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how do I do next to prepare STEP!!!!!!!

I'm a student in Grade 11 and I self-studied and finished my AL Mathematics in Grade 10 and AL Further Mathematics at the beginning of my Grade 11 with relatively high scores(97% and 96% respectively). I'm now preparing STEP2 and STEP3 and I have already finished all STEP modules provided by Cambridge, the book about STEP questions recommended by Cambridge and all test papers from 1998 to 2020, meaning that I only have a few past test papers remained to practice. Can somebody get me some suggestion about any other materials or test paper that I can do?

Reply 1

Original post by ECFDPB
I'm a student in Grade 11 and I self-studied and finished my AL Mathematics in Grade 10 and AL Further Mathematics at the beginning of my Grade 11 with relatively high scores(97% and 96% respectively). I'm now preparing STEP2 and STEP3 and I have already finished all STEP modules provided by Cambridge, the book about STEP questions recommended by Cambridge and all test papers from 1998 to 2020, meaning that I only have a few past test papers remained to practice. Can somebody get me some suggestion about any other materials or test paper that I can do?

you could use AEA papers, although admittedly they are a lot easier than STEP papers

perhaps look at international exams such as gaokao and JEE, although i'm uncertain about the difficulty and style of these exams

if you have done all of this however, you are likely in a VERY strong position to sit STEP

Reply 2

Original post by aranon
you could use AEA papers, although admittedly they are a lot easier than STEP papers
perhaps look at international exams such as gaokao and JEE, although i'm uncertain about the difficulty and style of these exams
if you have done all of this however, you are likely in a VERY strong position to sit STEP

Thanks for your response😂 Maybe it will be helpful to try test papers of other examination, I'll try this in next seminars to maintain my mathematics level.
Hopefully I can get double 1 or even higher for STEP2 and 3 since I got around 80/120 for all test papers between 2018 and 2020 during my mock tests. But I just cannot help wondering whether questions this year are more difficult than 2018-2020 or not😂

Reply 3

no worries, good luck

Reply 4

Original post by ecfdpb
Thanks for your response😂 Maybe it will be helpful to try test papers of other examination, I'll try this in next seminars to maintain my mathematics level.
Hopefully I can get double 1 or even higher for STEP2 and 3 since I got around 80/120 for all test papers between 2018 and 2020 during my mock tests. But I just cannot help wondering whether questions this year are more difficult than 2018-2020 or not😂

Are you planning to take step next month or in 2025? If its in a few weeks, you seem in a good position and just finish off the last few papers. If its in 2025 (what are you doing next year?), it would probably have made sense to space out the learning/practice a bit more and Cambridge usually like students to take exams (a levels/step) at the same time, though there are obviously exceptions. If you need new material you could work through some related questions like (relevant, problem solving) stuff covered in Paul Zeitz, or the uni bridging stuff like Richard Earl, or other books ... the related tests like AEA/longer mat questions/... would have "some" similarity, but I guess youd end up revisiting step in 6 months time and reworking the papers.
(edited 12 months ago)

Reply 5

Original post by mqb2766
Are you planning to take step next month or in 2025? If its in a few weeks, you seem in a good position and just finish off the last few papers. If its in 2025 (what are you doing next year?), it would probably have made sense to space out the learning/practice a bit more and Cambridge usually like students to take exams (a levels/step) at the same time, though there are obviously exceptions. If you need new material you could work through some related questions like (relevant, problem solving) stuff covered in Paul Zeitz, or the uni bridging stuff like Richard Earl, or other books ... the related tests like AEA/longer mat questions/... would have "some" similarity, but I guess youd end up revisiting step in 6 months time and reworking the papers.

actually I'm going to take STEPs next month since I am going to apply to Cambridge next year and I think if I can get 1&1 or higher scores for STEP2 and 3 in advance, I'll be more competitive among peers🤣
(by the way, I'm an international student from China so I have to do more things than others so as to be enrolled by Cambridge)
I decide to study some Cambridge mathematics textbooks in my Grade 12 so that I can maintain my mathematics level even entering the university(I think this is possible since I learn Further Mathematics all by my own😂) I'll also take MAT in October for ICL and prepare my interview, hope every thing will go well😂

