Being after the reply date for universities in the UK,[1] STEP is typically taken as part of a conditional offer for an undergraduate place.
The papers are designed to test ability to answer questions similar in style to undergraduate Mathematics.
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.
[3] 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.
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.
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 advised to write their answers in black ink and draw pictures in pencil, although some flexibility is permitted with this.
The mark scheme for each question is designed to reward candidates who make good progress towards a solution.
This enables officers to make judgements on the basis of candidates' actual work, rather than on just their marks or grade.
Ideally, students should begin preparation from the summer preceding the academic year of the STEP series they intend to sit.
Practice materials, including past papers, example solutions, and a STEP formula booklet, are available for free from the Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing website.
The STEP support programme provides modules for individual additional study, along with hints and solutions.