Does anyone know much about the MAT entrance exam for Maths at Imperial & Oxford?

[FancyDan]

We went to the open day at Imperial today as my son wants to study maths there.
He also wants to apply to Cambridge so has to apply by the 15th October.
If applying by this date the MAT exam is compulsory at Imperial (if you're applying later the STEP exam can be used).
My son wasn't aware of this and is now worried that he'll have to study for the MAT & STEP exams as well as his A level subjects.

The person we spoke to at Imperial said that the exam was a combination of the Maths and Further Maths that students would have studied in year 12 but my son doesn't start further maths until September!
Will he be disadvantaged by this or will everyone be in the same boat?

If you have the predicted A level grades, do they use the result of this to decide who to invite to interview or do you just need to meet a particular percentage to pass?

Why is it so complicated!

I know nothing! Thanks. I will look into that with her. Lots to think about .

Mathematics with a beginner-level Japanese minor can be studied at Exeter (Flexible combined honours course) and at U of Southampton (Mathematical Sciences, then selecting language minor option).

Thank you - have passed that on

Warwick might be a great option for her, as their degrees allow more flex than most, and so you can study something else alongside the core maths modules; up to 25% in the first year, 50% in the third year. They do offer Japanese, including beginner and an accelerated beginner option.

Some other universities allow for a little study of non-maths within the straight maths degree, but sometimes the first year is 100% core maths modules, leaving no space.

@lanthanum
That's really good to know - thank you.

@Pallando thank you for the info.

Are the questions asked at interviews for Maths at C similar to STEP style questions?

It varies from college to college. They can be that style, but not that level. The important thing is to practise, practise practise verbalising working through problems live. It doesn't matter to whom this is done. Parents are fine. But they have to be able to talk through their thoughts as they attempt to solve the problems

I did a straight Maths degree. Maths degrees are one of the most sought after in professional fields, particularly in finance and quant jobs pay awfully well, although they are v selective about unis and are v competitive.

@Pleasealexa they are similar in a way to STEP 1 questions, but the main difference is that you have interviewers guiding you through them, i.e. the interviewers will ask a question and then tailor how much help or how far to take the questions depending on how you are approaching the question. They will also try and stop you going too far down a dead-end (as time is short!).

The other difference is that interview questions do tend to be shorter (though are often "ramped", so can be extended). For a 25-30 min interview you might be asked two questions (one from each interviewer), or maybe more depending.

This video () is pretty representative of interview question style. It goes on for far longer than an interview would, as they do spend quite a while chatting. One of the best things about it is how Tom is modelling thinking aloud! Some colleges will steer clear of asking any mechanics questions (though if applying for maths and physics that's slightly different!).

You may already know, but we (STEP Support Programme) are running a series of webinars in November in the run up before interviews for students who have applied to Cambridge, for more info and sign up see https://maths.org/step/events.

Hi, @Cathpot -

A good Maths degree is an excellent qualification for employment! It doesn’t lead as surely to one career path as something like Engineering typically does. Students need to show some initiative, and for this reason it is worth investigating the Careers support provided by the School of Maths and/or the University at Open Day/Offer Day.

But for students who are willing to put a bit of work in, the (very good) jobs are definitely there, across multiple sectors.

Thank you for the reply @poetryandwine - we presumed a maths degree would be generally useful but you are right that we need to do lots more research, and in fact check that the jobs it would line her up for a potentially ones she would like! She is excited by the idea of doing maths at uni so that’s the first step anyway. Threads like this are so useful - I’m looking forward to the open days for her to get a proper feel for the courses and the towns.

@Pallando. Many thanks for the video. Will encourage DC a try.

Just a quick message to @Pallando to say thank you for the webinars, DS watched them on catch up and he thinks his interview went well yesterday. I guess we will find out in January!

I’m dipping in and out of this thread as there is so much useful advice. Very good luck to those waiting on offers after interview. Amazing to have got to that position.

Those posters with children who have done the MAT - when / how did they prepare? Chatting to DD today (she is term 2 of year 12) she is starting to look through MAT papers and finding questions fall into I can have a go/ I can’t have a go but I can see how it works from the answers/ answers are not helping. They do maths A level in a year at her college by doubling up lessons and then move to FM next year, so she has got more than one term’s content under her belt Her college do have an oxbridge support programme but it only really kicks in during the summer term. I’ve said to her to take the ones she doesn’t have a clue about to her teacher and to go slow and steady over the next 6 months and ramp up in summer. Is that reasonable? I’m working on the principle that any extra maths is good for her and can’t hurt? Want to pitch it right really- don’t know if she should be doing more now? They don’t seem to have a MAT support programme but maybe they do and it kicks in later.

Hi, @Cathpot - because of the teaching, this is an excellent plan. I know there will be frustrating aspects. How does DD feel about it all?

Three more thoughts, not independentcof each other. (1). The Advanced Maths Support Network has a link for pupils preparing for university maths admissions tests, including the MAT. They are generally very high quality so def worth a look. (2). Would DD find a study buddy or study group helpful? Could her teacher help with that? If not, again see what the AM SN offers. (3). If you can find the right person, it is amazing what even a small amount of tutoring can do. Some will work with two pupils for eg 1.5 x the individual rate; it is worth asking.

Very best wishes to your DD

@poetryandwine
DD is fine and will stay calm
about it all if she has a plan, so I’m trying to help her make one that is sensible! That is a really good call about looking for others in the same boat, I will talk to her about that tomorrow. Will have a look at the support network you mentioned as well, thank you. We live in a rural area but I can definitely ask around about tutors and I suppose there is always online.

