STEP preparation guide

STEP 2: Format, Marking, Grade Boundaries and Preparation

STEP 2 is the first paper of the current STEP system (STEP 1 has not been offered since the June 2021 sitting), a standard condition in Cambridge Mathematics offers, and one of the two papers Warwick accepts on its STEP route. This guide covers the official positioning of STEP 2, its structure, the best-six marking rule that is often misstated, the 2026 grade boundaries and cumulative percentages, how it relates to STEP 3, which universities ask for it, and precisely where the gap from A level lies.
9 sections2,562 words13 min read6 official sources
Practise 111 STEP papers (2 free)Full STEP guide
Papers
111
Questions
1532
Free to try
2
STEP 2 at a Glance
Paper format
Three-hour written paper: 12 questions (8 pure, 2 mechanics, 2 probability and statistics), 20 marks each
Marking rule
Everything you attempt is marked; your six best answers count, out of 120
Content basis
A level Mathematics plus AS level Further Mathematics; the full Further Maths A level underpins STEP 3
2026 boundaries
S at 84 (8.27%), grade 1 at 62 (28.14%), grade 2 at 52, grade 3 at 34
Who needs it
A condition of Cambridge Mathematics offers (usually grade 1 in both papers); Warwick asks grade 2 in either paper

Boundaries and cumulative percentages come from OCR's 2026 Explanation of Results (STEP 2 is paper 9470); they are set against the places available at the official user institutions and move each year. University requirements should be checked on each institution's and College's own pages.

In short
  • STEP 2 is a three-hour written paper of 12 questions (8 pure, 2 mechanics, 2 probability/statistics), each worth 20 marks. Everything you attempt is marked, and your six best answers make your score out of 120.
  • STEP 2 is based on A level Mathematics plus AS level Further Mathematics; the full Further Maths A level underpins STEP 3. Cambridge Mathematics offers usually require both papers; Warwick accepts grade 2 in either one.
  • Boundaries are published every year and move with the cohort: in 2026, grade 1 on STEP 2 fell at 62/120 (reached by 28.14% of candidates) and S at 84 (8.27%).
  • The real gap from A level is not content but long multi-part questions, sustained reasoning and proof writing: marks can be lost if examiners cannot follow your working, so presentation is itself something to train.
  • Exam-room rules are strict: no calculator, no formulae booklet, no extra rough paper and no graph paper. All working goes in the answer booklet, and practice should simulate exactly those conditions.
I

Part 1 of 3

Sections 01 to 03

01

What STEP 2 Is: the Official Positioning

STEP, the Sixth Term Examination Paper, is administered by OCR, the exam board within the Cambridge family, and now consists of two papers: STEP 2 and STEP 3. STEP 1 has not been offered since the June 2021 sitting, so the three-paper system described on older forums is history, and STEP 1 papers from 2020 and earlier are warm-up material rather than a guide to what the current exam demands.

The current STEP system (run by OCR)

Two live papers, two different content foundations

STEP 2Based on A level Maths plus AS level Further Maths
  • Assumes complete command of single Mathematics
  • Plus the first half of the Further Maths course
  • Does not require the full Further Maths A level
STEP 3Based on A level Maths plus the full Further Maths A level
  • The complete Further Maths course is its foundation
  • Its pure content adds to and removes from the prescribed list
STEP 1 (discontinued)Not offered since the June 2021 sitting
  • The three-paper system is history
  • Papers from 2020 and earlier are warm-up material only

Tap a branch to unfold

The specification is explicit about the character of the questions: they test your ability to apply mathematical knowledge in novel and unfamiliar ways, they often draw on several specification topics at once, and solutions demand insight, ingenuity, persistence and the ability to work through substantial sequences of algebraic manipulation. That one sentence captures nearly everything separating STEP from A level. It also means the sensible way to judge when you are ready to open a past paper is to check yourself against the content line above, not against a vague sense of being good at maths, and students whose curriculum does not map neatly onto the English system (AS-only Further Maths, or an IB or AP background) gain most from drawing that line first.
02

Paper Format: Three Hours, Twelve Questions, Three Sections

Section ASection BSection C
ContentPure mathematicsMechanicsProbability and statistics
Questions822
Marks per question202020
Limit on attemptsNoneNoneNone

The rules place no restriction on how many questions you attempt from any section: all six of your counting answers may come from Section A, or mix in mechanics and statistics.

