STEP Maths Exam 2026: Papers, Dates, Fees and Results

What is STEP maths?

STEP is a set of hard, written maths papers that some universities use as part of a conditional offer. OCR's page said in December 2025 that STEP is used by the University of Cambridge, the University of Warwick and Imperial College London, and that other universities sometimes ask candidates to take it. Unlike most admissions tests, you usually sit STEP after you have an offer: Cambridge says you should normally take it in the summer after you apply, alongside your A levels.

Cambridge describes STEP as testing qualities like the ability to use standard techniques in unusual ways. The papers reward long, careful working rather than quick answers. OCR's specification (archived copy from April 2026) says solutions must be clear, logical and legible, and marks may be lost if examiners cannot follow your working, even when the final answer is right.

STEP is open to anyone. OCR's FAQs said in April 2026 that you can enter for STEP even if you don't hold an offer that requires it. For a quick overview of the test and how it fits with other maths tests, see our STEP overview page.

STEP 2 and STEP 3: format and syllabus

There are now only two papers. Cambridge's Faculty of Mathematics says STEP 1 has been discontinued, though its old papers are still good practice. STEP 2 and STEP 3 each have 12 questions: 8 pure, 2 mechanics and 2 statistics/probability. Every question is marked out of 20, and your mark for a paper comes from your six best answers, so the maximum is 120. You are expected to answer no more than six questions in three hours.

The content follows the A level syllabus with some topics removed and some added. OCR's STEP specification (for exams from June 2026; archived copy from April 2026) sets out the details: STEP 2 assumes everything in the shared "Mathematics 1" content, and STEP 3 assumes the content of both Mathematics 1 and STEP 2. Questions can occasionally go beyond the listed topics, in which case guidance is given in the question.

• No calculators. OCR's FAQs said in April 2026 that calculators are not allowed, and that bilingual dictionaries are no longer permitted.
• No formula booklet. OCR stopped using formula booklets in 2019; any formula you can't reasonably be expected to know is given in the question.
• You can attempt more than six questions, and all will be marked, but OCR says candidates who do so rarely score as well as those who focus on six.
• Any correct method earns full marks, unless the question asks for a specific method (OCR specification, archived April 2026).

Which universities require STEP?

Only a few universities set STEP conditions, and each uses it differently. Here is what each university's own page says for 2027 entry:

• Cambridge (Mathematics, Mathematics with Physics): STEP is part of almost all conditional offers, and Mathematics applicants are normally asked to take both papers. The Mathematics course page gives the minimum offer level as grade 1 in STEP 2 and 3 alongside A*A*A, although one sentence on the same page says Colleges usually require grade 1 in one STEP paper (see the note below). Some Colleges run a flexible offer scheme for 2027 entry: A*A*A with grade 1 in both papers, or A*A*A* with grade 1 in either paper (both must still be taken). Cambridge also requires the TMUA before you apply.
• Warwick (Mathematics): applicants are typically required to take TMUA or STEP. Offers to applicants without TMUA scores are conditional on grade 2 in any STEP paper. For Mathematics and Statistics, MORSE and Data Science, most offers include the option of meeting the requirement with 5.0 in TMUA or grade 2 in any STEP.
• Imperial (Mathematics): the TMUA is the main test. Only applicants who apply after the last TMUA booking deadline and can't sit it will typically get an offer that requires at least one STEP paper.

If you are applying for Maths, you will probably sit the TMUA too: Cambridge requires it, Imperial expects it from anyone who applies before its booking deadline, and Warwick asks for TMUA or STEP. If you are still preparing for it, try our free TMUA practice test and read how TMUA scores work. The Oxbridge admissions tests guide shows where STEP fits for each course.

STEP exam dates 2026 and what comes next

These were the 2026 dates on OCR's key dates page when the Wayback Machine saved it in December 2025:

The same page said the papers start at 9am in the UK, with start times at international centres varying. The 2026 series has now finished. If you are applying to Cambridge in October 2026, Cambridge says you should expect to take STEP in June 2027.

