Cambridge Grade 3 Maths Past Papers Pdf
Giorgina Makara
Achievement in the Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) normally forms part of a conditional offer to read mathematics at Cambridge. The examinations are set and administered by the OCR examination board and are usually taken in mid to late June. There is extensive free online support offered by the Faculty and NRICH to help you prepare for STEP, and many other free online resources are also available.
OCR has a dedicated STEP website, which has all the details of the examination (method of entry, dates, specifications, etc) as well as downloadable past papers. (There is also a Customer Support Service which can be contacted by email or by phone: 01223 553998.)
If your school or college is not already registered as a centre, they can apply to become a test centre (UK or abroad). If you have difficulty finding a test centre where you can take STEP, you can use their online search to find a test centre, in the UK or abroad, otherwise the Customer Support Service may be able to advise you.
The full STEP specification is available on the OCR webpages about 'Preparing for STEP'. Note: even though the specification for STEP in 2019 onwards has changed from that in previous years, the style of the questions is unaltered, so most questions from previous papers can be used for preparation. Candidates should be aware that a small number of past paper questions are no longer on the specification and require mathematics that is no longer examined. STEP 1 papers are available and, although STEP 1 is no longer set, the papers provide useful preparation material. The STEP 1 specification was roughly equivalent to that of A level mathematics.
Many other universities recommend that their mathematics applicants practise on past STEP papers as preparation for university-style mathematics, and some encourage applicants to take STEP papers and may take STEP results into account.
There is plenty of material with which you can help yourself. The best preparation for STEP is to work through past papers. Full solutions are available to guide you if you get stuck. NB: the Faculty of Mathematics provides a free online STEP Support programme to help you develop your advanced problem-solving skills, from the summer of Y12 onwards, and prepare for STEP - see below for more details.
STEP is supposed to be difficult: it is aimed at the top 5% or so of all A-level mathematics candidates. It is therefore important to adjust your sights when tackling a STEP paper. The questions are much longer and more demanding than A-level questions (in A levels you are expected to answer 11-14 questions in two hours whereas in STEP papers you are expected to answer no more than 6 questions in three hours). They therefore look daunting; but you should not be daunted. With enough practice you will get better at tackling STEP questions and you will be well prepared to achieve the grades you need.
The Faculty of Mathematics, in collaboration with NRICH, has developed a free online STEP Support programme to help potential university applicants develop their advanced problem-solving skills and prepare for sitting STEP Mathematics examinations. This includes:
The STEP Support programme consists of three introductory modules for students to try in the summer holidays between Year 12 and 13, followed by 30 more modules released weekly from September. Each module assignment starts with some warm-up exercises, followed by preparatory work leading to a STEP question. Supportive self-evaluation and development material will be published after each assignment, to help you assess your progress and identify areas that need more work.
Cambridge Mathematics is a varied and rewarding high-level course which allows you to follow your interests to the full, and also become engaged in mathematical fields you never knew existed. Our maths students perform well, and also participate fully in the life of the College. In addition, they are eventually equipped to choose from a huge range of rewarding careers,
Students should apply for the full four-year course although the majority will graduate after three years. Students may choose to study either Mathematics or Mathematics with Physics in their first year.
The Mathematics course provides all students with a solid foundation before they choose to specialise in pure, applied or other areas. It also caters extremely well for students with an interest in mathematical physics. In their first-year students study compulsory courses for four mathematics exam papers sat at the end of that year. The Mathematics first-year courses create common ground so students speak the same mathematical language and have the same level of knowledge in a broad range of topics drawn from algebra, analysis, geometry, number theory, probability, differential equations, dynamics and calculus. Students are also encouraged to attend extra courses in the first year, which will be examined in the second year.
