You are required to sit the Cambridge STEP if applying for mathematics-related courses at Oxford or Cambridge, and your STEP score is one of the important factors determining whether you are admitted. So, what are the key dates for the Cambridge STEP? How to register for Cambridge STEP? This blog will introduce you to all aspects of STEP exam registration.
I. Key dates for Cambridge STEP 2024
18 March 2024
STEP registration opens
2 May 2024
STEP registration closes
5 June 2024
STEP paper 2 test date
24 June 2024
STEP paper 3 test date
15 August 2024
STEP test results released
II. How to register for Cambridge STEP?
1. For foreign students
Students must enroll in an approved exam center to register for Cambridge STEP:
- If the applicant’s school is authorized, they can register and take the STEP exam there. Candidates can check whether the school is authorized through the OCR official website.
- If the candidate’s school is not authorized, please check the OCR official website to find the nearest approved exam center to register for Cambridge STEP.
Candidates are required to submit the following information at the time of registration:
- Name, gender, date of birth, and UCAS ID (The UCAS ID is a ten-digit number that candidates receive when they submit their applications for the current cycle on the UCAS system).
- The chosen University, course, and the UCAS code of the course.
- If particular care is required for physical reasons, relevant supporting documents must be submitted together.
Candidate entry number:
Please ask the exams officer at your school/college/test centre to register you and give you your candidate entry number as proof that your registration is complete.
2. For Chinese students
Students must enroll in an approved exam center to register for Cambridge STEP:
- If the applicant’s school is authorized, they can register and take the STEP exam there. Candidates can check whether the school is authorized through the OCR official website.
- If the school is not authorized, the candidate can log in to the official website of the British Council (China) to register and take the exam.
Register on British Council official website:
- Access the British Council official website through Chrome or Firefox.
- Log in or sign up.
- Existing users: You can log in using a verification code or password.
- New users: Click “Register” to create an account.
- Please note: The British Council only supports registration with Chinese mobile phone numbers; the website only allows candidates aged 18 and above to register an account. If you are under 18, a guardian is required to register and log in on your behalf; for the first login after registration, you need to add an email address in “My Account” and select mobile and email as the channels for receiving information to ensure that you can receive exam-related notifications in a timely manner.
- Select exam type you need to take under the “University Admission Test”; read, accept and agree to comply with the application agreement.
- Choose to take the STEP Paper 2 or Paper 3 exam. If you want to take both exams, you need to register twice.
- Confirm the exam information, including test centre, exam date, exam price, etc.
- Fill in your personal information. If you are under 18, please also fill in the guardian information.
- Fill in the exam information, including UCAS ID, the university you applied for, and the UCAS code for the course; fill in special arrangement information if any.
- Select a leaving type.
- Confirm and submit the booking; make the payment.
- Print exam confirmation letter (under My Exam).
III. Access arrangements
If you need access arrangements, please choose ‘yes’, specify the arrangements you need, and state the reason for this request in the seventh step when registering for Cambridge STEP. Evidence and statements from the school or doctor need to be provided.
The types of access arrangements are as follows:
- 25% extra time
- Supervised breaks
- Separate Invigilation
- Use of colour overlays
- Use of a Reader
- Question paper enlarged to A3
- Use of an Amanuensis
- Other (please give detail of required facilities or other modifications)
IV. Exam cancellation
- Cancellation can be requested before the registration cut-off date, and candidates will receive a partial refund of the local test service fee (after deduction of an administration fee of 30% local test service fee). The refund of the board fee (if applicable) is subject to the exam centre’s policy.
- After the registration cut-off date, candidates will only be allowed to cancel the test under certain circumstances. For example, if a candidate wants to cancel the test for medical reasons, the cancellation application needs to be submitted with supporting medical evidence provided before the test day. The cancellation application needs to be submitted to the British Council Global Exams Services National service hotline (Email: Globalexams.China@britishcouncil.org.cn, Tel: 010-58103306, Service hour: 09:00-12:00, 13:30-17:00, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays).
- Cancellation applications will not be accepted after the test day.
V. Conclusions
The STEP exam is an important factor affecting whether candidates applying for mathematics-related courses in universities such as Cambridge University, Warwick University, and Imperial College London can be admitted. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to register for Cambridge STEP.
Please click the link below to view our blogs, which provide a comprehensive guide on the Cambridge STEP exam and how to prepare for it. These blogs will improve your preparation efficiency and your STEP scores!