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MAT/STEP without A-Levels

This is very hypothetical considering I’m dumb as a **** and wouldn’t be able to complete them but let’s just say, some guy/girl without GCSE’s or A-levels (or equiv) gets either a perfect MAT or 3 S’s in STEP and decides “**** it let’s go to uni” how far do you think they could go?

Anyone want take?

Universities Forum Helper

It wouldn't mean anything, because they will still require you to have taken the relevant subjects to A-level or equivalent, and to see you have done work at the appropriate university preparatory level. For those maths degree requiring MAT/STEP this will usually be A-level Maths and Further Maths (or equivalent) at minimum.

Those universities need to see you are fully conversant in "the basics", as evidenced by A-level Maths/FM or equivalent, before anything else. STEP (and to a lesser extent, MAT) is then a test to see how well you can take these basics you are very confident with, and apply them to unfamiliar situations and new ways of mathematical thinking, which are more akin to the style of degree level mathematics (i.e. more abstract).

While getting S, S in STEP will require you to be comfortable with the A-level syllabus to a point, its primary purpose isn't to test that body of knowledge so much as to test your ability to apply it. So they want to see that you have been tested on that body of knowledge, so you don't start a maths degree but only know how to integrate polynomials, for example. However, following from this, if you were able to get S, S in STEP (or a comparable high score in MAT) then that would probably suggest that you are more than capable of getting As/A*s in A-level Maths/FM or equivalent. So you might as well just take those.

If in doubt, contact any univeristies you may wish to apply to and enquire about their admissions requirements for people in your situation. They will most likely say they expect some evidence of recent academic study, such as e.g. A-levels, open university credits, or an Access to HE course. You will in addition to demonstrating recent study generally, need to, within that or alongside that, meet any subject specific requirements (this is notably because many Access to HE courses aren't sufficiently mathematical to get into the kinds of maths degree requiring STEP/MAT), as noted initially.

Some universities do however offer a foundation year as part of their maths degree (e.g. Southampton, Loughborough, QMUL), for those who have undertaken recent study and done well, but who may not have covered all of the necessary A-level Maths (and/or FM) content required to start in first year of that degree. In such a course you will then undertake a preliminary year 0 where you cover that material, and then subject to satisfying progression requirements move into year 1 of the main degree and hence continue as a typical student on that course.

Reply 3

ajj2000

Original post by GoogGooglyMoogly

Depends how rigid universities are with their GCSE requirements and possibly A levels too. Lots of maths departments would love to have the candidate in question!