Talk:Sixth Term Examination Paper

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Exactly what courses require you to pass this exam before you can take them? It says "undergraduate", but I doubt if such an exam were given in America before letting people take calculus or linear algebra, if anyone would be allowed to take them (i.e. pass). Or is the educational system set up differently in England?? Revolver 18:55, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

  • The purpose of STEP papers is exclusively to determine entrance to the mathematics undergraduate courses at Cambridge and Warwick universities. In Britain, a university gives an offer to students based on the attaining particular grades in their A Levels before the exams are taken. However, Cambridge do not feel that mathematics A Levels differentiate between those of high mathematical ability enough, so they introduced STEP. STEP is supposedly based upon the same material as A Levels, it's just much harder. Some elements of calculus and linear algebra are included in Further Mathematics A-Level courses. Hope this clarifies what STEP's about. Drw25 21:44, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Ummm...not really. The problem is, I don't know how England is set up. You have to understand, I'm reading this as an _American_. Here, "undergraduate" begins at precalculus class, and the exam I saw for "entrance" to these "undergraduate" classes is one which very few American students would pass after taking even calculus and linear algebra. So, I'm trying to figure out where on the educational ladder this is given. I have no idea what "A Levels" are, what material this covers, or how old students are when they take A Levels. Is this just for entry into advanced math programs, e.g., or what about general math (calculus, linear algebra, etc.?) Certainly, they don't give these exams to everyone who wants to take calculus. Revolver 10:09, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Is this just one college doing this? The article doesn't make it clear. The first paragraph, it could be construed as saying that the test is designed by one college, but used at all of them? This is further confused by the fact that it seems this one college has multiple campuses. Revolver 10:12, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
OK. Basically, education in the UK is compulsory from 5 to 16. At the age of 16, exams called GCSEs are taken, typically in about 10 subjects. After this, students choose to leave school or continue into further education, at a further education college (quite different from the colleges of Oxbridge) or a sixth form. Further education lasts 2 years and usually involves preparing for A Levels exams in 3 to 4 subjects, upon which university entrance requirements are based. So, at 18, students will be ready to leave education, or continue on to university, to study a bacherlor's or master's degree. STEP is required in addition to A Levels by Cambridge University for courses leading to a BA or MA in mathematics. The Cambridge University article should help explain their collegiate system to you.
I have a feeling that our education system is generally less modular than that of the US. We don't do calculus or linear algebra as specific individual classes, they are taught as part of a course labelled Mathematics or Further Mathematics.
And STEP papers are quite, quite hard. Bear in mind that you only have to answer a few questions well (the preamble to the paper suggest four) to get the top grade. I doubt I'd get two out, but there's a reason why I'm going to be doing Physics at university! Drw25 10:53, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Thanks, that helps a bit. It sounds like A Levels are a bit more demanding than high school here (which is almost awarded for attendance alone). Part of the confusion sounds like the BA/MA programs there really are BA/MA programs, in the sense that they assume you have the requirements. Here, it's not unusual for _college_ students to take high school level or remedial courses _in college_. And STEP does sound like a weeding out process for a single university, then, which makes more sense. What opportunities are there beyond Oxford/Cambridge? Here, there really are no formal requirements for ANY major, you can just jump into it headfirst out of high school (you may only last a year or so, but you can try anything). The English system sounds like it makes people decide much earlier what they want to do. Revolver 19:12, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Yes, the english system of education does force you to narrow your focus quite early on. The first choice is given at age 14, when you select GCSEs. At my school, English, Maths and Science were compulsory (each worth two GCSEs), we had to choose one language, one creative course (design, technology, music, art, drama etc.), one humanity (RE, Geography, History) and then one final choice from anywhere. Most schools here are probably similar. At 16, if we choose to stay in education, we round down to any 4-5 subjects we like for 1 year, which we call AS-Levels, and then drop one of those for another year to gain A-Levels (or A2-Levels, as they are now technically called). Then after this you choose just one subject to study at University level (although it's often possible to do external modules from other subjects, especially in the sciences). Having achived an undergraduate degree (Batchelors or Masters), one can go on to study a postgradute Masters or a Doctorate.
As a fairly unimportant side note -- English and Maths are normally a single GCSE (although some students take a second English one as English Language). Science is normally two combined GCSEs, although some people take each science (Biology, Physics and Chemistry) seperatly, for a total of three GCSEs, and some people take Science as a single GCSE. --me_and 29 June 2005 20:11 (UTC)
That is incorrect. The government requires two English GCSEs (Language and Literature), a Maths GCSE, and "balanced science" (equal amounts of Biology, Chemistry and Physics). People take between one to three awards in science. They also typically take 4 other subjects if they are taking "single science", or 3 others if they are taking "double" or "seperate" sciences. I suspect small secondary schools still have stricter selections. The ability to drop languages at 14 alarms me, as does the ability to take soft subjects like "Business Studies" or "Economics" at that age. But, well, I'm drifting off-topic now, and it's all behind me. r3m0t talk 13:21, August 3, 2005 (UTC)
Slight correction, R3m0t: there was no compulsion at my school to do 'balanced science'; I did all three sciences as seperate GCSEs, but a number of people just picked their two favourite (e.g. Chemistry and Biology) to do. The school didn't offer a single or double award in science (I wasn't aware a single award even existed). Simxp 22:45, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