Format

Handwritten on paper

Not sat on screen; everything goes in the official answer booklet

Duration and length

Three hours, twelve questions

A maximum of 120, made up of the six counting answers

Paper code

9470

How OCR's annual grade boundary documents identify the paper

2026 test date

4 June

9am at UK centres; international centres set local start times

Every question carries the same maximum of 20 marks; there are no premium questions. For most candidates the eight pure questions are the main arena, with mechanics and statistics offering extra options to anyone who has studied the applied content thoroughly, rather than compulsory territory.
03

Marking: Everything Is Marked, Your Best Six Count

The marking rule for STEP 2 is one of the most commonly misstated facts about the exam, and the wrong version leads to genuinely bad decisions in the hall. The correct rule: every question you attempt is marked, and your final score is the total of your six best answers. It is not a matter of choosing six questions at the start and being locked into them.

120

The maximum: six questions at 20 marks each

Best six

The answers that count; the rest are still marked but do not add up

20 marks

Per question, with no bonus for finishing one completely

The distinction matters because it removes the sunk cost of switching. If a solution stalls halfway you can put it down and open another question; the half-solution is still marked, and if the new attempt scores better it simply displaces the old one from your counting six. The mark scheme also rewards progress: credit is given for genuine headway towards a complete solution even when the final answer is wrong, and a correct answer earns full marks whatever method you used.
01Step 1

Read all twelve first

Spend the opening minutes reading all twelve questions and working out which ones you are most confident about.
02Step 2

Start where you are strongest, then go deep

Aim for six solid solutions rather than fragments scattered across nine questions.
03Step 3

Switch the moment a question stops moving

There is no need to cling to a half-finished attempt: the marks already earned on it are banked either way.
OCR adds a caution worth taking seriously: attempting more than six questions is not advisable, and candidates who spread themselves thinly rarely score as well as those who concentrate on six.
II

Part 2 of 3

Sections 04 to 06

04

The 2026 Grade Boundaries and What They Tell You

STEP publishes its grade boundaries and its score distribution on results day itself (by 08:00 UK time), which means preparation targets can be quantified. The grades run S (Outstanding), 1 (Very Good), 2 (Good), 3 (Satisfactory) and U (Unclassified). Here is how the 2026 series came out for STEP 2, marked out of 120.
Boundary (out of 120)Cumulative % reaching it
S (Outstanding)848.27%
1 (Very Good)6228.14%
2 (Good)5241.97%
3 (Satisfactory)3473.52%
Two readings are worth chewing over. A grade 1 at 62 marks is roughly three questions done well plus substantial progress on a fourth, a far more realistic picture than being able to do all twelve, and it explains why question selection and depth beat coverage. And only about 8% of candidates reached S, while the STEP 2 cohort is itself heavily self-selected: these percentages describe a strong group, so neither frighten nor flatter yourself with them.
The boundaries are not plucked from the air. OCR states that they are set so the number of successful offers closely matches the places available at the official user institutions (Cambridge, Warwick and Imperial College London), and they therefore move with each year's cohort. Treat the 2026 numbers as a reference frame, not a promise about any future year.
05

STEP 2 and STEP 3: Different Foundations, Rising Demand

Reading STEP 3 as simply the hard mode of STEP 2 is only half right. Structurally the two papers are identical: three hours, twelve questions, eight pure plus two mechanics plus two probability and statistics, 20 marks each, best six counted. The real differences lie in the content foundation, and in who ends up sitting each paper.
STEP 2STEP 3
Content basisA level Mathematics plus AS level Further MathematicsA level Mathematics plus the full Further Maths A level, with pure content that adds to and removes from the prescribed list
2026 boundariesS=84, 1=62, 2=52, 3=34S=80, 1=56, 2=48, 3=30
Reaching grade 1 or above in 202628.14%35.73%
2026 test date4 June10 June

The format itself is identical on both papers: three hours, twelve questions, 20 marks each, best six counted.

Every STEP 3 boundary sat lower than the STEP 2 equivalent while the cumulative percentages ran higher, but do not conclude that STEP 3 is easier. Cambridge Mathematics applicants are normally asked to take both papers, so the STEP 3 cohort is largely made up of Cambridge candidates, a self-selected group at the top of the range; the distribution describes the people, not the paper. The specification also warns that STEP 3's pure content is not a straight copy of the Further Maths course, so preparation has to be checked against it line by line rather than assumed covered.
The two papers are sat on separate days with a gap between them, so taking both is entirely workable in the calendar, and Cambridge applicants routinely do exactly that. For candidates who need only one paper, such as those on Warwick's STEP route, STEP 2 is usually the more natural pick because its content base sits closer to where most students' teaching has reached.
06

