The 2013 STEP Prep Thread!

Yes I'm year 12... It went well, my post about it is here. The paper was alright, I'm sure you've seen it by now, and because there was literally no pressure I got right into it. I kind of wished I'd entered II as well because I preferred the II paper. Imo, STEP I was pretty hard this year, except for the applied but then no-one ever notices the applied

Nice going! You are absolutely going to destroy interview.

Gimme yar skillz!

Bah, even if I was doing maths I couldn't feel confident. I'm rubbish at thinking out loud, and I never think in coherent English

I get really nervous in interview-y situations maybe I can communicate via morse code to avoid voice-cracks/ excessive sweating/ umm-ing and err-ing

Dese skillz ere? Haw much ya got faw em?

Bah, even if I was doing maths I couldn't feel confident. I'm rubbish at thinking out loud, and I never think in coherent English

I get really nervous in interview-y situations maybe I can communicate via morse code to avoid voice-cracks/ excessive sweating/ umm-ing and err-ing

Dese skillz ere? Haw much ya got faw em?

Good work getting in early for 2013. A few STEP questions by a river or a swimming pool is a perfect summer holiday day IMO.

My experience (as an informal tutor to someone doing STEP I this year) is that the first 10 questions were pretty tough, but there was a real gear change around about 30-40 questions, and by the time I'd done 100 I had a 'bring it on!' feeling about most questions.

Definitely take the advice given to sleep on questions (or just leave them be for a week) rather than look up the answers.

The other thing I'd recommend is regularly repeating questions you've done before, given a bit of a gap, with a focus on writing a really clear, efficient solution. A good 'session' might begin by repeating a question with a focus on style and as a warm up for tackling some brand new problems.

The other thing I had a play with, that felt quite useful, was 'setting' a similar question to the one I had just solved. This helps you to squeeze the last few drops of learning out of the question - you either find that it's a general pattern, or that it only holds under certain conditions, or that it's a unique case. Useful to know!

Finally - the 2012 STEP I paper was somewhat different in style from any previous paper. It would be worth getting someone to make you a redacted examiner's report for 2012 once it comes out, so that you can get the inside track on why they changed it and what the intention is for the future, without spoiling the opportunity to use it as a mock next summer.

Whatever happens - every STEP question you do will make you a better mathematician.

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A comment on mathematical ability...

With the exception of a few topics (complex numbers being one), most of the maths presented at GCSE and A-level is 'easier' for people who are naturally comfortable with symmetry, shapes, rotation and so on. The problems tend to map nicely on to the concrete world. Less visual, abstract thinkers can be at a disadvantage.

However, the minute you hit multidimensional problems (d > 3), non-euclidean geometry, etc, those people who've had to find totally abstract ways of understanding 'simple' things are at an advantage. If you couldn't easily visualise a tetrahedron in 3 dimensions then a polyhedron in 5 dimensions is no different So - don't be put off if you've always struggled with geometry or vectors.

Looking at doing Computer Science with Maths, so I'm probably going to be in the minority in this thread! At the end of the day, I'll be doing STEP no matter what any offers specify, just as a bit of a challenge really

There'll probably be others.

I'll also be doing STEP no matter which unis I end up getting into and whether or not it's included as an offer. I really like this style of Maths and also as a challenge and excellent preparation for uni.

I'm with you for CompSci with maths , although I haven't looked at STEP at all yet, only just started C4 this week.

Can somebody please help me with the last part of question 7 on STEP I 2007?
Many Thanks

Yeah me too.

1,1 in STEP 2&3.. more worried about that part than A level grades, statement, or interview to be honest!


At least it makes more sense now having looked at some C3,4 and FP2. I tried a paper last year, and went down. Didn't know what the **** was going on - same with SAT math papers 2 & 3.

My school timetables lessons in for students doing STEP though, which should be pretty helpful.

Not looking forward to getting my timetable though.

I am most worried about interview and STEP.

Your school does that? That is so useful! At the moment, it's looking like I'm the only person in my year who's going to take STEP.

Same with my school (although two others are still considering to take it). Have you completed C3/C4 yet?

I know of one other person who wants to do maths at uni, let alone maths at Cambridge. Maybe there are some that are in hiding and secretly want to do it...

I have finished A-Level Maths now. What about you?

Unfortunately no (I did FM and M AS's simultaneously this year). I'm planning to get them finished this summer so I have more time for STEP.

I am most worried about interview and STEP.

Your school does that? That is so useful! At the moment, it's looking like I'm the only person in my year who's going to take STEP.

Same as me in my school.
Only know 1 friend who wants to do it, but he's a Maths genius and wants to do natural sciences :L


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If only people would appreciate that STEP is hard, is meant to be hard, and that most, if not all, people think "" when they first see a STEP question. I remember when I saw a binomial expansion question last year, it took me 3 days to solve properly. But that is it. That is the difference. The difference is that some people shy away and some people rise to the CHALLENGE!