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The 2012 STEP Results Discussion Thread

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Reply 1780
Anyone know how common it is for people to take STEP I in year 12??
Original post by hplj
Anyone know how common it is for people to take STEP I in year 12??


I would've thought it is fairly common since I am in year 11 and am taking it this June alongside my GCSEs.
Original post by hplj
Anyone know how common it is for people to take STEP I in year 12??


I would and probably should have (but I didn't think of doing it). I shouldn't think it is particularly common although there are at least a couple of people on here who have done so with some success.
Reply 1783
Original post by GreenLantern1
I would've thought it is fairly common since I am in year 11 and am taking it this June alongside my GCSEs.


Wow, nice!!

It's just that I'm thinking of doing it, but I've only really started preparing this Easter... Is this too late?
Original post by hplj
Anyone know how common it is for people to take STEP I in year 12??


Several Y12's take STEP I. It's quite controversial - some examiner's reports suggest they don't like it.

I think it's a good idea:

(1) you start STEP preparation soon
(2) if you plan to firm Cambridge, insure Warwick, then you may have the '1' in your pocket without taking I,II,III in Y13.
(3) the exam experience itself is good
(4) if you don't do well, it can be a wake-up call

The biggest downside I can see is that it rather kills your Easter STEP school chances.

I think all the students I know who have done this have benefited from the experience.
Original post by hplj
Anyone know how common it is for people to take STEP I in year 12??


To add to my last reply, last year 1181 people sat STEP I. Many of these were probably cambridge, imperial, and warwick offer holders
Reply 1786
Original post by GreenLantern1
I would've thought it is fairly common since I am in year 11 and am taking it this June alongside my GCSEs.


Seriously? Who advised you to do this? I really don't think any good can come from it.

Ah who am I kidding, I need people like you to bring down the STEP grade boundaries (which I'm scared will be astronomically high this year). :colone:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1787
Out of interest, are any Cambridge offer holders sitting paper I?
Original post by Ree69
Ah who am I kidding, I need people like you to bring down the STEP grade boundaries (which I'm scared will be astronmically high this year).

Whoa whoa whoa. Plenty of people take STEP early (I know a couple of year 11's) and do just fine, including many that do better than those two years senior to them with University offers.

I agree that year 11 is probably too early but it's probably not fair to suggest that they'll "bring the grade boundaries down".
Original post by Ree69
Out of interest, are any Cambridge offer holders sitting paper I?


Moi! Sitting it to get the 'flavour' of the exam before the ones that matter. :smile:
Reply 1790
Original post by Ree69
Out of interest, are any Cambridge offer holders sitting paper I?


I am :smile:...I figured I might as well :P
Reply 1791
Original post by Farhan.Hanif93
Whoa whoa whoa. Plenty of people take STEP early (I know a couple of year 11's) and do just fine, including many that do better than those two years senior to them with University offers.

I agree that year 11 is probably too early but it's probably not fair to suggest that they'll "bring the grade boundaries down".


That was meant to be a joke - I didn't meant to cause offence!

On a more serious note though, I do think sitting it in year 11 is far too early. Unless they're some genius, how could anyone be confident with C1-4 material in the same year as their GCSE prep?

Original post by Xero Xenith
Moi! Sitting it to get the 'flavour' of the exam before the ones that matter. :smile:


Great. :cool:
Hi guys can someone give me a pointer on Q3 STEP 1 2010 paper please? I've done the first three show and deduce parts but when it comes to the last part I'm unsure what to do. I tried considering the gradients of the lines and equating them but it doesn't seem to be working. Thanks.
Who here has done special relativity?
Original post by Ree69
How could anyone be confident with C1-4 material in the same year as their GCSE prep?


I'm definitely not some sort of genius, but i knew most of FP2-3 in Year 11...call it curiosity :wink:
Original post by ben-smith
Who here has done special relativity?


A bit..why?
Original post by TheMagicMan
A bit..why?


Am I right in saying that Q6 STEP III 1991 is basically lorentz transforms?
Original post by Ree69
That was meant to be a joke - I didn't meant to cause offence!

On a more serious note though, I do think sitting it in year 11 is far too early. Unless they're some genius, how could anyone be confident with C1-4 material in the same year as their GCSE prep?

My apologies, I thought you were being serious...

Of the two people I know that took STEP in year 11, one got a grade 1 whilst the other got a high grade 2. Make of that what you will. :p: It's not as if C1-C4 content is difficult to grasp, so I'm not really surprised that a few keen year 11's could pick it up well enough for STEP. However, whether it's wise to get your A-Level stuff out of the way that early probably poses a more pertinent question.
Original post by ben-smith
Am I right in saying that Q6 STEP III 1991 is basically lorentz transforms?


Can you post the question?
With regards to taking STEP early, it's worth remembering that the people who got offers without taking it early vastly outweigh those who got offers having taken it early so don't feel like you need to just so that you'll not be behind everyone else.
I wanted to do it but my teacher's first response was: "are you mad?" so I didn't bother. In hindsight, taking it early could have only given me a worse outcome.

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