STEP Prep Thread 2016

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You can't use partial fractions whenever you have product of things in the denominator, even if it were to work, you'd get: $\frac{1}{u} + \frac{1}{u^2}$, not just $\frac{1}{u^2}$ like you seem to have said. But anyway, that's irrelevant, there's a square root in the denominator, partial fractions doesn't apply. try adding the two fractions and seeing what you get... definitely not the original expression.

Oh ****. I am deleting my post,

I ACTUALLY HOPE THIS IS TRUE!
I've done the BMO a few times and I can get around 30 ish
Haven't attempted much STEP yet but will do in the summer, so hopefully it isn't as terrifying and bad as I currently am assuming it is!

STEP and other peoples view on it is what is making me contemplate whether I should apply to Oxford or Cambridge...

Posted from TSR Mobile

I ACTUALLY HOPE THIS IS TRUE!
I've done the BMO a few times and I can get around 30 ish
Haven't attempted much STEP yet but will do in the summer, so hopefully it isn't as terrifying and bad as I currently am assuming it is!

STEP and other peoples view on it is what is making me contemplate whether I should apply to Oxford or Cambridge...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Last September I choose Oxford over Cambridge mostly based on MAT vs STEP. I choose Oxford because in September STEP looked too difficult ( i hadn't covered C3 C4 FP2 or FP3 at this stage) and i regret it now (although that's probably because I got rejected from Oxford). Now I am doing STEP for fun believe it or not

So my advice to you is to not base your decision too much on the entrance exams. Instead research the course content, the colleges to see if you find one you really like, maybe location if that's important to you because if you're a pupil considering Oxbridge, and a pupil who in year 12 is getting 30 in BMO, then by this time next year you'll be more than capable of STEP (of course lots of work will be needed too )

Hope this helps

Ah thanks!

I guess it's because the school I come from tells us to decide based on which entrance exam we like more. I guess it makes sense that that is a stupid reasoning

Do you do maths now?

Posted from TSR Mobile

In what year did STEP become non-calculator?

1997

Can anyone give me a hand with Q11 STEP II 2003?
@shamika

What are tsr's thoughts on step ii 2003? I found it variable... a few alarmingly quick questions, a few tough questions.

Some very nice stats on that paper imo.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I got 84 on that one - I think it is the second highest I've ever gotten on a STEP II paper from the ones I've done (2000 to 2006).I did Questions 7, 8, 9, 6, 1. I found Question 6 pretty interesting, I think Question 1 I found the toughest, and the last part of Question 7.

This is honestly so freaky, I literally came on this thread to ask for a hint for the last part of Q7

I rearranged the RHS to $\displaystyle \frac{e}{2} \int_{e^{\frac{1}{N}}}^{\infty} \enspace \frac{x^N-1}{x-1} \cdot \frac{\mathrm{ln}x}{x^{N+1}} \enspace \mathrm{d}x$

Does integration by parts lead to anything? I'm honestly so stuck

No. Think about a way to use the inequality $\displaystyle \int_b^\infty \frac{ln x}{x^{n+1}} dx < \displaystyle \int_a^\infty \frac{ln x}{x^{n+1}} dx$ because they are asking you to "Deduce" from it.

Here is my solution, I am not sure if it is correct which is why I gave it 12 marks when I marked it. I went through it now and it seems fine (I kind of underestimated my markings for this paper). So, it is good to tag the senpais - @physicsmaths, @Zacken, @shamika.

I don't think I explained the last part well.

P.S: TSR is really getting on my nerves with attachments. Attaching images from my computer auto-rotates them, and for some reason I get an "invalid file type" error when I try to upload from my phone. Try saving images onto your computer and rotating them yourself.

This is honestly so freaky, I literally came on this thread to ask for a hint for the last part of Q7

I rearranged the RHS to $\displaystyle \frac{e}{2} \int_{e^{\frac{1}{N}}}^{\infty} \enspace \frac{x^N-1}{x-1} \cdot \frac{\mathrm{ln}x}{x^{N+1}} \enspace \mathrm{d}x$

Does integration by parts lead to anything? I'm honestly so stuck

No. Think about a way to use the inequality $\displaystyle \int_b^\infty \frac{ln x}{x^{n+1}} dx < \displaystyle \int_a^\infty \frac{ln x}{x^{n+1}} dx$ because they are asking you to "Deduce" from it.

Here is my solution, I am not sure if it is correct which is why I gave it 12 marks when I marked it. I went through it now and it seems fine (I kind of underestimated my markings for this paper). So, it is good to tag the senpais - @physicsmaths, @Zacken, @shamika.

I don't think I explained the last part well.

P.S: TSR is really getting on my nerves with attachments. Attaching images from my computer auto-rotates them, and for some reason I get an "invalid file type" error when I try to upload from my phone. Try saving images onto your computer and rotating them yourself.