Just popping back on in case other people are looking for their own kids - through poking about the various suggested websites DD has a spot on a maths outreach course via the MEI ( maths education innovation charity ) . 6 sessions, 3 in person at one of the participating unis and then 3 online. First one is in a couple of weeks so no idea exactly what it will be like. It’s costing £60 all in- but she will have to travel to the uni so it will add up. She also -very very last minute -found and booked into a maths open day at Oxford - which was a day of lectures about the maths courses and the uni. That was very good and means she doesn’t need to go back for the main open day. It did mean she fell for Oxford’s loveliness which was always a danger. We are off to see other unis and hopefully get other good options. She missed the cut off date for quite a few outreach type things that were on in Easter by just not knowing she should have been looking for them- we should have started looking in September really!

My next question is does anyone have any recommends for online MAT tutors? I can’t find anyone local to us. She just would like a few sessions to check she is on the right track with the prep she is doing. Online they seem to range from £50 to the eye-watering £200 an hour . Any advice welcome

@Cathpot best advice for preparing for the MAT is to use the MAT livestream! This started on the 6th June but you can catch up with missed sessions. It's running weekly until the MAT exam, with a break in August.

https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study/maths-admissions-test/mat-livestream

@Pallando
Hi- thank you for thinking of DD , yes she’s found those. She is feeling better about it generally and has just asked for some books recommended via some support material her college have handed out. We went to Bath uni last weekend and it’s Warwick next. She’ll apply to Edinburgh as well as her sister is there and loves it , then she needs one more option which still not sure about . It seems crazy to apply before you do the MAT, because if you don’t do well enough you’ve wasted spaces on the ucas form.

She wasn’t grabbed particularly by the Bath maths dept offering but I think that might be her only experience so far was a full maths day at Oxford whereas this was a 20min taster on fluid dynamics and some slightly harried looking lecturers in a careers fair. I do know some one whose daughter did maths there so so can chat to her about it.

She has been told the MAT will be online this year- is that correct? Not sure how they will show working easily in an online test but presume that’s been thought through.

Sorry, me again. Just got back from Warwick open day where it turns out they are not taking the MAT anymore only TMUA or STEP. She really liked Warwick and wants to apply so she is contemplating doing both TMUA and MAT. How bonkers is this? Are they similar enough that preparation for the MAT will see her through the TMUA? I’m trying to sell it that at least you don’t have 2 unis riding on the same exam but she was pretty disappointed about having to do a second exam.

Hi, @Cathpot
It is disappointing for your DD and it is a burden yo be sure. But if she has the stamina for it, I think preparing for the two exams is a good idea. Both are much less predictable than A Levels. Past papers are great but not so much in the sense of being a template.

Both exams are ultimately trying to select the pupils who can think creatively about maths. Studying for each will open DD’s mind, in that sense helping with the other.

Caveat - this requires an early start. If DD finds from past papers that the topics covered are consistently different or the whole thing is just too much stress, it is probably not worth it. In that case she is better off focusing on one exam (with the implications of doing so). Best wishes to her

@poetryandwine - thanks, that is sensible advice. She’s ok about it this morning, and will give it a go. Just was the end of a long day yesterday

@Cathpot it seems that the MAT structure is changing this year, so there will be 25 multiple choice question and 2 longer ones (rather than 10 multiple choice and 4 longer ones). https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study/maths-admissions-test

There were some difficulties running the MAT in 2023 which might be why Warwick are stepping away from it this year.

There are a lot of similarities between MAT and TMUA and preparation for one will help the other. It looks like Warwick are providing some support with TMUA here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/maths/studywithus/ug/entrance-exams/tmua-support/

Looks like the TMUA website is up and running as well: https://esat-tmua.ac.uk/about-the-tests/tmua-test/

The AMSP do some online courses as well, there is a charge but I think this is reimbursed in some cases: https://amsp.org.uk/our-mat-and-tmua-online-student-courses-are-back/

There is lots of stuff available from the AMSP - it might be worth contacting your area coordinator to find out exactly what is happening near you!

And if your DD decides to sit STEP do please contact me :-)

The MAT in 2023 was a mess. It was the first year of the new system and it kept crashing. My DC and some of the others taking it had a 6 hour exam as a consequence of this. Those badly affected by the first exam chaos did a second MAT which was multiple choice only. I guess the multiple choice second MAT must have indicated that a predominantly multiple choice exam would work well for Oxford colleges to make their interview list choices. It was horrible for the young people involved, communication was poor from Oxford and those doing MAT2 had less time for interview prep. There was also the issue of cheating as the exam had been done the day before in other time zones. Hopefully they get it right for this years’ exam.

@Pallando
thank you so much for taking the time to collate those links, I will pass those on, I know she will appreciate it. I keep talking to her about how any prep for these exams is hugely useful in general to her A levels and to maths at uni wherever she ends up, so it’s not wasted effort, which I think helps . I try to keep things low key and pragmatic , but of course she knows her choices are narrowed by a poor result in these exams so the pressure is there. I know there are lots of places she could be very happy that would just need her to get her head down and pass her A levels well so that’s my main concern really but at the same time she wants to have a go and in theory has a shot- tricky balance!

@mushroom3 that sounds awful. What a nightmare for those kids, I hope it all worked out for your DC and they are happy and settled.