UCL Department of Mathematics

Mathematics

• Home
• Prospective Students
  • Undergraduates
    • Introduction
    • STEP and AEA Requirements
    • The Degree
    • Degree Programme Descriptions
    • International Students
    • Mature and Part-time Students
    • Careers
    • Accommodation
    • Further Information
    • Bridging Course
  • MSc Mathematical Modelling
  • MSc Financial Mathematics
  • PhD Studies
• Outreach
• Undergraduates
• Graduate Students
• Courses & Modules
• Research
• Events
• Staff Details
• The Department
• How to find us
• Vacancies

STEP and AEA Requirements

Our offers for entry in 2013 ask for either a higher set of A-level grades (A*A*A) or a slightly lower set (A*AA) and additionally a grade 1 pass in any Mathematics STEP paper or a Distinction in the Mathematics Advanced Extension award (AEA).  See http://www.ucl.ac.uk/maths/prospective-students/undergraduates

Applicants must be taking the full A-level in Further Mathematics. Offers for applicants taking A-level are phrased in such a way that conditions may be met through either option, whether or not the applicant indicates on their UCAS application that they are taking STEP.

STEP/AEA tests a more advanced level of mathematical thinking and problem solving than does A-level, although uses the core syllabus of the Mathematics and Further Mathematics A-level to do so. The examinations are held in the A-level examination period in June and are taken in your school. Although we do strongly encourage applicants to take STEP/AEA in preparation for university-level mathematics, our offer conditions may be met without doing so.

Where can I get more information on STEP and AEA?

STEP is an examination offered by Cambridge Assessment who administer a range of additional admissions tests for university courses. See http://www.admissionstests.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/adt/step for full information. There are three papers available and our offers refer to a grade 1 pass in any of these papers, STEP I, II or III. The Advanced Extension Award is administered by the Edexcel examination board - http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/aea/9801/Pages/default.aspx.

What support will be offered by UCL?

In partnership with the Further Mathematics Support Programme (www.fmnetwork.org.uk) we will be offering an initial support programme aimed at STEP I and AEA, for all applicants who are successful in receiving an offer from UCL. Later in the academic year there will be a fuller programme for those who accept UCL as their firm choice. This will be aimed primarily at those attending non-selective state schools. The best preparation for STEP/AEA is simply to tackle past papers and to start doing so as early as possible. That is now. You will soon come to appreciate the different type of skills that they test and to enjoy meeting their challenge. See http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/our-services/subject-specific/step/preparing-for-step/

UCL’s planned support is as follows.

• If your application is successful in attracting an offer we will make available immediately online access to a full range of material, including worked questions.
• In February we will offer a series of five online lectures discussing Problem Solving and particular STEP/AEA questions. These will be streamed live in the early evening and will remain available for repeated online viewing. The lectures will be repeated in March.
• During the Easter holiday we will run face-to-face sessions at UCL, which we hope to make available to all offer holders from non-selective state schools.
• After Easter we will run a series of ten online sessions focusing on particular topics. These will be open to all those who put UCL as their firm choice through UCAS. Again, these will be streamed live in the early evening and will remain available for repeated online viewing.
• In mid-June we will hold a final revision day at UCL, open to those from non-selective state schools who have UCL as their first choice.