In June of the year you start university. For 2027 entry, STEP 2 is on 14 June 2027 and STEP 3 on 21 June 2027.

Can I use a calculator in STEP?

No. Calculators are not permitted or required, and no formula booklet is issued.

How many questions do I answer?

Each paper has 12 questions. Your best six answers count, each marked out of 20, for a maximum of 120.

What grade do I need?

It depends on your offer. Cambridge offers usually include grades in STEP 2 and STEP 3, and the grades vary by College. Warwick asks for grade 2 from Mathematics applicants who have not taken the TMUA.

Is STEP 1 still available?

No. STEP 1 has not been offered since June 2021, though its content is assumed for STEP 2 and 3.

STEP Guide 2027: Papers, Grades, Dates

What is STEP and who needs it?

The Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP) is a written maths exam run by OCR. Unlike most admissions tests, you usually take it after you receive an offer, in the June of Year 13, and the offer names the STEP grades you need.

Cambridge uses STEP in almost all conditional offers for Mathematics and Mathematics with Physics, normally with grades in both STEP 2 and STEP 3. Some Colleges may ask for it for other maths-heavy courses. The grades vary by College.
Warwick says that for its Mathematics degree, applicants who have not taken the TMUA will need grade 2 in STEP as part of the offer.
Other universities may recommend STEP practice or take results into account. Check their course pages.

STEP 1 has not been offered since June 2021. Its content is still assumed knowledge for STEP 2 and 3.

STEP format

Paper	Content based on	Questions	Time
STEP 2	A-level Mathematics and AS Further Mathematics	12 (8 pure, 2 mechanics, 2 probability and statistics)	3 hours
STEP 3	A-level Mathematics and A-level Further Mathematics	12 (8 pure, 2 mechanics, 2 probability and statistics)	3 hours

Each question is marked out of 20. Your best six answers count, so the maximum is 120 per paper. There is no limit on how many you take from each section.
Calculators are not permitted or required. There is no formula booklet; the formulae you must know are listed in the specification, and anything else is given in the question.
Answers are full written solutions. Clear reasoning earns marks; a correct final line on its own does not.

Expect to answer about six questions in three hours, so roughly 30 minutes each. Cambridge itself says STEP questions are meant to be hard and you should not expect to finish more than six.

How STEP is graded and what a good grade looks like

Each paper gets a grade: S (outstanding), 1 (very good), 2 (good), 3 (satisfactory) or U (unclassified). Boundaries move every year. OCR's published explanation of results for 2024 gives this picture (marks out of 120):

2024	S	1	2	3
STEP 2 boundary	93	69	51	26
STEP 2 % at this grade or above	6.1%	19.9%	37.6%	75.0%
STEP 3 boundary	93	70	57	34
STEP 3 % at this grade or above	11.4%	35.1%	51.6%	83.5%

So in 2024 a grade 1 needed roughly 70 out of 120, which is about three and a half full solutions out of six. A "good" result is whatever your offer asks for; check it with your College. Colleges can also read your scripts, so clear working helps.

STEP 2027 dates and fees

STEP 2027	Date
Registration opens	1 March 2027
Modified papers request deadline	21 April 2027
Entry deadline (and access arrangements)	4 May 2027
STEP 2	14 June 2027, 9am
STEP 3	21 June 2027, 9am
Results	12 August 2027, 8am

You enter through your school or college, or through an open test centre. Centres may set earlier deadlines. OCR's fee is £105.80 per paper in the UK and £146.90 per paper outside the UK; some centres add an administration fee.

How to prepare: a 6-week STEP plan

STEP rewards practice on real-style problems more than anything else. Six focused weeks after your A-level revision is in place works for many students; start earlier if Further Maths is new to you.

Week 1: Read the specification. Do one STEP 2 paper untimed and note which topics slowed you down. Work through the free STEP Support Programme modules on the topics that hurt.
Week 2: Pure fundamentals: algebraic manipulation, inequalities, curve sketching, integration techniques, series. One question a day, timed at 45 minutes, then compare with a model solution.
Week 3: Choose your sections. Most candidates focus on pure; decide whether mechanics or probability gives you reliable extra marks.
Week 4: Full STEP 2 mock in three hours. Mark yourself honestly with a mark scheme. Learn the habit of reading all 12 questions first and choosing well.
Week 5: STEP 3 topics (complex numbers, differential equations, hyperbolic functions, further calculus) plus a full STEP 3 mock.
Week 6: One more full mock of each paper, then targeted review. Rest before each paper.

Practising with Principly: our 13 STEP mocks give you a full STEP 2 and STEP 3 paper each (12 questions, 3 hours), with full model solutions and a mark scheme so you can mark your best six answers yourself.

Try a STEP mock now. The free practice test gives you a decile estimate in one short sitting; the full set is 13 timed mocks with worked solutions.

Take the free practice test Get all 13 mocks · £29

How to choose your six questions

Choosing well can be worth a full grade. A simple routine for the first 10 minutes:

Read all 12 questions, including the mechanics and probability ones, even if you plan to avoid them.
Mark each one: A (I can see how to start and roughly where it goes), B (I can do the first parts) or C (no idea).
Start with your strongest A question to build confidence and bank marks.
Give each question about 30 minutes. If you are stuck after 10 minutes with no progress, write down what you have and move to the next A or B.
In the last 30 minutes, go back to B questions and pick up the early parts. These often carry a third or more of the marks.

Because only your best six count, a seventh attempt can only help if it beats one of your weaker six. Six thorough answers beat ten fragments.

Common STEP mistakes

Starting the first question you see. Spend the first 10 minutes reading and choosing six questions.
Abandoning questions too early. The early parts carry marks. A solid half-answer beats three scrappy starts.
Skipping the "show that" steps. Examiners want every key step written down.
Ignoring "hence". It usually tells you the intended method; another method may not earn full credit.
Doing too many papers too fast. One paper reviewed properly beats three just marked.
Missing the entry deadline. Entries close on 4 May 2027 and centres may close earlier.

STEP FAQ

When do I take STEP?: In June of the year you start university. For 2027 entry, STEP 2 is on 14 June 2027 and STEP 3 on 21 June 2027.
Can I use a calculator in STEP?: No. Calculators are not permitted or required, and no formula booklet is issued.
How many questions do I answer?: Each paper has 12 questions. Your best six answers count, each marked out of 20, for a maximum of 120.
What grade do I need?: It depends on your offer. Cambridge offers usually include grades in STEP 2 and STEP 3, and the grades vary by College. Warwick asks for grade 2 from Mathematics applicants who have not taken the TMUA.
Is STEP 1 still available?: No. STEP 1 has not been offered since June 2021, though its content is assumed for STEP 2 and 3.
How much does STEP cost?: OCR's fee for 2027 is £105.80 per paper in the UK and £146.90 per paper outside the UK. Some centres add an administration fee.
When are STEP results released?: 12 August 2027 at 8am UK time.