.

It's tricky to tell how difficult a question is just by looking at it. That's why I think the people who have already done a lot of preparation and sat the exams (who might be watching this thread) would have a better idea.

Hello everyone, been this stalking this for a while

Sent off my application to Warwick for maths and econ so chances are I'll end up doing STEP. Even if I reject their offer I'll stil probably end up doing it for the fun of it.

My school won't be teaching FP3 this year so do you think I should bother with III or just stick with I and II?