How to register for STEP and what it costs

You can't register yourself. OCR's page said in June 2026 that you must be registered at an authorised test centre, usually your school or college. If your school isn't a centre yet, it can apply to become one, and OCR's FAQs said it can do so even if you are the only person taking the test. If you've left school, you may be able to sit at your old school or another authorised centre.

1. Ask your exams officer to enter you well before the deadline. Centres can set their own earlier cut-off.
2. Give them your name, gender, date of birth and UCAS number exactly as on your UCAS application, plus your universities, courses and course codes.
3. Tell them about any access arrangements and provide your evidence at the same time.
4. Keep your candidate entry number as proof that you are registered.

On those figures, a UK candidate sitting both papers paid £205 in OCR fees in 2026. Fees for 2027 may differ, so check OCR's STEP website. OCR's page also noted that some centres add an administration fee to cover invigilation and room hire, and that international candidates should ask their centre for the fee in local currency. OCR's FAQs said refunds are only given up to the entry deadline, except for illness or compassionate reasons (OCR FAQs, archived April 2026).

STEP grades and results

Each paper is graded on a five-point scale:

Grade boundaries are not fixed. OCR's FAQs said in April 2026 that they are set so that the number of successful offers closely meets the number of places at Cambridge, Warwick and Imperial, so they depend on how that year's applicants perform. The same page said results and grade boundaries are available by 08:00 UK time on results day.

• OCR's results page said in June 2026 that you view results through its Results Online system, using the candidate number and PIN you are given on the day of the test. Lost PINs can't be reissued.
• Results go to universities through UCAS.
• For Cambridge, Colleges can read your exam scripts, so they can look at your actual work if you narrowly miss an offer.
• Whether an older STEP result counts for a new application depends on the university.

How to prepare for STEP

Cambridge runs a free STEP Support Programme, built by its Millennium Mathematics Project for the Faculty of Mathematics. It is designed for self-study through Years 12 and 13, and Cambridge says extra post-offer support is given to all UK state school students holding a Cambridge STEP offer.

1. Year 12: work through the Foundation modules, which the programme suggests starting in Year 12.
2. Autumn of Year 13: sit the TMUA if your universities need it, and start the STEP 2 modules (the programme suggests September).
3. January of Year 13: move on to the STEP 3 modules once you have covered the Further Maths content they assume.
4. Spring of Year 13: sit timed past papers, choosing your six questions as you would on the day.
5. After each paper: mark against the official mark scheme and rewrite any solution you couldn't finish.

Our STEP past papers guide lists where to find official papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and worked solutions. For a reasoning warm-up before you reach STEP-level questions, the logic questions in TMUA Paper 2 practice are a useful start, and our guide to reviewing a practice test shows how to learn from each attempt.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Every source below was accessed on the listed date. Pages — especially department admissions pages — change without notice; the links go to the live versions.

1. Key dates and fees – STEP Mathematics (archived copy, 7 December 2025) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
2. About STEP (archived copy, 6 December 2025) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
3. How to register – STEP Mathematics (archived copy, 17 June 2026) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
4. Scoring and results – STEP Mathematics (archived copy, 17 June 2026) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
5. FAQs – STEP Mathematics (archived copy, 14 April 2026) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
6. STEP Mathematics Specifications for examinations from June 2026 onwards (archived copy, 13 April 2026) — OCR, via the Internet Archive. Accessed 2026-10-01.
7. Sixth Term Examination Paper in Mathematics (STEP) — University of Cambridge. Accessed 2026-10-01.
8. Mathematics – entry requirements — University of Cambridge. Accessed 2026-10-01.
9. Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) — Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge. Accessed 2026-10-01.
10. Admissions Tests — University of Warwick. Accessed 2026-10-01.
11. Mathematics BSc — Imperial College London. Accessed 2026-10-01.
12. STEP Support Programme — University of Cambridge (maths.org). Accessed 2026-10-01.

Related guides

• STEP Past Papers: Where to Find Papers and Solutions
• GAMSAT Test 2026: Dates, UK Fee, Sections and Scores
• GAMSAT UK Medical Schools: Which Use It and Cut-offs
• TMUA, ESAT and TARA Dates 2026–27: Deadlines and Fees