Reply 6

Original post by mqb2766
Are you planning to take step next month or in 2025? If its in a few weeks, you seem in a good position and just finish off the last few papers. If its in 2025 (what are you doing next year?), it would probably have made sense to space out the learning/practice a bit more and Cambridge usually like students to take exams (a levels/step) at the same time, though there are obviously exceptions. If you need new material you could work through some related questions like (relevant, problem solving) stuff covered in Paul Zeitz, or the uni bridging stuff like Richard Earl, or other books ... the related tests like AEA/longer mat questions/... would have "some" similarity, but I guess youd end up revisiting step in 6 months time and reworking the papers.

by the way, does Cambridge really want me to finish several important things at the end of my high school? It is a bit exhausted for students, for example, to prepare their A2 physics, A2 further mathematics and A2 chemistry plus their STEPs at the same time, isn't it😂? At least I'm the kind of person who likes to do several things ahead since I deem that it will allow me more free time in the future.

If Cambridge really wants me to show so-called 'time management' skills or something like that, is it okay if I tell them that, at the beginning of Grade 11, I prepared A2 physics, AS plus A2 further mathematics, plus AMC12 and BMO1 at the same time and I eventually got quite good results for most of them? (expect for BMO1, I don't know why but I was just awarded 29 even if I answered 5 questions correctly😂)

Reply 7

Original post by ECFDPB
by the way, does Cambridge really want me to finish several important things at the end of my high school? It is a bit exhausted for students, for example, to prepare their A2 physics, A2 further mathematics and A2 chemistry plus their STEPs at the same time, isn't it😂? At least I'm the kind of person who likes to do several things ahead since I deem that it will allow me more free time in the future.
If Cambridge really wants me to show so-called 'time management' skills or something like that, is it okay if I tell them that, at the beginning of Grade 11, I prepared A2 physics, AS plus A2 further mathematics, plus AMC12 and BMO1 at the same time and I eventually got quite good results for most of them? (expect for BMO1, I don't know why but I was just awarded 29 even if I answered 5 questions correctly😂)

It may be worth reading
https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/faq
such as

I’m thinking of taking STEP in year 12, will my results be accepted?
Many Colleges will consider applications from students who have already taken STEP, but there is no guarantee that they won’t ask you to sit a STEP paper again, and they may even ask for a higher grade as part of their offer. Since admissions decisions are made by Colleges rather than the Faculty, you should contact the College to which you wish to apply. The Cambridge Admissions Office pages have a full list of Colleges. In practice, unless your mathematical preparation and understanding is already very advanced, it may be better for you to concentrate on preparing for your A levels (or equivalent), alongside starting to practice for STEP without rushing, aiming to deepen your understanding and familiarity with STEP questions.

Reply 8

Original post by mqb2766
It may be worth reading
https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissions/faq
such as
I’m thinking of taking STEP in year 12, will my results be accepted?
Many Colleges will consider applications from students who have already taken STEP, but there is no guarantee that they won’t ask you to sit a STEP paper again, and they may even ask for a higher grade as part of their offer. Since admissions decisions are made by Colleges rather than the Faculty, you should contact the College to which you wish to apply. The Cambridge Admissions Office pages have a full list of Colleges. In practice, unless your mathematical preparation and understanding is already very advanced, it may be better for you to concentrate on preparing for your A levels (or equivalent), alongside starting to practice for STEP without rushing, aiming to deepen your understanding and familiarity with STEP questions.

maybe you are right... I sometimes just cannot help wondering what should I do to be enrolled by Cambridge.
Anyway, I have already sign up for the STEPs and all the things I can do now is to do more practice and hope I can get a good result.😂
But I still have to admit, since I have finished AL further mathematics last October, I now have no other choice to study mathematics but to prepare for STEPs😂 Guess what, I even joined AP Calculus and Statistic this year merely to show that I was still learning mathematics.🤣

Reply 9

Original post by ECFDPB
maybe you are right... I sometimes just cannot help wondering what should I do to be enrolled by Cambridge.
Anyway, I have already sign up for the STEPs and all the things I can do now is to do more practice and hope I can get a good result.😂
But I still have to admit, since I have finished AL further mathematics last October, I now have no other choice to study mathematics but to prepare for STEPs😂 Guess what, I even joined AP Calculus and Statistic this year merely to show that I was still learning mathematics.🤣

Without being funny, all the "extra" stuff is just that. Its good to go on the personal statement to show an interest/passion for maths, but its important to make sure you do the stuff that they require as close as possible to what they want as they have to objectively compare your application with others.

