what is STEP?

In its simplest definition, STEP is a maths examination taken by offer holders for maths at some universities (eg Cambridge) that forms part of their of their offer.

Hard maths exam that the top maths degree programmes in the UK require you to take to get in (you take it after your A-level exams).

thank you! how do you prepare for it?

Also, what is the STEP support programme? Thankks!

It's a set of free online resources to help students prepare for the STEP papers, made available by the University of Cambridge (the main uni to use STEP). It helps make sure that students who aren't going to independent schools can also get adequate targeted preparation for STEP.

It explains what it is on the STEP support programme webpage, incidentally.

thank you! how do you prepare for it?

Also, what is the STEP support programme? Thankks!

please can someone give me a one-sentence summary of what it is? I've only just heard about it? thanksss

As above, just working through lots of past papers and questions. There are a huge amount of questions and papers available that have been collated by people in the maths forum on TSR, many of which have worked solutions as well, so that's probably a good place to start.

There are 3 STEP papers available to take: STEP 1, STEP 2, and STEP 3. (1 is the most difficult; 3 is the least.)

STEP 1 is the easiest and is designed for those with only A level Maths knowledge. STEP 3 is the hardest and only for people with Further Maths. (STEP 1 and 3 used to be timetabled at the same time so no one took all 3)