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STEP Support Programme

STEP 2 Calculus

Introduction

This module introduces you to STEP 2 questions which involve Calculus.

This STEP 2 module consists of 5 STEP questions, some topic notes and useful formulae, a "hints" sheet and a "solutions" booklet.

STEP questions are challenging, so don't worry if you get stuck. These STEP 2 modules assume that you have already begun to develop your problem-solving skills and approach to STEP questions by working on the Foundation modules.

About this assignment

Many STEP 2 questions will expect you to be fluent with A-Level Calculus techniques, even if they do not look like "Calculus questions" at first glance. Using Calculus to find maxima and minima is a particularly widespread technique.

There are 5 questions in this assignment: Question 5 is a STEP 1 question which tests the same ideas as Question 4 - you can use this as a warm up for Question 4 if you so wish.

Assignment PDF: 

Useful Links

Underground Mathematics: Selected worked STEP questions

STEP Question database

University of Cambridge Mathematics Faculty: What do we look for?

University of Cambridge Mathematics Faculty: Information about STEP

University of Cambridge Admissions Office: Undergraduate course information for Mathematics

Stephen Siklos' "Advanced Problems in Mathematics" book (external link)

MEI: Worked solutions to STEP questions (external link)

OCR: Exam board information about STEP (external link)

AMSP (Advanced Maths Support programme): Support for University Admission Tests (external link)