For the time management stuff you said, bmo1 is taken in ~Dec but you said it was at the same time as your AS exams? Also, it would be a bit exhausting to take ... at the same time? Both of those sound like you could have problems, even though youre taking a lot of stuff early.

Reply 10

Original post by mqb2766
Without being funny, all the "extra" stuff is just that. Its good to go on the personal statement to show an interest/passion for maths, but its important to make sure you do the stuff that they require as close as possible to what they want as they have to objectively compare your application with others.
For the time management stuff you said, bmo1 is taken in ~Dec but you said it was at the same time as your AS exams? Also, it would be a bit exhausting to take ... at the same time? Both of those sound like you could have problems, even though youre taking a lot of stuff early.

time table.png
Forgive me for the language since I'm a Chinese
Well, you are right that AMC12 and BMO are taken in December, but I had to prepare it in advance and do tonnes of past papers. Actually, every time I prepare for CAIE(I don't know whether you are taking CAIE or not but in China it is a quite common examination authority),I'll do past paper in at least 5 years, similarly for AMC12 and BOM1, I did past papers from more than 10 years😂

Speaking of passion, I DO like mathematics for sure. I have to say, if it is possible for me to uploads all the notes, all the past papers and all the textbooks or extra materials I have done directly to the Cambridge professors, I'll definitely do that😂 It is a pity that I can only share myself through a piece of Personal Statement. (That's why I dislike applying American universities because they are only interested in Personal Statement and I don't know how to convey my passions to them😭)

Reply 11

Original post by ECFDPB
time table.png
Forgive me for the language since I'm a Chinese
Well, you are right that AMC12 and BMO are taken in December, but I had to prepare it in advance and do tonnes of past papers. Actually, every time I prepare for CAIE(I don't know whether you are taking CAIE or not but in China it is a quite common examination authority),I'll do past paper in at least 5 years, similarly for AMC12 and BOM1, I did past papers from more than 10 years😂
Speaking of passion, I DO like mathematics for sure. I have to say, if it is possible for me to uploads all the notes, all the past papers and all the textbooks or extra materials I have done directly to the Cambridge professors, I'll definitely do that😂 It is a pity that I can only share myself through a piece of Personal Statement. (That's why I dislike applying American universities because they are only interested in Personal Statement and I don't know how to convey my passions to them😭)

Pretty much the previous reply. Cambridge have to objectively compare your application with the others, so for their requirements (a level / step) you should try and do it as close to what theyd normally expect. Sometimes there are institution constraints (such as maths in y12 and further in y13) which they recognise.

Its good you have a passion and this should come through on your personal statement, but dont necessarily expect it to compensate for the requirements (hard/soft) if you done them significantly differently.

Reply 12

Original post by mqb2766
Pretty much the previous reply. Cambridge have to objectively compare your application with the others, so for their requirements (a level / step) you should try and do it as close to what theyd normally expect. Sometimes there are institution constraints (such as maths in y12 and further in y13) which they recognise.
Its good you have a passion and this should come through on your personal statement, but dont necessarily expect it to compensate for the requirements (hard/soft) if you done them significantly differently.
You means Cambridge wants 'teach-able" students? Yeah, I've heard that there are some students who get double S for STEPs in advance but are refused in the end... I'll talk with my teacher about these when I back to school, thanks a lot for your advice!😁

Reply 13

Original post by ecfdpb
You means Cambridge wants 'teach-able" students? Yeah, I've heard that there are some students who get double S for STEPs in advance but are refused in the end... I'll talk with my teacher about these when I back to school, thanks a lot for your advice!😁

Its easy to be cynical about the/any entry requirements etc, but it is what it is and theyre fairly clear about them. No system is perfect but they have to try and compare students with sometimes widely different backgrounds. As you say, have a chat with your teacher about things.
(edited 12 months ago)

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