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Oxford Maths Students and Applicants

Less than a month unitll the test, what are people doing to prepare?

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Reply 1
Find a book that will teach you about basic maths techniques you may not have learnt. The mathematical Olympiad handbook (first few chapters) did it adequetly for me, but it might not be worth buying it.

Then complete the specimen papers, and obtain the ones that aren't on the Oxford website.
Reply 2
Alive
Find a book that will teach you about basic maths techniques you may not have learnt. The mathematical Olympiad handbook (first few chapters) did it adequetly for me, but it might not be worth buying it.

I think that's probably excessive - just knowing your C1,C2 well and having had a go at the specimen tests should be enough.
Reply 3
anyone know how well you need to do in this to get an interview. 80% or above?
Reply 4
They are interviewing 80% of applicants based on UCAS and the test score........
Reply 5
Assuming that you get an interview, is there an additional test before the interview? and why do they need you there for 3 nights when interviews are only 20-30 mins long?
Reply 6
thestudent
Assuming that you get an interview, is there an additional test before the interview? and why do they need you there for 3 nights when interviews are only 20-30 mins long?


There ins't an additional test I don't think. You're there for 3 nights because you will have at least 2 interviews at your first choice college plus at least one at another allocated college.
Reply 7
thestudent
Assuming that you get an interview, is there an additional test before the interview? and why do they need you there for 3 nights when interviews are only 20-30 mins long?

That is the only 'test'. They want you there for a couple of days so you can do a couple of interviews, see http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9651902

AHHHH!!!! I've only just started. It's taken me about a week to do one past paper. I'm still stuffed with one part of a question.
Reply 8
MatchDancer
That is the only 'test'. They want you there for a couple of days so you can do a couple of interviews, see http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9651902

AHHHH!!!! I've only just started. It's taken me about a week to do one past paper. I'm still stuffed with one part of a question.


Which paper and question are you having problems with?
Reply 9
there are answers on the net somewhere
(ii) In a triangle ABC The points P, Q and R are respectively the feet of the perpeniculars from A to BC, B to CA, and C to AB as shown.
Prove that
Area of PQR = (1 − cos2 α − cos2 β − cos2 &#947:wink: × (Area of ABC) .

paper:
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/files/imported/prospective-students/undergraduate/specimen-tests/SpecA2/speca2.pdf

I know I can get the specimin solutions but that would not really help, I'd kinda like to do it myself. Hint may be handy though. Problem is when I ask for help is I never know if I would have been able to do it or not.
Reply 11
Can you find an expression for the area of each of the smaller triangles in terms of the area of ABC?
Reply 12
Yo, I remember doing that question, hahaha.

And Rich E, whilst it might be suffiecient to know C1 and C2, knowing some methods of proof and cunning tricks will almost certainly prove useful at some point in the test or the exam.
Reply 13
MatchDancer
(ii) In a triangle ABC The points P, Q and R are respectively the feet of the perpeniculars from A to BC, B to CA, and C to AB as shown.
Prove that
Area of PQR = (1 − cos2 α − cos2 β − cos2 &#947:wink: × (Area of ABC) .

paper:
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/files/imported/prospective-students/undergraduate/specimen-tests/SpecA2/speca2.pdf

I know I can get the specimin solutions but that would not really help, I'd kinda like to do it myself. Hint may be handy though. Problem is when I ask for help is I never know if I would have been able to do it or not.


That was the one question I couldn't do of that paper too.:biggrin:
Square
Can you find an expression for the area of each of the smaller triangles in terms of the area of ABC?


I didn't actually think of that. It was really simple, now that I've done it, I can't understand why I couldn't do it. That always annoys me, when you just can't see something, but it's so obvious once you've done it.
Do you have to worry about neatness over and above just making it legiable and clear. When you're trying to work at a problem which is new that's when the working gets all over the place and messy. If you go down a path which is wrong, should you then cross it out?
Reply 15
Random as it may be, which college are you applying for, Match?
Reply 16
DeathAwaitsU - I'm applying to exactly the same unis as you and exactly the same course, so almsot the same college at Oxford too :biggrin:
Reply 17
Haha, I'd wish you good luck but then I'd be lying.

Which college, out of interest?
Reply 18
I applied for Trinity but it was going to be Exeter. Honestly didn't have a clue about any of them and was a pretty much random choice. Hearing about so many people getting offers no in their chosen colleges seems to make it not matter as much anyway.
Reply 19
3 weeks until the test.

How is your prep going guys?

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