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STEP Prep Thread 2015

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Original post by raff97
Its true if Q(x) is positive

Edit. In fact you have to look at the signs of a and b if Q(x) is negative.


Right, so if a≥b\displaystyle a \geq b and ∀x∈R,Q(x)≥0\displaystyle \forall x \in \mathbb{R}, Q(x) \geq 0, then f(x)≥bQ(x)\displaystyle f(x) \geq bQ(x).

But if ∀x∈R,Q(x)≤0\displaystyle \forall x \in \mathbb{R}, Q(x) \leq 0 and a≥b\displaystyle a \geq b where

Case 1: If b≥0\displaystyle b \geq 0 then f(x)≤bQ(x)\displaystyle f(x) \leq bQ(x).

Case 2: If b≤0b \leq 0 then f(x)≥bQ(x)f(x) \geq bQ(x).

Anything I'm missing?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Karoel
Thanks a lot. So the fact that over 80% people attempt at least 5 questions doesn't imply anything about the people that attempt fewer questions?


I don't think so, no.

The 2011 report notes that:
'A good number of those extra attempts were little more than failed starts, but still suggest that some can- didates are not very effective at question-picking.'

That said for a 1 or above STEP I you normally do need around 5 solutions.
Original post by Zacken
Right, so if a≥b\displaystyle a \geq b and ∀x∈R,Q(x)≥0\displaystyle \forall x \in \mathbb{R}, Q(x) \geq 0, then f(x)≥bQ(x)\displaystyle f(x) \geq bQ(x).

But if ∀x∈R,Q(x)≤0\displaystyle \forall x \in \mathbb{R}, Q(x) \leq 0 and a≥b\displaystyle a \geq b where

Case 1: If b≥0\displaystyle b \geq 0 then f(x)≤bQ(x)\displaystyle f(x) \leq bQ(x).

Case 2: If b≤0b \leq 0 then f(x)≥bQ(x)f(x) \geq bQ(x).

Anything I'm missing?


haha sorry about this but now I think that when Q(x) is negative then bQ(x)>=f(x) not matter the signs of a and b.

because starting with a>=b, multiplying both sides by a negative Q(x) you just flip the sign and you're sorted
Original post by raff97
haha sorry about this but now I think that when Q(x) is negative then bQ(x)>=f(x) not matter the signs of a and b.

because starting with a>=b, multiplying both sides by a negative Q(x) you just flip the sign and you're sorted


I see, yeah, that makes sense. Thanks. :P
Question about STEP III 2012 Q8.

Spoiler

(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by DomStaff
Yes they can be easier. How that is not to say that every question on rotational motion is a gift...

Depending on the rate at which you lean I would say it could be advisable.

I learnt most of the III mech (apart from relative motion) in about 2 weeks, with the bulk of it being done in the first week - February half term.


Did you learn from the Edexcel books? I've learnt up to (and including) M4 and will try to learn moments of inertia and rotational motion when I have time.
Does anyone know what the approximate distribution of marks is for questions in which a previous result must be used for a later part. Would you say about 8:12?
Original post by ThatPerson
Did you learn from the Edexcel books? I've learnt up to (and including) M4 and will try to learn moments of inertia and rotational motion when I have time.


Yeah, I'm OCR but their textbooks are **** so some guy sent me a torrent for the edexcel ones.
Original post by SH0405
Does anyone know what the approximate distribution of marks is for questions in which a previous result must be used for a later part. Would you say about 8:12?


No.

According to Siklos
"The harder a part is the more marks it worth, whether it is the first or the last part".
Original post by DomStaff
Yeah, I'm OCR but their textbooks are **** so some guy sent me a torrent for the edexcel ones.


Out of interest what OCR books do you use?

I found these, Cambridge OCR books to be far better than these Edexcel ones. Of course, they don't hold a candle to the the ultimate and all knowing Bostock and Chandler books!

Anyway STEP is based off the OCR syllabus so it makes sense to revise from their sources no? Not that it makes a great difference for a STEP candidates due to their ability for independent study...
Does anyone have an idea as to the best way to get better at applied questions. I do not really attempt them and I thought I might want to try and open my options for STEP 1 in case the pure questions are not what I was hoping for and everything goes wrong meaning I would have applied stuff to fall back on.
Anyone else having trouble with picking optimal questions in STEP III? I find out of my preferred 6 I can usually answer 4 comfortably in most papers then get 2 (sometimes woeful) partials, but then when I come to answering the rest of the paper I'll find 2 or 3 which I can do notably better than my best 4 but just look horrid on the outset.
I think I may have subconsciously put myself into the mindset that "such-and-such a topic is a no go" and can't get out of the habit of picking something that looks more familiar but is more difficult under exam time pressure
Original post by SamKeene
Out of interest what OCR books do you use?

I found these, Cambridge OCR books to be far better than these Edexcel ones. Of course, they don't hold a candle to the the ultimate and all knowing Bostock and Chandler books!

Anyway STEP is based off the OCR syllabus so it makes sense to revise from their sources no? Not that it makes a great difference for a STEP candidates due to their ability for independent study...


Last time I checked hyperbolas, ellipsii, areas of curves described parametrically and things like sketching arg(z−2z) arg( \dfrac {z-2}{z} ) weren't in the OCR syllabus :wink:
Original post by DomStaff
Last time I checked hyperbolas, ellipsii, areas of curves described parametrically and things like sketching arg(z−2z) arg( \dfrac {z-2}{z} ) weren't in the OCR syllabus :wink:


They were all on the old OCR MEI syllabus (not sure about just OCR) and the latter is still in MEI FP2 so perhaps they based it on the old syllabus
(edited 8 years ago)
I would edexcel is good only for FP modules where the questions go up in difficulty relative to content compared to other modules. Edexcel are good in content for mechanics but questions arent that different. And are very different to step in style.


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Original post by DomStaff
No.

According to Siklos
"The harder a part is the more marks it worth, whether it is the first or the last part".



That's rather pleasing. Good old Siklos.
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Original post by DomStaff
Last time I checked hyperbolas, ellipsii, areas of curves described parametrically and things like sketching arg(z−2z) arg( \dfrac {z-2}{z} ) weren't in the OCR syllabus :wink:


Yeah I think OCR get screwed over when it comes to STEP. Especially for FP3 where over half of it isn't on the syllabus (groups, vectors).
Apparently further maths vectors isnt in the syllabus but i think it is because all the further maths vectors formulas are in the formula book.


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Original post by YimY
Yeah I think OCR get screwed over when it comes to STEP. Especially for FP3 where over half of it isn't on the syllabus (groups, vectors).


In all fairness Edxcel have the same vectors stuff plus something else (triple scalar product or something??)...we just miss conics, bit of parametric stuff and a bit of complex numbers.
Original post by physicsmaths
Apparently further maths vectors isnt in the syllabus but i think it is because all the further maths vectors formulas are in the formula book.


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STEP formula booklet is identical to our normal OCR one I think.

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