The second year begins with more core material in both pure and applied topics in the first term. These include topology, analysis, Markov chains, quantum theory and linear algebra. In the second term, the students begin to specialise - most students do not attend all the available courses and revise only a subset of the material for their exams. The end-of-year exams consist of four compulsory papers each comprising a mixture of questions on different topics. There is also an optional computing component which is assessed during the year. At the end of the second year a small number of students may choose to switch to another subject - popular choices of alternative final year subjects include Astrophysics and Management Studies.
In the third year there is an enormous variety of specialist topics available for study. There are approximately forty courses, so students can choose a timetable which suits their interests and strengths. This is an opportunity for students to indulge themselves and devote the year to their favourite topics. Most students study fewer than ten of the available topics and may prepare eight for the exams. The course is examined at the end of the year in four papers, each containng a mixture of different topics. Once again, there is an optional computing component.
Students who achieve a 1st or 2.1 class in their third-year exams may be accepted into the fourth year, or 'Part 3' of the Mathematical Tripos. Students from Cambridge who take this route receive both a BA (Bachelor of Arts, Honours) degree and a MMath (Master of Mathematics) degree. Part 3 Mathematics is also open as a one-year course to students with Class 1 Honours degree in appropriate subjects from other top universities. Students from outside Cambridge obtain a MASt (Master of Advanced Study) degree. Part 3 is intended as a preparation for research and consists of a large number of specialist courses from which students may choose. The exams consist of individual subject papers at the end of the year. There is also an optional assessed essay component. The course has a reputation as one of the most demanding mathematics courses in the world.
Mathematics teaching at Cambridge consists of lectures and supervisions. Lectures are run by the University and are attended by mathematics students at all the Cambridge colleges. Lecture courses vary but, for example, a course of 24 lectures may be accompanied by 4 problem sets issued by the lecturer. Supervisions are hour-long small group teaching sessions run by a member of the teaching staff or a graduate student, usually with two undergraduate students, and are arranged by individual colleges. The supervisions are an essential opportunity for us to monitor your progress and, more importantly, the best way for undergraduates to get help in particular areas.
St Catharine's is looking for students who can cope with the high workload and challenging material in the Cambridge course. Applicants should have coped well with a workload equivalent to three full, academically demanding A-levels (or equivalent) taken within two years. We are of course happy to consider the many candidates who take an A-level one year early and then take another two A-levels in the following year - many students take A-level mathematics in one year and then take A-level further mathematics the following year instead of studying for the two exams concurrently,
Applicants are also encouraged to enhance their knowledge by making use of free online help such as NRICH. Students who may have a choice between mechanics and statistics modules and enjoy both subjects will probably find the mechanics more helpful in their first year in Cambridge, but no one is disadvantaged should they prefer to take statistical modules.
Almost all candidates are asked to sit two STEP papers 2 and 3, often being asked for grade 1, too. Some candidates may be given conditional offers which require them to do some extra coursework in order to sit their STEP papers. Many students have only informal help with STEP at school, but STEP past papers, solutions and a guide to STEP-style problems called Advanced Problems in Mathematics are available from OCR publications, Mill Wharf, Mill St, Birmingham B6 4BU. Also, Dr S Siklos has written a book on how to do STEP questions. See also Although A*A*A, and 1 in STEP 2 and 3 is the offer we most often make, our offers may diverge from that.
From application year 2020, St Catharine's will not be participating in the flexible offers scheme, by which, depending on individual circumstances, some Colleges may make an A Level applicant an offer which will be met if they achieve either A*A*A with at least grade 1 in STEP papers 2 and 3 or A*A*A* with at least grade 1 in one of the two STEP papers. Our reason for this is that the 'individual circumstances' are not clearly defined, and thus we cannot guarantee to applicants in advance that they would receive such an offer. However, we certainly take notice when applicants have contextual or personal evidence of educational disadvantage or interruption. In this case we would make our 'usual' offer of A*A*A, 1, 1, but if an applicant were to narrowly 'miss' that offer (e.g. A*AA, 1,1 or A*A*A, 1,2) we would give sympathetic consideration to confirming their place on the course.
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