The Sixth Term Examination Paper (commonly referred to as STEP) is a university mathematics-based admissions test for undergraduate courses with significant mathematical content, most notably for applying to study mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Since 2024, STEP was administered by OCR, replacing CAAT, who was responsible for administering STEP in previous years. Being after the reply date for universities in the UK, STEP is typically taken as part of a conditional offer for an undergraduate place. There are also a small number of candidates who sit STEP as a challenge. The papers are designed to test ability to answer questions similar in style to undergraduate mathematics. The official users of STEP in mathematics at present are the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of Warwick. Since the 2025 entry application cycle, the STEP exams have been superseded by the TMUA exam at Imperial College London and the University of Warwick. Candidates applying to study mathematics at the University of Cambridge are almost always required to take STEP as part of the terms of their conditional offer. In addition, other courses at Cambridge with a large mathematics component, such as Economics and Engineering, occasionally require STEP. Candidates applying to study Mathematics or closely related subjects at the University of Warwick can take STEP as part of their offer. Imperial College London may require it for Computing applicants as well as mathematics applicants who either did not take MAT or achieved a borderline score in it. A typical STEP offer for a candidate applying to read mathematics at the University of Cambridge would be at least a grade 1 in both STEP 2 and STEP 3, though – depending on individual circumstances – some colleges may only require a grade 1 in either STEP. Candidates applying to the University of Warwick to read mathematics, or joint subjects such as MORSE, can use a grade 2 from either STEP as part of their offer. Imperial typically requires a grade 2 in STEP 2 and/or STEP 3.
History Before 2003, STEP was available for a wide range of subjects. In 1989, for instance, the full list of subjects offered was: biology, chemistry, economics, English literature, French, general studies, geography, geology, German, Greek, history, Italian, Latin, mathematics, further mathematics, music, physics, religious studies, Russian, and Spanish. STEP in mathematics is the only one now in use. Two (three prior to the discontinuation of STEP 1 in 2019) STEP in Mathematics are set each year, and are both sat during the school summer examination cycle (usually in June).
Format Until 2019, there were three STEPs: STEP 1, STEP 2 and STEP 3. Since the academic year 2019/20, STEP 1 has been phased out. There was no STEP 1 set in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was later announced that from 2021, STEP 1 would no longer be set, with only STEP 2 and STEP 3 being available. The last STEP 1 was held in 2019. Candidates may enter for as many as they wish, although this is often dictated by the STEP offers they hold. Each paper offers a selection of questions and there is no restriction on which can be answered. For each paper, candidates have three hours to complete their solutions. Whilst students are permitted to answer as many questions as they choose, they are advised to attempt no more than six, and their final grade is based on their six best question solutions. Each question is worth 20 marks, and so the maximum a candidate can score is 120. For examinations up to and including the 2018 papers, the specification for STEP 1 and STEP 2 was based on mathematics A-level content while the syllabus for STEP 3 was based on further mathematics A-level. The questions on STEP 2 and 3 were about the same difficulty. Both STEP 2 and STEP 3 are harder than STEP 1. For the 2019 examinations onwards, the specifications have been updated to reflect the reforms in A-level mathematics and further mathematics; in addition, the number of questions in each paper has been reduced. Specifically:
The STEP 1 specification was based on A-level mathematics, with some additions and modifications. The paper comprised 11 questions: 8 pure, and 3 further questions on mechanics and probability/statistics, with at least one question of the 3 on mechanics and at least one on probability/statistics. The June 2019 paper was the only STEP 1 paper to be sat under the new syllabus before the retiring of STEP 1. The STEP 2 specification is based on A-level mathematics and AS Level further mathematics, with some additions and modifications. The paper comprises 12 questions: 8 pure, 2 mechanics, and 2 probability/statistics. The STEP 3 specification is based on A-level mathematics and A-level further mathematics, with some additions and modifications. The paper comprises 12 questions: 8 pure, 2 mechanics, and 2 probability/statistics
Practicalities Since June 2009, graph paper has not been allowed in STEP as the test requires only sketches, not detailed graphs. Instead, all graphs should be sketched inside the answer booklets provided as part of a candidate's solution. Since June 2018, the format of the answer booklet for the STEP mathematics examinations has been updated to ensure that the paper is fully anonymised before it is marked. Candidates are issued with a 44-page booklet, of which 40 pages are available for writing out solutions and for rough work. Only one booklet per candidate is allowed unless a further booklet is required and has been formally requested as a result of specific access arrangements. Candidates are advised to write their answers in black ink and draw pictures in pencil, although some flexibility is permitted with this. Candidates should not use green or red pen at any stage. Calculators may not be used during STEP. Rulers, protractors, and compasses can be taken into the examination. Candidates who don't have English as a first language were allowed to use bilingual dictionaries until 2023; these are now no longer permitted. A formulae booklet was available to all candidates for all examinations up to and including those in 2018. As of 2019, candidates are no longer be issued with a formulae booklet; instead they will be expected to recall, or know how to derive quickly, standard formulae. All the required standard formulae are given in an appendix to the new specification.
Marking
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