Who Actually Needs STEP 2

The list of universities that ask for STEP is shorter than people imagine, but for those on it the paper carries enormous weight. Four institutions write STEP into their requirements, and each one's terms are set out below.
Cambridge Mathematics (including Mathematics with Physics)
STEP is a condition of the offer rather than a pre-application test: you sit it in the summer after you apply. Applicants are normally asked to take both papers, and the published minimum offer level is grade 1 in both STEP 2 and STEP 3, alongside a minimum of A*A*A at A level. The exact grades required vary by College, so the page to check is the one for the College you are applying to. For 2027 entry, eight Colleges are running a flexible offer scheme: A*A*A with grade 1 in both papers, or A*A*A* with grade 1 in either, with both papers still to be taken.
Warwick Mathematics
Every undergraduate mathematics applicant must sit either the TMUA or STEP. On the STEP route the typical offer is A* in Maths, A* in Further Maths and A in a third subject, plus grade 2 in any one STEP paper; Warwick accepts either paper and leaves the choice to you.
Imperial College London Mathematics
Everyone applying on or before 21 December 2026 must take the TMUA, so this is not a free choice between two tests. Applicants who apply after that date without a TMUA score usually receive an offer with a STEP condition attached, and candidates with a borderline TMUA score may also be asked for STEP.
Bath
No additional maths test is needed if you take A level Further Mathematics or IB HL Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches); where a test is required, the target is grade 2 in any STEP paper.
One final point that is often missed: STEP is open to all, so you can enter even without an offer that requires it.
III

Part 3 of 3

Sections 07 to 09

07

The Gap Between A Level and STEP 2, Precisely

Plenty of students sitting securely at A* in A level Mathematics are stunned by their first STEP 2 paper. It is not that the content is unfamiliar; it is that the questions are a different shape. Broken down, the gap is three concrete things.
First: the length of a question
An A level question occupies you for a few minutes, perhaps ten or fifteen at the top end. A STEP 2 question deserves close to half an hour, built from linked parts that escalate, where the result of an early part becomes the tool for a later one. What you need is not more speed but the stamina to keep one chain of reasoning moving for twenty to thirty minutes without losing the thread, and that is built only by working on long questions.
Second: multi-step reasoning across topics
The specification says openly that a question will often require knowledge of several topics and tests application in novel and unfamiliar settings. A level training builds the reflex of recognising a question type and deploying the standard routine; STEP 2 deliberately removes the recognition step. You have to find the way in yourself, assemble the route yourself, and frequently push through substantial algebraic manipulation along the way.
Third: proof and presentation
The specification requires solutions that are clear, logical and legible, with working fully set out, standard notation followed and final answers simplified, and it warns explicitly that marks may be lost if examiners cannot follow your working, even when the final answer is right. The A level habit of treating the answer as the only thing that counts costs marks here directly, and writing mathematics well is a separate skill that needs deliberate practice.
The training programme follows directly from the diagnosis: timed work on long questions, a full written solution every time, and systematic comparison of your write-ups against official solutions and mark schemes. None of it can be substituted by doing more A level papers.
08

Exam-Room Rules: Unlike Any Maths Exam You Have Sat

The exam-room rules for STEP 2 are strict and differ sharply from mainstream examinations, and knowing them in advance saves genuine panic on the day.

Calculators

Not permitted

Not needed either: the numbers are designed to be handled by hand

Formulae booklet

None issued

Discontinued from 2019; the formulae you must know are in the specification appendix

Rough paper

None provided

Rough working goes in the answer booklet; extra paper is removed unmarked

Graph paper

Not permitted

Every graph is a sketch, drawn straight into the booklet

Answer booklet

A single 48-page booklet

Shade the Question Answered circle on every page you write on, or that work may go unmarked

Crossed-out work

Not marked

Unless you clearly indicate you want it marked; the question paper may not leave the room

Equipment

Ruler, protractor and compasses allowed

Answers must be in black pen, with pencil for diagrams and graphs

Dictionaries

Not permitted

Bilingual dictionaries cannot be taken into the exam room

Taken together, these rules define a training requirement: practise under the real conditions, with no calculator, no formula sheet and your working organised in a confined space from the start. The habits of checking with a calculator or fishing for a formula in a booklet are worth breaking early, and both mental arithmetic and formula recall need months of accumulation rather than a final-week cram.
09

Preparation Pathway and Key Dates

The first resource to reach for is the free STEP Support Programme maintained by the Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics, open to everyone, with weekly online modules, hints and full solutions. Fully worked official solutions also exist for every STEP 2 and STEP 3 paper from 2019 onwards, and the highest-value self-check available is to sit a paper under timed conditions, then debrief your write-ups against those solutions question by question.
01Step 1

