⋆ For those taking STEP in 2015, here is the place to discuss, post problems, or ask any questions you may have regarding the exam!
⋆Download the STEP Megapack hereThis includes the following:
Past papers, solutions, exam reports 1987-2012
(download separately for years 1998-2012 here)or Alternatively(this is probably easier) click on this
link.
Formula booklet
(download separately here)NRICH STEP Prep:
http://nrich.maths.org/step this website can get you use to the problem solving type skills you often need for unusual STEP questions, these questions often involve(prime numbers,even odd,difference of two squares,combinations of summing up a number).
Stephen Siklos' booklets
(download separately here and here)Spreadsheet to print out and keep track of which questions you have done
(download separately here)See
here for a cross reference between the first Siklos booklet and the original STEP papers from which the questions are taken.
The University of Warwick has uploaded a few videos of worked out STEP questions
here, which you may find helpful.
The June 2013-14 papers can be found using the following link:
http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/our-services/subject-specific/step/preparing-for-step/⋆TSR has a solution bank of its own if you are interested:
1987 ·
1988 ·
1989 ·
1990 ·
19911992 ·
1993 ·
1994 ·
1995 ·
19961997 ·
1998 ·
1999 ·
2000 ·
20012002 ·
2003 ·
2004 ·
2005 ·
20062007 ·
2008 ·
2009 ·
2010 ·
20112012 I ·
2012 II ·
2012 III2013 (note: 2008 and 2010 are incomplete, and 2009 seems to be non-existant).However solutions are included in the links above that link you to the recent past papers.Avoid recent papers & solutions at all costs (2010 - 2013)! You will need these as mocks in June 2014! For the moment, the links are there more for coherence than anything else.⋆FAQWhen should I start preparing?Start preparing
early because there are lots of papers from 1987 onwards in STEP I-III to complete and even if you are only doing STEP II-III, STEP I will be good practice for those.
Where do I start?S. Siklos' booklets are a good place to start
(link above). Once you feel more comfortable with the questions, you may want to tackle STEP I papers.
Your aim should be approximately 30 minutes per question because the exam lasts 3 hours and your top 6 questions are marked(I plan on looking at the solution to a question if I can't get anyway with it in 30 minutes but if you can get somewhere I would advise trying as much as you can to battle it out,by asking for help on here because it is extremely satisfying to reach that conclusion to a hard problem and you don't want to get into looking at the answer too much and copying it because you won't have developed the skills necessary to ace the paper.
What if I get stuck?Don't worry if STEP seems difficult at first - it is
meant to be hard, and everyone is feeling the same,if this is the case for you then look through all the STEP papers and you should find some questions that you can get your teeth into and then gradually you can attempt the harder ones.I would advise you to leave STEP II-III for quite a while because they are much harder and STEP III is based on the Further Maths Syllabus and focus on STEP I. When you're stuck,
keep searching. This is crucial, because unless you're superhuman, you
will get stuck in the exam at
some point, and you will not have a hints & answers booklet by your side.
Get used to the idea of spending lots of time on a single question.
Will it get easier?Yes - but this doesn't mean it will get
easy. With practise, you will come to enjoy the problem solving,
and you will start recognising certain techniques/tricks which inevitably make the questions more accessible.
Also, it should be said that many questions seem very difficult from the outside, but turn out to be
easier than expected once you start writing things down.
Is it strategic to focus on pure only?No. Since preparation time isn't an issue, it is best to give yourself more choice
and work on all areas of STEP questions. You never know where a gift-question might lie.
Also, rumor has it that the applied questions tend to be
slightly easier than the pure ones.
Read the post below for more information http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2403970&p=43519412#post43519412(many thanks to shamika)⋆Required knowledgeLook here or the last pages of Siklos' bookletsSTEP I & II:C1-4 + M1-2 + S1-2 +
proof by inductionSTEP III:Above + FP1-3 + M3-5 + S3-4
The syllabus for III is very wide,
so the above is
roughly what the questions
can touch on.I would heavily advise self teaching modules and possibly doing Additional Further Maths to open more STEP questions to you and remember it would be very wise to learn C3-C4,M1-M2 and S1- S2 quickly so you can attempt all of STEP I, which is a very good place to start at even if you are only doing STEP II-III.I would highly recommend making sure you know both of FP2 and FP3 and not all colleges teach both for STEP III.Decision Maths is very useless(particularly for STEP) so avoiding do it if you can.
Useful tricks (TSR thread) &
Graph sketching⋆MarkingSTEP grades: S (Outstanding), 1 (Very good), 2 (Good), 3 (Satisfactory), U (Unclassified)Mark-schemes are not published so it is difficult to say how STEP is marked. What we
do know:
Questions are marked out of 20, no bonus points - you should look at no more than
6 questions in the exam (total out of 120). Any correct answer will be awarded maximum marks.
No points are given for mathematical elegance. Most marks are method marks: according to DFranklin
small slip-ups will only cost you 1-2 points. Four good (not necessarily perfect) answers will generally
award you a 1-it is very hard usually to attempt the last parts of a question/get a perfect answer so I would advise possibly leaving a question partially complete if you get stuck and attempting up to 6 questions because then 6 satisfactory answers will probably do.
The
Exam Reports (link above) are informative on marking too - take a look.
Grade boundaries for years 2000-2013 (previous years are not available):2014http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=312547&d=1407975680⋆Exam conditionsThe exam lasts 3 hours sharp. With the exam sheet, you will be given the
formula booklet (link above).
It is the same each year. Calculators have been banned since 1997.
You will have to write in black ink, and correction fluid is
not permitted.
Drafting paper
is allowed (ask your school to provide some if you want any), but generally it is advised to
write
most of your working down on the exam sheet - even if this means writing out multiplications.
⋆Standard (STEP) offersUniversity of Cambridge: 1,1 in STEP II, III
University of Warwick: 1 (if A*A* not ach.) or 2 in any paper
Imperial College London: 2 in STEP II or III (occasionally)
University College London: 1 (if A*A* not ach.)
University of Bath: 2 in any paper (occasionally)
⋆This year's exams take place as follows... The STEP exam dates haven't been determined yet but will be released in September and the exams are usually in late June and the exam dates are designed so that they don't clash with Mathematics A Level exams and if possible Physics, since this a very common subject took by mathematics students.
In the week before the exam...Read
this post.
(thank you shamika)⋆Good luck!