further math re sit

due to accidentally missing questions, stress,improper time management(spent 20 minutes on a 2 mark sketch),im prob getting a b in further math as level.
Despite this I still want to attend cambridge for maths so im resitting oct/nov seires(intl) which gives results in near end jan.
Is it even worth it to re sit and should I focus on tmua for warwick math and stat since they have high offer rate as long as predicted at least A in further or should I put effort in step and try for Cambridge/imperial as well
Side note:
Expecting(3a1b),math,phy,cs.fm
5 A* 5 A,A* math,A add math
Top ten In IMO for a mid sized country
Self study fm
I understand how add math and further maths looks but I am recently started adhd meds and most of my mistakes come from me accidentally skipping a question, misreading the question,time consequences(I know thats common though).
Any advice is welcome, just wanna know if I should bother resitting and practicing for step or if its more efficient to go for warwick and tmua prep

Reply 1

User20250220

6

Original post

by Anonymous

due to accidentally missing questions, stress,improper time management(spent 20 minutes on a 2 mark sketch),im prob getting a b in further math as level.
Despite this I still want to attend cambridge for maths so im resitting oct/nov seires(intl) which gives results in near end jan.
Is it even worth it to re sit and should I focus on tmua for warwick math and stat since they have high offer rate as long as predicted at least A in further or should I put effort in step and try for Cambridge/imperial as well
Side note:
Expecting(3a1b),math,phy,cs.fm
5 A* 5 A,A* math,A add math
Top ten In IMO for a mid sized country
Self study fm
I understand how add math and further maths looks but I am recently started adhd meds and most of my mistakes come from me accidentally skipping a question, misreading the question,time consequences(I know thats common though).
Any advice is welcome, just wanna know if I should bother resitting and practicing for step or if its more efficient to go for warwick and tmua prep

Maybe have a go with the STEP and see how realistic it is. As you say, A level grades can be improved with enough work (particularly if you are making silly mistakes). The STEP also requires a certain amount of natural talent.

Reply 2

fu6tf87g

7

Original post

by Anonymous

due to accidentally missing questions, stress,improper time management(spent 20 minutes on a 2 mark sketch),im prob getting a b in further math as level.
Despite this I still want to attend cambridge for maths so im resitting oct/nov seires(intl) which gives results in near end jan.
Is it even worth it to re sit and should I focus on tmua for warwick math and stat since they have high offer rate as long as predicted at least A in further or should I put effort in step and try for Cambridge/imperial as well
Side note:
Expecting(3a1b),math,phy,cs.fm
5 A* 5 A,A* math,A add math
Top ten In IMO for a mid sized country
Self study fm
I understand how add math and further maths looks but I am recently started adhd meds and most of my mistakes come from me accidentally skipping a question, misreading the question,time consequences(I know thats common though).
Any advice is welcome, just wanna know if I should bother resitting and practicing for step or if its more efficient to go for warwick and tmua prep

Hey !

I’m an international student and went through the exact same situation as you last year.
My school didn’t offer Further Mathematics either, so I had to self-study. I prepared for around four months and ended up with a b in FM at AS level.

My subject combination was the same as yours, except I dropped Computer Science before the AS exams — something I soon regretted.
I was also part of the selected pool of students from my country for IMO 2025, though I didn’t make it all the way.

I applied in 2024 (last year) to study Mathematics at Cambridge with a, a, b in Math, FM, and Physics respectively, and predicted grades of 3A*. Unfortunately, I received a pre-interview rejection.
I also considered re-sitting FM in Oct/Nov, but it didn’t seem helpful, since the results are released in January — too late to be considered for the 15 October Cambridge application deadline.

Following are things that you or another international applicant may find helpful from my case :

•

The reason I regretted dropping Cs is that there are too many international students who apply with 4 A levels. So obviously my application with 3 A level and a b was relatively weaker compared to other international competitive applicants with 4a's. ( You don't have to worry about this since you have 3a,b and b FM is heroic achievement as you Self-studied ).

•

I didn’t have IGCSE qualifications prior to A-levels, as I studied under a local board that isn’t internationally recognized. This meant there was no way for Cambridge to assess my academic performance before A-levels. I believe this was a significant disadvantage to my application, even though I explained the situation in my personal statement. I guess I was just unlucky in that regard.

•

Being a part of National Science Olympiad team is a solid evidence of your passion for the respective field every University values it as the best activity to explore the subject beyond the conventional syllabus.

I would recommend against re-siting FM. You should focus on competitive math instead.
I would also advice to start preparing for STEP early as STEP questions are way more demanding relative to A level math and requires time to develop familiarity with there unique inquiry style.

After thinking a lot I decided to take a gap year and would re-apply to Cambridge for Math this year.
I will be appearing for STEP ( this month ) and National Math Olympiad again.

If you like to discuss STEP further just drop me a PM.
( Best of Luck ! )

(edited 10 months ago)

further math re sit

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