What is it with all these people doing A level maths in Year 10?

It is not permissible to leave a GCSE examination within the first hour.

Does that mean you can leave after the hour?

True. I think that people who really want to take it early and are capable should be able to. There's no point sitting there and getting bored; surely that will make several people dislike Maths?

There is a lot more to mathematics than examinations! This should be viewed as an opportunity to explore, make connections and begin to develop deep understanding. Enrichment instead of acceleration.

http://nrich.maths.org/public/monthindex.php?mm=4

Down to the discretion of your school. The exam regulations say you can but your school might have their own rules.

I took an A-Level two years early and got an A but it worked to my disadvantage as it was not counted in any of my offers, I still have to get A*AA in my current A2's

Also dont bother doing critical thinking nobody counts it, its a waste of time

OP if you was smart, you would leave it until year 12, start AS maths then and if your as good as you say, its an easy A* for you.. then it WILL be counted in your offer, and you will be a better candidate.

I don't think that's quite the issue here. People who have finished the A level maths course (not necessarily done the exams), have more time to do challenging maths that prepares them for interviews and STEP. And yes, I do hope it'll be an easy A*, but getting an A* at A level is hardly decent preparation for Maths at a leading university.

but it doesnt prepare you for STEP.. Normally you would take STEP in the summer of year 13, that is when you should have just finished C4 and FP2,which are exactly the modules needed depending on what STEP otherwise you'd have to re learn them.

That's exactly my point. Whereas some people will have an extra year or so to prepare for STEP, the majority, like me, will have only just finished the course when they take it.

My college has a dedicated STEP teacher, that is used through out year 13, and he teaches us STEP, as we learn the syllabus. If you need an extra year to learn STEP just to cope with it, what does that say?

Well, I haven't started it yet so I have no idea how long it'll take me to learn it! I don't know what my school does in terms of preparing candidates for STEP, but they must be doing something right if they got three people into Maths courses at Cambridge last year, and two have got offers this year... I guess I'll just have to wait and see...

All i know if that about 5 students took STEP from my college last year, and well feel free to look at STEP I papers, and even though i've started the A level syallabus, im a year into it, i still find it very hard. I think your worrying about nothing. You seem an able person,im sure you'll overcome STEP whenever you take it

What are the modules you need to know for STEP I? Anyway, I have getting an offer from ICL/Warwick/Cambridge to worry about before I can be sure I'll even be taking STEP .