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STEP s,s preparation

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Again, I would like to emphasise that I am not intending to let it get in the way of other studies but just do some every week or so to slowly develop and I feel some assumptions were made here, greatly my own fault for not being more specific. With these new parameters, can anyone recommend a way for me to prepare for STEP that I can gradually practise over the upcoming period of time.

Ok, as you have (presumably) 2 years before you intend to take the papers, I'd start off with the oldest papers you can find and try a question or 2 a week from STEP I. There are old format papers for years 1987-1997 and new format for 1994 onwards. If you stick to the ones before 2000 or so for now that's 13 papers, each with 16 or so questions in giving you about 200 questions to choose from, even if you only use the new format, you have a bank of about 100 questions to try. If you need to at the beginning, use solutions on the internet to help you through them if you get stuck.

Then towards the end of AS maybe move on to some 2001-2008 papers and try a bit of STEP II, maybe do a bit more than you were before, just stick with a comfortable amount whilst prioritising your A level studies. Then maybe at around Christmas year 13 start on some STEP III as well, from the same era (up to 2006), again practising once or twice a week as is comfortable.

Then in the run up to the exams, start to do more recent ones, but probably keep the most recent 3 (I'd guess 2013-2015) to use as mocks. Start to do more questions, in the time after your A2 exams and before the STEP exams (they are later) I'd work on STEP everyday.

Record which questions you have done in a spreadsheet maybe to make it easier to see what you've done. Also, I'd time the questions while you do them.

Reply 21

test_drive

Mind you, all my advice is from someone who got a 2 (though I will say it was a very high 2 :P ) in STEP I....so maybe not the best person! Good enough to do maths at Warwick though :smile:

Reply 22

tridianprime

Original post by test_drive

Mind you, all my advice is from someone who got a 2 (though I will say it was a very high 2 :P ) in STEP I....so maybe not the best person! Good enough to do maths at Warwick though :smile:

Thanks, I will begin doing this after my gcse examinations. :smile:

Reply 23

Namige

Original post by tridianprime

Thanks, I will begin doing this after my gcse examinations. :smile:

Try doing the BMO papers if you like problem solving. But you MUST be extremely confident with the entire a level syllabus BEFORE you even attempt STEP.

Reply 24

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by tridianprime

My goal is to go to a top Uni to study Mathematics such as Cambridge or Imperial hence I want to get ahead with STEP preparation. I apologise for not including details in my post and will refrain from doing so in the future. If you all think I really should focus on my GCSEs then I completely agree and will but I will be wanting to carry on pursuing STEP in the Summer so this thread has been useful either way. Thank you all

I'm concerned you or your school may be damaging your future prospects by this unnecessary acceleration. Cambridge will not be impressed by your grade A at GCSE or the four year gap between GCSE and your first A Level exams. If you are a capable mathematician you do not need to think about STEP until you receive your university offer.

Reply 25

tridianprime

Original post by Namige

Try doing the BMO papers if you like problem solving. But you MUST be extremely confident with the entire a level syllabus BEFORE you even attempt STEP.

As I mentioned before, I do solve BMO problems for fun and am looking forward to the BMO in November. Thanks anyway.

Reply 26

tridianprime

Original post by Mr M

I thought the same thing but I emailed the admissions office at Cambridge and they emphasised that an A at gcse, as long as I get good AS and A2 predicted grades, is not damaging and will still get me an interview, which they exclaimed was a lot more important, along with STEP. They have also recommended I send in an Exceptional Circumstances Form. Thanks

P.s. I will be doing STEP purely for my own enjoyment anyway but will mostly work, in terms of recreational maths, on BMO.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 27

test_drive

Original post by Namige

Try doing the BMO papers if you like problem solving. But you MUST be extremely confident with the entire a level syllabus BEFORE you even attempt STEP.

I don't entirely agree, I remember doing some STEP 1 questions successfully after only studying AS maths, but agree you need to know the relevant stuff well and be extremely comfortable with it before starting.

Reply 28

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by tridianprime

As I mentioned before, I do solve BMO problems for fun and am looking forward to the BMO in November. Thanks anyway.

Did you qualify/enter in Year 11? If so, what did you score?

Reply 29

username1258398

Original post by Mr M

If you are a capable mathematician you do not need to think about STEP until you receive your university offer.

What? Start STEP preparation in March?

Reply 30

tridianprime

This will be my first year but I am very excited and have done quite a few past BMO problems. I hope to do even more. My school did not promote it at all so I have had to discover it myself.

On thought, I think I will take your advice and put off STEP until at least I am done with AS as there is no need to do it now. I have other things to fill my free time like I will be working part time on my startup and on BMO/BOI. Cheers for the advice!

Reply 31

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by StrangeBanana

What? Start STEP preparation in March?

Cambridge offers come out at the turn of the New Year but I have taught several students who have not got stuck into STEP until about March of Year 13 but have gone on to be successful.

Reply 32

tridianprime

Original post by tridianprime

I also have applied to a maths and physics and computing only sixth form: kings college london maths school. I passed the admissions test and had the interview so wish me luck! They say they focus on students getting top grades in STEP so I wont worry for now.

Reply 33

username1258398

Original post by Mr M

Cambridge offers come out at the turn of the New Year but I have taught several students who have not got stuck into STEP until about March of Year 13 but have gone on to be successful.

All right, fair enough. Seems foolhardy to leave it until March, unless you are extremely confident.

Reply 34

cheeriosarenice

Original post by Namige

Try doing the BMO papers if you like problem solving. But you MUST be extremely confident with the entire a level syllabus BEFORE you even attempt STEP.

can you do BMO papers with just GCSE knowledge? Or do you also need to know all of A level?

Reply 35

Namige

Original post by cheeriosarenice

can you do BMO papers with just GCSE knowledge? Or do you also need to know all of A level?

Here are the past papers: http://www.bmoc.maths.org/

Have a look and decide for yourself.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 36

poohat

Original post by davros

Why do you say this? There's absolutely no evidence for this whatsoever - the vast majority of Uni students (even top ones) proceed at the normal pace until they're confident with A level material, and then increase their workload once they have an offer that requires STEP,

Only because good students in the UK don't get much support. In the US for example, high performing secondary school students will often attend math camp, get IMO prop, maybe even take some university level classes, etc. The UK school system fails the best students quite badly (especially in state schools) - they are generally just spponfed to the point they can pass a GCSE/A Level, then left on their own.

There's nothing wrong with seeking out more interesting / challenging things, but this doesn't have to be focused exclusively on exam performance - it can be far more rewarding to read outside the school syllabus about topics that have nothing to do with STEP.

The best way to get better at mathematics is to do mathematics, which means solving problems (either IMO/STEM type puzzles, or proofs). STEP problems are interesting, and studying for it helps develop intuition (ditto for IMO/BMO)

I would agree it would also be useful for a mathematically inclined high school student to read outside the curriculum in order to better appreciate the subject, rather than just solving problems and memorising GCSE/A Level stuff. The following book is a good introduction to pure mathematics (which is very different to what gets called 'pure mathematics' at A Level) - the target audience is first year university students (Imperial use it for their intro course), but it does not have any prerequisites and will be accessible to anyone: I would recommend it to anyone curious about what university mathematics is like:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Concise-Introduction-Pure-Mathematics/dp/1584881933

(edited 9 years ago)