Start with the foundation modules

The recommended rhythm is to build up through the foundation modules and step up gradually, rather than opening a past paper on day one.
02Step 2

STEP 2 modules from September of Year 13

September of Year 13 is the suggested start point for the STEP 2 modules.
03Step 3

STEP 3 modules from January

Candidates sitting both papers pick up the STEP 3 modules from January of Year 13.
04Step 4

Switch to timed full papers

Sit complete papers against the clock, then debrief every question against the official solutions, thinking and presentation alike.
2026Timeline
Mar 26
Apr 26
May 26
Jun 26
Jul 26
Aug 26
Entry window
1 Mar to 4 May
Registration for the 2026 series opened on 1 March. Entries must be made through an authorised test centre, as candidates cannot register themselves, and some centres add an administration fee on top of the entry fee.
Entry deadline
4 May
The closing date for entries in the 2026 series.
STEP 2 test day
4 June
9am at UK centres, with international centres setting their own local start times. STEP 3 followed on 10 June.
Results and boundaries
13 Aug
Results released at 08:00 UK time, with grade boundaries and the score distribution published the same day.
Results enquiries deadline
20 Aug
The deadline for results enquiries in the 2026 series.
Hard deadline Event WindowThese are the official arrangements for the 2026 series; the 2027 dates are not yet published.
On fees, the 2026 rates were £102.50 per paper in the UK and £142.25 per paper outside it (or $179.75, or €166).
Two reminders to keep pinned. First, STEP normally needs to be sat in the same calendar year as university admission; if in doubt, ask the university directly. Second, the 2027 dates have not been published and OCR reserves the right to change dates and fees, so do not treat 4 June as an annual fixture. Work from the registration window and test date that OCR publishes for your year.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the full Further Maths A level for STEP 2?
No. Officially STEP 2 is based on A level Mathematics plus AS level Further Mathematics; the full Further Maths A level underpins STEP 3 instead. But that answer concerns syllabus coverage only: the length, unfamiliarity and proof demands of the questions go far beyond the classroom, so finishing the course is the starting point, not the finish line.
What score do you need for a grade 1 in STEP 2?
Boundaries move every year and are published alongside results on results day. In 2026 the STEP 2 boundaries were S=84, 1=62, 2=52 and 3=34 out of 120, with 28.14% of candidates reaching grade 1 or above. Boundaries are set against the intake needs of the universities that use STEP, so past numbers are a reference frame, not a promise.
Do you pick six questions at the start of STEP 2?
No. Everything you attempt is marked, and only your six best answers count towards the total. You can therefore switch away from a stalled question at any time, and the working you have already written still earns credit. OCR explicitly advises against attempting more than six: candidates who go deep on six usually outscore those who spread across more.
Does Cambridge want STEP 2 or STEP 3, or both?
Cambridge Mathematics applicants are normally asked to take both papers, and the published minimum offer level is grade 1 in both STEP 2 and STEP 3, with exact grades set by each College. The common single-paper scenario is Warwick, where one of TMUA or STEP is compulsory and the STEP route asks for grade 2 in any one paper, with either paper accepted.
Can you use a calculator or formula booklet in STEP 2?
Neither. Calculators are not permitted or required, and formulae booklets were discontinued from 2019, with the formulae you must know listed in the specification appendix. No rough paper is issued either: rough working goes in the answer booklet, and only the booklet is marked. Write answers in black pen, draw diagrams in pencil, and bring a ruler, protractor and compasses if you wish.
When is STEP 2 sat and how do you register?
In the 2026 series STEP 2 was sat on 4 June (9am at UK centres) with results on 13 August. Entries must go through an authorised test centre, as you cannot register yourself; in 2026 registration ran from 1 March to 4 May, at £102.50 per paper in the UK and £142.25 outside it. The 2027 dates have not been published yet, so work from the official OCR website.
Can you sit STEP 2 without an offer that requires it?
Yes. OCR states plainly that STEP is open to all, so you can enter without a STEP-bearing offer. Bear in mind that STEP normally needs to be sat in the same calendar year as admission, so if your situation is unusual, check with the university about how a result would be used.
SOURCES

Official sources

MORE GUIDES

Other STEP preparation guides

FrontierVUE is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UAT-UK, Pearson, OCR, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, or any official admissions-test owner.

Put it into practice

111 STEP papers on FrontierVUE, every question with a worked solution. The first 2 papers are free.

Practise STEP papersSee pricing