Should i sit the STEP papers?

I am a year 13 student currently deciding to take STEP for Warwick maths (reduced offer, not compulsory), but the closer I get to A-Levels I'm just finding it difficult to manage a 4 A-Level workload and fit in STEP preparation efficiently.

I enjoy STEP and the challenge it brings and do like solving those questions as A-Level further maths tends to be repetitive, however I want to focus on my other A-Levels and worry that if I focus too much on STEP, I may face the fact that I might miss the voluntary STEP requirement as well as the A-Level requirement.

I do enjoy STEP and enjoy answering challenging questions, and I will continue to do so regardless of whether I end up sitting the exam or not. However, if I decide to do the exam I may end up missing my A-Level offer due to me prioritising STEP preparation more heavily.

Any help?

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

davros

Original post by WantToStudyMafs

It's your call at the end of the day. If it's not part of an offer requirement then I would personally row back from STEP and just concentrate on the A levels. I've seen people crash and burn on their A levels before because they basically enjoyed the challenge of STEP too much and neglected the basics, or they underestimated the amount of preparation required to make a serious attempt at STEP.

Bottom line: 4 good A levels (or in fact 3 good A levels) will get you a place at most universities in the country; getting AABB or similar while you focus on STEP for one offer is going to restrict your choices.

Best of luck!