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[Official] Cambridge Computer Science Applicants 2020

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Original post by ct_
No way, it's Neelu! Sheffield was fun wasn't it?
I'm talking about the group project in my statement too. How's yours coming along? I'm stuck shortening it to the line limit.

Yeah it was amazing!

It's going fine so far. I've gone over the limit and had to cut it down so many times lmao but it's going fine. Every time I've managed to cut it down to the limit I realise there's something huge I need to change. And yeah, the line limit is so much harder to adhere to than the character limit but I've just merged some related paragraphs lmao. How's yours going apart from the line limit stuff?
Reply 41
Original post by sbneelu
Yeah it was amazing!

It's going fine so far. I've gone over the limit and had to cut it down so many times lmao but it's going fine. Every time I've managed to cut it down to the limit I realise there's something huge I need to change. And yeah, the line limit is so much harder to adhere to than the character limit but I've just merged some related paragraphs lmao. How's yours going apart from the line limit stuff?

Everything else is fine, but this line limit is really killing me!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by ct_
Everything else is fine, but this line limit is really killing me!

Ooft I know what you mean, good luck!
Reply 43
1) A^A*9999999887
2) Maths, FM, Physics, CS (A*A*A*A*)
3) #1 in UK for CS, forefront of research, massive depth of topics covered, the city is amazing, love the college system
5) Imperial, Warwick, UCL, Bristol
6) Done Cam, ICL, UCL, Bristol, yet to see Warwick
7) Online videos, lectures, articles on CS in general and a lot on AI, made applications many involving AI/machine learning, programming challenges, maths challenges, Computing/Maths/Physics societies, EDT Headstart Course for CS (summer school), Going to talk about my CS coursework, ...
8) With it being easier than CSAT, I assume (unsubstantiated) that it will be mainly be used to select applicants for interview, and a greater weighting will be put on the interview (especially if the college does a test at interview)
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 44
Updated OP with the mappings from raw marks to TMUA score for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Has answers for each of the years as well.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Hapax_42
Updated OP with the mappings from raw marks to TMUA score for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Has answers for each of the years as well.

Thanks for posting - didn't realise they were even on that answer key document. What scores have you guys been getting so far?
Original post by Scott943
Thanks for posting - didn't realise they were even on that answer key document. What scores have you guys been getting so far?


Lol did the 2017 paper 1 and got like half marks plus I went slightly over the time limit. Finding it proper hard to finish every question in 4 minutes cos sometimes it takes me 4 mins to just think of the way to approach it. Wbu.
Original post by _Alchemist_
Lol did the 2017 paper 1 and got like half marks plus I went slightly over the time limit. Finding it proper hard to finish every question in 4 minutes cos sometimes it takes me 4 mins to just think of the way to approach it. Wbu.

Welp I did both spec papers and was pretty happy with the test - think I was getting around 14/20 on both which is reasonable I'd say. But then I did the 2016 paper 1 which is apparently the hardest paper and I went all the way down to 9/20. I think if I had 2 hours to each individual paper, I could probably get at least 75%. Anyone else done the spec/2016 papers?
Original post by Scott943
Welp I did both spec papers and was pretty happy with the test - think I was getting around 14/20 on both which is reasonable I'd say. But then I did the 2016 paper 1 which is apparently the hardest paper and I went all the way down to 9/20. I think if I had 2 hours to each individual paper, I could probably get at least 75%. Anyone else done the spec/2016 papers?

Yh agree, the timing is extremely harsh. Sometimes I think of the correct way to do it and then tell myself no way this is how you do it because it's way too long, then guess what that's how you were meant to do it according to the mark scheme. Working out contains like 15 lines for a "4 minute" question.
Original post by _Alchemist_
Yh agree, the timing is extremely harsh. Sometimes I think of the correct way to do it and then tell myself no way this is how you do it because it's way too long, then guess what that's how you were meant to do it according to the mark scheme. Working out contains like 15 lines for a "4 minute" question.

Yep, totally agree. Do you know if they give us scrap paper for working out - no way I can fit > 10 lines of working plus another 10 crossed out in the given space. There must be a quicker way to do the questions aside from just guessing. :frown:

Worst thing is for the early papers, they don't even offer a mark scheme, so you don't really know where you went wrong
Original post by Scott943
Yep, totally agree. Do you know if they give us scrap paper for working out - no way I can fit > 10 lines of working plus another 10 crossed out in the given space. There must be a quicker way to do the questions aside from just guessing. :frown:

Worst thing is for the early papers, they don't even offer a mark scheme, so you don't really know where you went wrong


I'm guessing they have to otherwise I'm definitely not getting a decent score. Do you get a break between the two papers or do they give both bookelts and do it one after the other? And btw did u do the 2016 paper within an hour?
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by _Alchemist_
I'm guessing they have to otherwise I'm definitely not getting a decent score. Do you get a break between the two papers or do they give both bookelts and do it one after the other?

