The Student Room Group

how freakin hard is it to get to do maths at cambridge

this guy from my sixth form did his alevels three years ago and did step, got a 2 but in his alevels maths fm physics chem he got all A* and did economics as lvl too lol i dont get it, how can step be so hard ????/// he even had tutoring lol (edit: i meant to say he ddnt get in, he did go to warwick tho)
(edited 6 years ago)
Step is hard because for someone who is good enough for maths at cambridge, a-level is easy.
Reply 2
Original post by plshelplol
this guy from my sixth form did his alevels three years ago and did step, got a 2 but in his alevels maths fm physics chem he got all A* and did economics as lvl too lol i dont get it, how can step be so hard ????/// he even had tutoring lol


It might not be that step maths is hard An alternative reason could be that he put less time into preparing for it. For example, a bunch of us in my year were entered to do a critical thinking AS - very easy, but nobody came out higher than a C because it wasn't accepted by any decent uni, so our priorities were with our AS Levels.

Step maths is, similarly, only required by a narrow window of universities so he may have prepared less for it. Alternatively, there could be new topics outside of the A Level maths spec which he found more difficult - I for one really struggle with statistics, for instance.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Ed5
It might not be that step maths is hard, but that put less time into preparing for it. For example, a bunch of us in my year were entered to do a critical thinking AS - very easy, but nobody came out higher than a C because it wasn't accepted by any decent uni, so our priorities were with our AS Levels.

Step maths is, similarly, only required by a narrow window of universities so he may have prepared less for it. Alternatively, there could be new topics outside of the A Level maths spec which he found more difficult - I for one really struggle with statistics, for instance.


But I'm pretty sure with STEP you only have to do 6 questions out of the paper. I don't think you have to do any statistics at all if you don't want to.
Original post by Ed5
It might not be that step maths is hard, but that put less time into preparing for it. For example, a bunch of us in my year were entered to do a critical thinking AS - very easy, but nobody came out higher than a C because it wasn't accepted by any decent uni, so our priorities were with our AS Levels.

Step maths is, similarly, only required by a narrow window of universities so he may have prepared less for it. Alternatively, there could be new topics outside of the A Level maths spec which he found more difficult - I for one really struggle with statistics, for instance.


Step is incredibly hard, it's aimed at the top 2% of a-level mathematicians.
Reply 5
Original post by black1blade
Step is incredibly hard, it's aimed at the top 2% of a-level mathematicians.


Original post by TheMindGarage
But I'm pretty sure with STEP you only have to do 6 questions out of the paper. I don't think you have to do any statistics at all if you don't want to.


Aye I never entered for it, just thought I'd throw in some possible alternatives too!
Original post by Ed5
Aye I never entered for it, just thought I'd throw in some possible alternatives too!


Neither have I - I'm only in my first "proper" year of sixth form (I attended sixth form part-time since Year 10 to do A-level Maths). I had it mentioned to me and I did look a bit at the papers, but it's not my focus right now.
Reply 7
Maybe because A Level is (used to be) piss easy and just required memorisation of methods and formulas, especially with modular exams
Reply 8
Original post by GrabDrop
Maybe because A Level is (used to be) piss easy and just required memorisation of methods and formulas, especially with modular exams


It still is...
Yeah the new a-level is roughly the same level of difficulty and there are even fewer exams.
try a few questions for yourself and see how hard it is :smile:
Original post by Zacken
It still is...


We'll have to see. Hopefully it isn't.
Original post by GrabDrop
We'll have to see. Hopefully it isn't.


No like they've published specimen papers and the content is pretty much exactly the same and the questions are slightly more complex but nowhere near step level. Maybe some of the optional further modules are a tad harder than current spec though.
I don't think you have to be incredibly talented at maths to get in. It is definitely possible for a good mathematician (finds M/FM very easy) to get through STEP with a lot of hard work and practice. At the end of the day STEP is far easier than olympiads, international competitions etc., especially achieving grade 1s, and much of it is a matter of becoming proficient at questions of that specific style.
I would imagine that the real challenge is getting a first in the course once you're in.

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