Further to this discussion above, I've found this in a booklet (if 91 pages constitutes a booklet...) called "Advanced Problems in Mathematics" by STC Siklos (the STEP co-ordinator):

"What is STEP? STEP is an examination administered by the Oxford and Cambridge Examinations and Assessment Council. Most candidates have applied to read mathematics at Cambridge and have received the offer of a place conditional on STEP results. Nevertheless, anyone can enter and it is my view that good mathematicians should enter. STEP should be regarded as a challenge in the same spirit as the national mathematics competitions and olympiads which are so popular. However, STEP provides a very different sort of challenge from these competitions, since it concentrates on in-depth problems in mainstream (eg. A-Level) mathematics." Drw25 14:15, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I'd debate the "good mathematicians should enter" part, although I know it's not (necessarily) your own opinion, as there are also the Advanced Extension Awards for more able students, which have the added advantage of being universal across most subjects, rather than being exclusive to Maths.
AEA shouldn't really be compared to STEP. The questions are easier, and focused completely on the Pure content of the course. Indeed, STEP for all subjects used to be available until quite recently. I concur that it is an option for someone looking to take some extra exams.
I don't think there were STEP examinations in subjects beyond the ones listed in the article(mathematics,chemistry,biology),though S-Level General Certificate of Education was available until recently for students seeking something more challenging than the A-levels.Just why S-levels were abandoned amid calls for something offering exactly that I have never understood.The article might also be enriched by mention of Cambridge International Examinations to show that the STEP is part of a comprehensive examination program from Cambridge.--Louis E./le@put.com/12.144.5.2 21:01, 14 August 2005 (UTC)

I was reading this article and I found it extremely amusing when I read the only college not requiring STEP to enter their undergraduate mathematics course is King's College, because I happen to have a letter from them suggesting otherwise. I'm not changing the article myself because I'm not sure what colleges actually require you to take it, but I'm pretty sure the right information should be somewhere on the University of Cambridge website. --Tropsy 21:27, 27 January 2006 (GMT+1)

I think this is outdated information, I'm fairly sure that every college now requires STEP.Matt 15:58, 9 May 2006 (UTC)
[1] Hughes Hall, St Edmund's and Lucy Cavendish are for mature students. r3m0t talk 13:42, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

As a current first year maths student of king's college, my offer and those of the people in my year required STEP, and it is possible for people to fail to get into king's now from failing their STEP results. They changed it this year because of the fact that so many people were applying to king's purely to avoid STEP. I don't have the english skills to edit the article really, but I can verify that king's now require it. 14:04, 13th June 2006 (GMT)

I was under the impression that the grades used to be 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 'Distinction' (equivalent to S, I suppose). At least, I took STEPs in 2000, and the past papers I looked at were 1999 and those prior to that. I cannot be sure if this is true or not, but this is what I remember. I wonder what 'S' stands for anyway? 87.74.46.242 16:52, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

  • I was told that 'S' stands for scholarship, and, once upon a time, it meant something although I can't remember what - possibly you got money, or didn't have to get grades at A-Level or something similar. – drw25 (talk) 18:53, 19 April 2006 (UTC)
I took S-levels in 1980. The S at that time stood for special paper in the Cambridge Exams Board. It was different from STEP in that the papers were not necessarily on A-level material. In mathematics they were more abstract. The physicas papers were more mathematicsl. The grades were Merit or Distinction (for that board) with Distinction higher. The S for scholarship connotation may have been taht they were seen as a substitute for taking the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams. At that time you could get in to Oxford or Cambridge by taking special exams at 4th or 7th term of you sixth form (that meant you had to stay on later). Of course if you did well enough you may have got a scholarship.Billlion

[edit] What does this mean?

The University of Warwick also uses STEP papers in its admissions process, but their STEP exams are overseen by Cambridge. Students are entered for STEP through the OCR exam board. What does it mean "overseen by Cambridge", does it mean by OCR, in which case teh next sentence says that? Billlion 20:05, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] STEP in non-maths subjects

Why are there no longer STEP exams in subjects other than maths? Algebra man 11:42, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

I suppose someone thought they were made obselete by the Advanced Extension Award. -- Simxp 22:10, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] When do they take place?

Is it before or after June? --78.16.3.31 16:43, 30 October 2007 (UTC)