Continuing Year 13: January 2016

I did my maths A level over 30 years ago, esornep. I certainly didn't find it easy, but I managed to get a B! My DS1 is way better than I was, though. His father got an A and a B for FM in a school where only 2 took FM in an hour lesson a week squeezed in to the timetable. DS takes after his dad, (which is a shame as he's a twunt! )

Cambridge has used STEP maths continually for over 20 years. There were originally (late 80s/90s) STEP papers in other subjects, but these were gradually abolished except for the maths one. The maths STEP is very well correlated with university performance in maths, physics and engineering and is part of almost all Cambridge maths offers and some Cambridge Natural Sciences/Engineering/Computer Science offers. Cambridge is re-introducing pretests before interview, as Oxford does, to deal with the removal of AS, but maths currently has an exception because of the STEP papers.

Maths and FM has got more than a "bit" easier over the last 20 years! This is why more and more universities ask for STEP maths. It will be interesting to see what happens after the revised maths A level curricula are launched, as they are far harder than the current curricula.

STEP 2 and 3 are more for Cambridge, aren't they? Perhaps Cambridge was in the plan originally?

It's just for maths. Sixth term exam paper? May have to google that.

I can remember when Oxbridge did their own entrance exams, either 4th term of sixth form, or if you could afford a gap year, 7th term. Obviously if you could take them in your 7th term you stood a much better chance. So a sixth term paper is much fairer, but not sure why it's just for maths.
I have read (on here) that maths A levels got a bit easier a few years ago to encourage more students to take them, so maybe Cambridge etc wanted a way to distinguish the really capable DC?

A good guide is if you answered four or more STEP questions fairly completely you should get a 1 (or S, but I think those who get S's generally know it went well). If you don't get through a couple of questions fairly completely you won't get a 2.

Why do STEP 2 and 3 for Warwick instead of STEP 1?

I think the hard thing about the STEP papers is that there is no mark scheme published, so unless you have done a question perfectly it is hard to know how you did

raspberry, £2 000 for 2 A* sounds like a wonderful incentive!

I have never really understood what STEP is (DD doesn't do maths). Do DC do it in any subject other than maths?

I think dd will be disappointed if she doesn't get A* in her best subject but I couldn't care less. As long as she gets the 3As she needs for medicine at Dundee I'll be over the moon. She's just back from working at the library all day. Seems happy with how things are going. We met her in town for a nice lunch though so she had a good break.
Morvah - she gets her past papers from the AQA website I think. Not doing physics but biology and chemistry.

Reading back, it's not STEP 1 that he's found hard to get his head around, it's the fact that while he is inarguably good at maths, he's no longer 'the best.'

DS1 has the same offer as above but as he's only doing 3 A2s I didn't know about the AAAA version. The As would have to be maths and FM, I guess. DS1 is predicted A for maths and physics but only A for FM. He's only doing STEP 1 as well. It's been hard for him to get his head around. He was a large fish in a small pond at his comprehensive for maths, but he's at a super selective grammar for sixth form and suddenly friends with extremely able mathematicians.

I have wondered if he'd actually be better off at a slightly less prestigious university for maths, but, on the other hand Warwick and environs are a lot cheaper to live in than his insurance.

Bristol is a lovely place to live, BethanKate. I may be a bit biased, but DS didn't want to consider it as all his extended family on both sides live there so it was too close to 'home' for him.

With all the different Warwick combinations, like esornep said, DS is thinking that if he managed an A in Chem he could still get in even if he doesn't get STEP or the A* in Physics. It is debatable whether it would have been better to drop it & just concentrate on the three & STEP.

Insurance offer (Bristol) AAB seems easy in comparison.

He's taking STEP 2 on 16th & STEP 3 on 23rd.

£2000 for two A* sounds nice!

DS just needs 1 A for his Physics offer, but if he gets two I think he gets £2,000 from the university, which is a nice incentive . He is actually more worried about missing an A and getting AABB when he needs AAA or AAA for insurance

But for Warwick maths if you can't get the required A stars in Maths and F Maths you are probably better off elsewhere. A stars in Maths/FM are at least more predictable than in other subjects.

Warwick give alternative offers:

Either A star, AA + grade 1 STEP OR A star, A star A + grade 2 STEP OR 3 x A stars OR 2 x A star + 2 A.

The latter is arguably the easiest to meet for those doing 4 A2s.

BethanKate, that's similar to DS1 except he dropped his fourth AS (Computing) to concentrate on Maths, FM and Physics. Never quite sure which option would be better, though everyone seems to say that Chemistry is difficult. He's also hoping for Warwick and his next exam is STEP on something like the 14th?

Does Warwick give a lower offer if taking 4 A2s? Or does it just give him more chances to get enough As and A*s?

Just about flu and meningitis vaccinations. Go surgeries are contractually unable to charge for anything they provide as an nhs service. That is why you can't pay to have your flu jab at the surgery.

Meningitis for year 13s is part of the national vaccination schedule so should be offered.

None of these decisions are made by receptionists.

hellsbells and atia thank you both! Physics panic slightly abated!

Glad it's all sorted raspberryripple.

kitkat1968 he's doing Physics & Chem as well as Maths & FM. Is yours doing the same?

Chem hasn't gone quite as well as other subjects this year but he assures me it'll be ok. Aiming for standard Warwick offer so he says it's worth doing the four as gives a bit more leeway if STEP goes wrong or something.

Which uni is yours aiming for kitkat?

Aren't there any older ones on the aqa website?

Try www.physicsandmathstutor.com Morvah

Well DS's is done and he seems fine other than a slightly stiff arm. I don't envy your DD needmoresleep having the works.

Further to the physics panic currently enveloping Rising Towers, DS, who was intending to do loads of past papers this half term, has just informed me that there are only 5 past papers for each of the physics 4 and 5 exams up on the college website and he's done them all already! Is there anywhere else he could find AQA past papers with answers on t'internet? He has emailed his tutor but has had no reply. Why didn't he check this before half term? You may well ask . . . . . .

Yes, that was the case with the flu jab. Even a whole suitcase full of money wouldn't persuade the GP practice to bend their rules. Rules is rules. There was much pontificating about finite resources and so on, and yet every pharmacy was advertising flu jabs so there couldn't have been that much of a shortage. Sometimes you just have to take the hit and pay privately because you're never going to win against the doctor's receptionist.

Anyway, ds is sooooooo grumpy with only a week to go now. I think he's working in his room, but one never knows...

The benefits of living in London NMS!
When I was trying to get the jab for DS1 the thing that annoyed me most was not that he couldn't have it on the NHS, I recognise that the budget is finite, no, it was the fact that the GP wouldn't even let me pay to have it done. I ended up taking him to the nearest city where there was a private clinic.