CSAT For Computer Science Undergrad Admissions 2016 Entry

By that logic then the 2015 questions should be released to allow people to practice.

Why do you think the 2015 questions are yet to be released?

I think that some of them are going to be re-used in the 2016 test. This is unfair as some of this year's applicants (both successful and unsuccessful) will have made notes on what the questions were and could share these with next year's applicants.

I agree to an extent that this is a test of mathematical ability, but having real past questions to work with (not just those on the website) are always going to help in terms of preparation, much more than doing any UKMT or MAT papers.

The reason they're yet to be released is because this current admissions cycle is yet to end, so technically despite the fact it most likely won't happen, people could still have to sit the CSAT exam.

In what circumstances could you see this happening?

It's not based on my opinion lol, it's based on the rules around releasing admission tests info. It's used to negate cheating/ unfairness. If they just say "no talking about it until admissions cycle is over" then there's no specifics to worry about, just makes it really clean and simple. There's no need to over complicate it, plus it should only take you 1-2 days to go fully through the whole paper, considering I did about a third of it in less than a couple hours. So they really don't need to release it any sooner than the end of the admissions cycle.

I'm trying to start doing some CSAT questions and I'm having trouble finding where to start to be honest. I got 95%+ in both Maths and Further Maths but I can only seem to do some of these questions. How did you guys start learning how to do these kinds of questions? Seems so different to what I have been doing at A-level.

Firstly, don't worry if you can only do some of the questions! You are only expected to do at most 10 of the 20 questions, and when I did it last year most people did fewer (even though at that point there wasn't a limit on how many you could do from the second section).

I think the best resource to start with is the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge (or even the Intermediate one if you've not done anything similar before). Once you feel comfortable with that, you could move on to the Kangaroo and then BMO, but I think it would be better to do questions from the Oxf*rd MAT. Also, if you can program, I found doing Project Euler questions very helpful.

I'm pretty certain how I perfomed in the CSAT got me my offer, I don't really think the interviews went that well tbh

How many questions did you do? I think I did 9, but I'm not sure whether that was 9 total with some wrong, or 9 correct and some others wrong.

How many questions did you do? I think I did 9, but I'm not sure whether that was 9 total with some wrong, or 9 correct and some others wrong.

Unrelated, but for Comp Sci with Maths, did you have to sit STEP? If so, which STEP papers were you asked for?

Unrelated, but for Comp Sci with Maths, did you have to sit STEP? If so, which STEP papers were you asked for?

Yes I did. I had to do STEP II and III (and needed 1, 2). However, STEP requirements for CompSci w. Maths (what papers are needed, what grades are required, and whether you'll be let in for CompSci without Maths if you fail STEP) are one of the few admissions details that vary between colleges. Most require 1, 1 or 1, 2 in STEP II and III, but a few are different. Most notably, Trinity apparently only wants a 1 in STEP I (at least that's what they said in an email). If you're interested I can pm you the big spreadsheet I made last year.

Cant remember if I'm honest, but was plenty more than everyone else sitting it in the same room as me at the time

Sorry, again I should know this, but did you hit the w/Maths offer?

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