For students whose schools provide limited support for STEP, applications are now open for our bursary scheme for offer-holders to receive free or low cost tution for STEP. Click here to learn more.
STEP is a set of two exams (STEP 2 and STEP 3) taken by offer-holders for mathematics at the University of Cambridge. It is also taken by some offer-holders at other universities, particularly the University of Warwick and Durham University. Students usually take STEP in June of Year 13 alongside their A Levels.
STEP is notoriously one of the most difficult admissions tests across all subjects, and requires a lot of effort from students to prepare for, even with the support of a tutor. My role as a private tutor for students taking STEP is threefold: providing guidance to direct this preparation, introducing unfamiliar techniques and concepts, and providing support when students are unable to make progress themselves.
To discuss how best I can support you to success in STEP, book a free consultation today.
About Me
My Approach
STEP has an extremely extensive banks of past paper questions (unlike for GCSE/A Level) which form the basis of our sessions. I generally alternate between sessions where we focus on a particular concept and questions related to that concept and sessions where we consider a variety of questions, to get used to the idea of choosing applicable techniques. Closer to the test dates, we move to focussing on exam technique and full past papers.
I usually provide questions to look at in advance of each session. There is no expectation that students are able to solve all the questions, and they form the basis of our discussion.
When should I start STEP preparation? Generally, students start intensive preparation for STEP after they receive offers in January of Year 13. If you are not yet at this point, you would be better suited to problem solving sessions for university admissions.
Timing, Frequency, and Logistics
For preparation for STEP, I recommend 90 minute sessions once a week or 60 minute sessions twice a week. Particularly strong students may need less support so we can adjust frequency as required. We will work together to identify what will be most effective following your first session.
Most sessions take place virtually on Whereby, an online video conferencing platform. You will need a graphics tablet to be able to write on. For more information on technology requirements, click here. In-person sessions are available in some parts of Greater London, subject to an upcharge. To discuss this possibility, book a free consultation, providing your postcode in the comments field.
Book a free consultation today to discuss how best I can help you succeed at STEP.
Onboarding Process
- Book a free consultation session – both the student and their parent/guardian should ideally be present; we will discuss your goals and the best approach for you
- I will send some problems for the student to attempt and return to be marked – this serves as a diagnostic for me to gauge their ability
- Discounted first session – 1hr
- If the student and parent/guardian think we are a good fit, we will discuss what frequency and duration of lessons will work best and arrange a regular slot for lessons
Pricing
Diagnostic Problem Set + Discounted First Session (1hr) – £35
For subsequent lessons, prices are:
- £70 for a 60 minute session
- £100 for a 90 minute session
An automatic discount of 10% applies if paying by direct debit or pre-purchasing a block of 5 lessons.
Additional charges apply for in-person sessions.