TMUA website: 'The Test of Mathematics for University Admission is 2 hours 30 minutes long. It has two papers which are taken consecutively.'

Bruh.

I was shattered after the just first one.

Have you done any other papers like MAT or CSAT?
Original post by Scott943
TMUA website: 'The Test of Mathematics for University Admission is 2 hours 30 minutes long. It has two papers which are taken consecutively.'

Bruh.

I was shattered after the just first one.

Have you done any other papers like MAT or CSAT?


Did a few MAT papers thought some of them were alright but the newer ones r pretty damn hard. As for CSAT I tried some questions and pretty much got slaughtered. I managed to do like 2 questions out of the 10-15 I saw plus I couldn't even understand what some of them meant.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by _Alchemist_
Did a few MAT papers thought some of them were alright but the newer ones r pretty damn hard. As for CSAT I tried some questions and got pretty much got slaughtered. I managed to do like 2 questions out of the 10-15 I saw plus I couldn't even understand what some of them meant.

Same here - did MAT 2007 and got almost 70, but the later papers were completely different. Wasn't even getting half correct on the multiple choice.

Basically looked at the CSAT papers and turned off my computer after glancing at the second page. Not even worth it - seemed like further further maths questions to me. :confused:

Overall pretty happy that they introduced the TMUA, even if the paper timing is completely messed up.
Original post by Scott943
Same here - did MAT 2007 and got almost 70, but the later papers were completely different. Wasn't even getting half correct on the multiple choice.

Basically looked at the CSAT papers and turned off my computer after glancing at the second page. Not even worth it - seemed like further further maths questions to me. :confused:

Overall pretty happy that they introduced the TMUA, even if the paper timing is completely messed up.


Yh man looks like we r in the same boat. I guess all I can do is practice. Tbh if I don't improve in the TMUA and find the newest MAT papers alright I might just apply to Oxford instead, although the admission rate is pretty horrific.
Original post by _Alchemist_
Yh man looks like we r in the same boat. I guess all I can do is practice. Tbh if I don't improve in the TMUA and find the newest MAT papers alright I might just apply to Oxford instead, although the admission rate is pretty horrific.

I'm gonna do one more paper this summer and then leave a couple for closer to the exam.

I wouldn't decide it on the admissions test really - I'd say the Oxford one is slightly harder anyway. It really should be based on which uni you prefer I guess.

Do you have any Cambridge colleges in mind?
Original post by Scott943
I'm gonna do one more paper this summer and then leave a couple for closer to the exam.

I wouldn't decide it on the admissions test really - I'd say the Oxford one is slightly harder anyway. It really should be based on which uni you prefer I guess.

Do you have any Cambridge colleges in mind?


Well Trinity was one of them until I realised how bad I was at the CSAT. Although they say the CSAT shouldn't be a disadvantage I highly doubt me doing badly in that is going to help my cause. So now I am probably going to have to revaluate. Btw what college r u looking at and what other unis are you considering.
Original post by _Alchemist_
Well Trinity was one of them until I realised how bad I was at the CSAT. Although they say the CSAT shouldn't be a disadvantage I highly doubt me doing badly in that is going to help my cause. So now I am probably going to have to revaluate. Btw what college r u looking at and what other unis are you considering.

Yeah, one of my criteria is that they only did one entrance test tbh :smile: I'm looking at Cambridge, Warwick, Bath, Bristol and Exeter/Southampton. And between Emma, Downing and Jesus college wise for cambridge.

Guessing you do maths and FM - what other a-levels are you doing?
Original post by Scott943
Yeah, one of my criteria is that they only did one entrance test tbh :smile: I'm looking at Cambridge, Warwick, Bath, Bristol and Exeter/Southampton. And between Emma, Downing and Jesus college wise for cambridge.

Guessing you do maths and FM - what other a-levels are you doing?


Maths, FM, Econ, Physics
Hi. Just wanna ask if there is any difference in CTMUA and TMUA? If we are sitting for the CTMUA, do we register for the TMUA for this? If not, how do I register for the exam?

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