How do i get good at STEP

Original post by sarank

I have no natural problem solving ability and find STEP quite hard, ive considered starting from the first ever paper and working myself up from there. Yet i still struggle to understand the questions, any tips to get better? I am in yr12, and i do fm maths and physics

Dont send your email to the previous poster and the exam board is irrelevant. Are you trying the step foundation modules which are aimed at y12 so
https://maths.org/step/assignments
If so, what problems are you having?

Step is a bit less about problem solving than ukmt or mat say, but you can get books etc about how to approach it and it does help. However, step 2 and 3 are more about understanding the concepts thoroughly, and being able to apply that understanding.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Melroy9

2

Original post by mqb2766

Dont send your email to the previous poster and the exam board is irrelevant. Are you trying the step foundation modules which are aimed at y12 so
https://maths.org/step/assignments
If so, what problems are you having?

Step is a bit less about problem solving than ukmt or mat say, but you can get books etc about how to approach it and it does help, though step 2 and 3 are more about understanding the concepts thoroughly, and being able to apply that understanding.

I am going to help him with problem-solving in physics and maths. Because I like to share my knowledge with others. Then I also get memories lessons and study automatically.

Reply 4

Original post by Melroy9

I am going to help him with problem-solving in physics and maths. Because I like to share my knowledge with others. Then I also get memories lessons and study automatically.

To help with step, theres no need to ask for personal details liike email addresses and its against the forum rules.

Reply 5

StudyMind

8

Original post by sarank

I have no natural problem solving ability and find STEP quite hard, ive considered starting from the first ever paper and working myself up from there. Yet i still struggle to understand the questions, any tips to get better? I am in yr12, and i do fm maths and physics

Heya!
If it helps, Oxbridge Mind (linked) has plenty of free STEP resources as well as useful blogs full of tips on how to get higher scores :h:

I hope this helps!
Milena
UCL PFE
Study Mind

Reply 6

OP

Original post by mqb2766

Dont send your email to the previous poster and the exam board is irrelevant. Are you trying the step foundation modules which are aimed at y12 so
https://maths.org/step/assignments
If so, what problems are you having?

Step is a bit less about problem solving than ukmt or mat say, but you can get books etc about how to approach it and it does help. However, step 2 and 3 are more about understanding the concepts thoroughly, and being able to apply that understanding.

ok
i just cant do the questions ibr theyre too confusing for me

Reply 7

Original post by sarank

ok
i just cant do the questions ibr theyre too confusing for me

Are you trying step 1 papers or the foundation modules or ...? How are your normal a levels going, why do you need step, ...?

Reply 8

OP

Original post by mqb2766

Are you trying step 1 papers or the foundation modules or ...? How are your normal a levels going, why do you need step, ...?

Currently step 1, a levels are fine, im jus doing step now

Reply 9

Original post by sarank

Currently step 1, a levels are fine, im jus doing step now

Why not do the foundation modules which are aimed at y12 and provide some warm up questions on each of the topics. Then once youve completed those, hit the step 1 papers? I noticed on some of the your other threads youre saying you might get BBC, applying to oxford / warwick engineering. If those are ~right, then maybe step isnt the best thing to focus on?

However, there are plenty of resources like mat livestream, amsp courses/book, drfrostnotes, siklos book, problem solving / ukmt books, ... But the foudation modules seem an obvious place to start.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by mqb2766

Why not do the foundation modules which are aimed at y12 and provide some warm up questions on each of the topics. Then once youve completed those, hit the step 1 papers? I noticed on some of the your other threads youre saying you might get BBC, applying to oxford / warwick engineering. If those are ~right, then maybe step isnt the best thing to focus on?

However, there are plenty of resources like mat livestream, amsp courses/book, drfrostnotes, siklos book, problem solving / ukmt books, ... But the foudation modules seem an obvious place to start.

Oh right mobalicious thank you makes sense

Reply 11

BigJ123

10

Original post by sarank

I have no natural problem solving ability and find STEP quite hard, ive considered starting from the first ever paper and working myself up from there. Yet i still struggle to understand the questions, any tips to get better? I am in yr12, and i do fm maths and physics

just practice my boy.

Reply 12

OP

Original post by mqb2766

Why not do the foundation modules which are aimed at y12 and provide some warm up questions on each of the topics. Then once youve completed those, hit the step 1 papers? I noticed on some of the your other threads youre saying you might get BBC, applying to oxford / warwick engineering. If those are ~right, then maybe step isnt the best thing to focus on?

However, there are plenty of resources like mat livestream, amsp courses/book, drfrostnotes, siklos book, problem solving / ukmt books, ... But the foudation modules seem an obvious place to start.

do you know any good ukmt books?

Reply 13

Original post by sarank

do you know any good ukmt books?

In what sense, the senior ukmt stuff is somewhat different from both step and a level m/fm. Have you done intermediate challenge/kangaroo/olympiad before, which senior competition are you thinking about, ...

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 14

OP

Original post by mqb2766

In what sense, the senior ukmt stuff is somewhat different from both step and a level m/fm. Have you done intermediate challenge/kangaroo/olympiad before, which senior competition are you thinking about, ...

I have sat intermediate and senior ukmt, achieved bronze and silver in both

Reply 15

Original post by sarank

I have sat intermediate and senior ukmt, achieved bronze and silver in both

For the challenges, silver is in top third of people sitting it, so around 65-75/125. Best advice Id give would be to try and spend a bit more time, maybe a month or so, working through some of the harder (last 10) challenge questions and get some of those fundamentals in place. It would be similar to working through some of the mat papers, though the latter is more in line with your AS maths. Is this the type of thing you were thinking of or ...?

Reply 16

OP

Original post by mqb2766

For the challenges, silver is in top third of people sitting it, so around 65-75/125. Best advice Id give would be to try and spend a bit more time, maybe a month or so, working through some of the harder (last 10) challenge questions and get some of those fundamentals in place. It would be similar to working through some of the mat papers, though the latter is more in line with your AS maths. Is this the type of thing you were thinking of or ...?

Right makes sense, thanks.

Reply 17

Original post by sarank

Right makes sense, thanks.

Going back to your question about books,
* there is an old ukmt (~2010) guide (tips ..) for the smc which Ive got the pdf for if you want it
* the drfrost ukmt/mat/step slides cover a fair bit of the smc with a mix of bmo/mat/step https://www.drfrostmaths.com/downloadables.php?noid=917
* the ukmt problem solvers handbook https://www.ukmt.org.uk/product/69 is more at intermediate (challenge/olympiads) level but its clearly explained and the mathematical olympiad primer https://www.ukmt.org.uk/product/94 is more bmo1 but has some relevant for some of the (harder) smc problems

But at the end of the day, doing some questions and discussing problems is the most important thing.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 18

justlearning1469