STEP or AEA

Does anyone have any idea, percentagewise, of the number of pupils taking AEAs and STEP? Say like the top 20% take AEA and top 10% take STEP?

Thankz

Reply 3

username9303

3

Thats crap mate, I did the AEA last year and it had pure, mechanics and stats in it.

Reply 4

designer

I did the AEA last year and it had pure, mechanics and stats in it.

Edexcel Maths AEA Specimen Material Found Here:

http://www.edexcel.org.uk/VirtualContent/25978.PDF

No sign of any questions other than pure. Any chance last year was different?

Reply 5

visesh

17

architect

STEP is way harder than AEA and only done for the most able Maths Candidates. Cambridge ask for STEP I and II as a condition on some offers for Maths.

The Maths AEA is 3 hours but you can leave after 1.5 hours (there is a rule like this - best to check).

The AEA is based on the normal A-Level course and consists of only Pure questions.

i.e. P1 to P3 or C1 to C4

Doing Further Maths (plus a few past papers) prepares you adequately for AEA.

The STEP goes into Further Maths and beyond.

I thought most Cambridge colleges ask for STEP II/III :confused:

Reply 6

Yeh im positive they do! Infact its near enough unheard of that they offer conditional offers for Maths without STEP requirements! If you study one Maths A Level then its STEP I/II, however, if you do Further Maths, then you have to do STEP II/III.

Reply 7

gwright

Cambridge Colleges ask for STEP II and III if you do Further Maths for A Level. If you only do single Maths, then they'll ask for STEP I and II.

AEA does not contain any questions other than pure; the 2000 trial paper had stats etc, but they decided against that and since 2001 they have been pure maths only.

Reply 8

architect

STEP is way harder than AEA
I would agree STEP is harder than the AEA but I don't think SI or SII are 'way' harder as you only need to answer 4 questions and get a choice from more than 10, whereas in the AEA the 7 or 8 questions are all compulsary.

Reply 9

4Ed

The STEP papers challenge you in a way that AEA doesn't. True, the questions aren't all compulsory - you get marked on the best 6 you attempt from a list of about 14 (8 pure, 3 mechs 3 stats), but AEA questions at least follows a progression...

Reply 10

Yeah...but im sure STEP are set for like the top 1000 students around the country, then the AEA for like top 5000 students, or something like that. If you compare the questions from a STEP and an AEA then the diffrence somewhat is clear.
I also heard like about 70-90 people year are awarded a S in STEP and it the number of people increase as the grade becomes lower.

Reply 11

Gaz031

I would agree STEP is harder than the AEA but I don't think SI or SII are 'way' harder as you only need to answer 4 questions and get a choice from more than 10, whereas in the AEA the 7 or 8 questions are all compulsary.

Doesn't really matter about how many questions there are! Its the difficulty really! You could have 1 question that is really really hard and 10 questions which you can fly through!

I might of totally misunderstood what you were trying to point across!

Reply 12

S. Tham

Doesn't really matter about how many questions there are! Its the difficulty really! You could have 1 question that is really really hard and 10 questions which you can fly through!

I might of totally misunderstood what you were trying to point across!

Well it's obviously easier to do 5 questions out of 15 rather than 5 questions out of 5, as you have more of a choice and thus are more likely to find questions that you can make a start with.
I do agree than STEP is harder but I wouldn't completely write off the AEA just because the questions seem easier (as you have no choice of what question to do).

Reply 13

gwright

Only about 1000 candidates take AEA Maths, and it's the same with STEP I believe. There are only about 100 Distinctions awarded each year, and 750 are failed.

Reply 14

What are failed? 750 STEP or 750 AEAs and in terms of fail, you do mean, the grade U or its equivalent?

Reply 15

non-centrally acting

11

i was just wondering why my teacher told my friend that shell give her step papers but not me. are they something that you are taught about at school. and why do you have to do them? cos i really am interested but i think my teacher doesnt think me capable :frown:

Reply 16

darth_vader05

i was just wondering why my teacher told my friend that shell give her step papers but not me. are they something that you are taught about at school. and why do you have to do them? cos i really am interested but i think my teacher doesnt think me capable :frown:

There are three step exams, most people are entered for two. Step I and step II assume only knowledge of single maths while Step III assumes knowledge of further maths.
STEP or the AEA are exams usually used for university admissions purposes to distinguish between candidates.
General STEP information: http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissionsinfo/admissionsguide/text/node6.html
Example STEP problems and solutions: http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/advancedproblems/

Reply 17

KAISER_MOLE

7

For the specimen paper posted on this thread, does anyone who has done an AEA paper/has knowledge about, have any idea about the grade boundaries that would get merit and distinction? is it quite low, or quite high?

Reply 18