Sitting STEP - what were your (or your DC's!) experiences?

[Pallando]

Hi - I was wondering what students recent experiences in the practicalities of sitting STEP were. In particular:

1. Did the school/college make them pay the entry fees?
   
   
2. Did the school/college arrange for the STEP papers to be taken at the students school/college? (Or did they have to go to another centre?)
   
   
3. Were there problems with exam clashes?
   
   I am often asked about 1 and 2 at open days (when I tell the prospective students that they will need to discuss it with the school...). It would be nice to know what the general experience is though! If at all possible, it would be nice to know what type of school is involved, and possible vague geographical location, but please don't feel obliged to give this info.
   
   TIA!

[Pallando]

I should add that I am more than happy for people to PM me instead of posting...

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Following out of nosy interest.

[VirginiaPlane]

Not that recent so don't know how helpful it is (4 years ago) DS went to a large sixth form college.
We had to pay all the entry fees. The college allowed him to sit the papers on the premises and provided an invigilator.
He was the only student who sat STEP and did all three papers which were after the A levels so the college was empty, so he was in a room with just the invigilator. No exam clashes because he had finished all his A level papers before STEP.
Other than that he got no help or support from the college with STEP, no-one in the Maths department knew anything about it or had taken it.

[MillicentMartha]

4 years ago, DS1 took STEP at his super selective sixth form. Surprisingly only one other was taking it. Their school provided weekly after school sessions on STEP for the whole county. His entry was paid by the school and he sat it in school. He was very lucky to have that support on site.

[MillicentMartha]

Others from other schools came to the sessions, but there were only 2 taking it from his school. Some mathematicians went to Oxford, others to RG unis who didn’t need STEP. DS went to Warwick.

[Pallando]

Thanks @VirginiaPlane and @MillicentMartha. Glad to hear accommodations were made for your DC (however odd it feels to be the only person in an exam room besides an invigilator!).