STEP past papers and resources
Every STEP 2 and STEP 3 question paper and examiner report OCR publishes, the legacy archive back to 2014, and the free preparation programme written by the Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics.
Official STEP past papers (2014 to 2025)
STEP is set and administered by OCR and the materials are linked below. Every question paper below is the original OCR PDF, and the examiner’s report for the same year sits beside it. The reports are the most useful part, because they set out what candidates actually did with each question.
Which STEP paper do you need?
There are only two papers now. STEP 1 was discontinued in 2020, so a current offer will name STEP 2, STEP 3, or both. Achievement in STEP normally forms part of a conditional offer to read mathematics at Cambridge, and it is also used by Warwick and Imperial for some mathematics courses, always check the wording of your own offer rather than assuming.
| Paper | Assumed knowledge | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| STEP 2 | A Level Mathematics and AS Level Further Mathematics | 12 questions in three hours: 8 pure, 2 mechanics, 2 probability and statistics |
| STEP 3 | A Level Mathematics and A Level Further Mathematics | The same 12-question structure, in three hours |
| STEP 1 (discontinued) | Roughly A Level Mathematics | Last set in 2020. Papers remain useful practice |
The order we suggest
- Read the specification before you touch a paper. It was updated for the June 2026 series, and it tells you which topics can appear.
- Work through the STEP Support Programme foundation modules. They are free, written by the Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics, and they teach the style of thinking STEP rewards rather than more content.
- Start past papers from the earliest year and move forward, with that year’s examiner report open beside you. Reading how examiners describe a good answer is worth more than the mark scheme alone.
- Keep the two most recent years back. Sit those under strict timed conditions in the final weeks.
- When you run out of official papers, move to the Cambridge mock papers below rather than to commercial question banks.
What to be aware of
Marks reward progress, not just answers. OCR states that the mark scheme for each question is designed to reward candidates who make good progress towards a complete solution, and that correct answers always receive full marks whatever method is used. A part-finished question written clearly is worth attempting.
STEP is graded S, 1, 2, 3 and U. S is Outstanding, 1 Very Good, 2 Good, 3 Satisfactory and U Unclassified. Offers usually name a grade in each of the two papers.
Some older questions are off specification. A small number of past paper questions test mathematics that is no longer examined. They are still good problem-solving practice, but do not read them as a guide to what can come up.
STEP 1 papers are still worth using. STEP 1 was discontinued in 2020 and sat at roughly A Level Mathematics standard, which makes it a reasonable bridge before STEP 2.
Worked papers and mock exams
The STEP Support Programme is run free by the University of Cambridge. Each year it publishes a full worked paper for STEP 2 and STEP 3, a mock exam with complete worked solutions in the same document. These are the best material to use once the official archive runs out, because they are written by the same people who set the exam itself. Each file contains the mock paper and the full worked solutions together.
| Year | STEP 2 | STEP 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | STEP 2 (2025) worked paper | STEP 3 (2025) worked paper |
| 2024 | STEP 2 (2024) worked paper | STEP 3 (2024) worked paper |
| 2023 | STEP 2 (2023) worked paper | STEP 3 (2023) worked paper |
| 2022 | STEP 2 (2022) worked paper | STEP 3 (2022) worked paper |
| 2021 | STEP 2 (2021) worked paper | STEP 3 (2021) worked paper |
| 2020 | STEP 2 (2020) worked paper | STEP 3 (2020) worked paper |
| 2019 | STEP 2 (2019) worked paper | STEP 3 (2019) worked paper |
Grade boundaries and results
OCR publishes an explanation of results for each series, which is where the grade boundaries live. Boundaries move year to year with the difficulty of the paper, so read the document for the year you are working through rather than assuming last year’s thresholds.
The STEP specification
The specification sets out every topic that can appear in STEP 2 and STEP 3, and it was updated for the June 2026 series. Read it early: a good share of lost marks comes from candidates meeting a topic in a past paper and assuming it is examinable when it is not, or the reverse.
Key dates for 2027 entry
Verified 7 September 2026 against OCR. Dates for the June 2027 series are not yet published.
Other resources
Frequently asked questions
STEP stands for Sixth Term Examination Paper. It is a mathematics examination set and administered by OCR and sat in June. Achievement in STEP normally forms part of a conditional offer to read mathematics at Cambridge, and some Warwick and Imperial mathematics offers use it too.
Two: STEP 2 and STEP 3. STEP 1 was discontinued in 2020. Each paper lasts three hours and contains 12 questions: 8 pure, 2 mechanics and 2 probability and statistics.
OCR publishes them by year as zip files containing the question papers and the examiner reports. Every year from 2019 to 2025 is linked at the top of this page, along with a combined archive covering 2014 to 2018.
OCR publishes examiner reports with each year’s papers, and marking guidance through the Preparing for STEP page. The Cambridge mock papers on this page come with full worked solutions, and MEI publishes worked solutions to past questions.
Five: S for Outstanding, then 1 Very Good, 2 Good, 3 Satisfactory and U Unclassified. A Cambridge offer will normally name a grade in each of the two papers.
Yes, as practice. STEP 1 was set at roughly A Level Mathematics standard, which makes it a sensible bridge before STEP 2. Bear in mind it is no longer examined and a few questions cover material now off the specification.
OCR has not yet published dates for the June 2027 series. In 2026, registration opened on 1 March and closed on 4 May, STEP 2 was sat on 4 June and STEP 3 on 10 June, with results on 13 August. Expect 2027 to follow a similar pattern and confirm on the OCR key dates page.
For the 2026 series the registration fee was £102.50 per paper for UK candidates, and £142.25, $179.75 or €166 per paper for international candidates. Your centre may add its own administration charge.
You register through a centre rather than directly. Most schools act as their own centre; if yours does not, you will need to find an open centre. Centres often set an internal deadline well before the OCR one, so ask early.
More than most candidates expect, and spread over months rather than weeks. STEP rewards persistence with long unfamiliar problems, which is a different skill from A Level speed and accuracy. Most successful candidates start in the spring of Year 12 or over the summer before Year 13.
It depends on the offer rather than on a fixed threshold. Cambridge offers commonly ask for grade 1 in both papers, and some ask for an S. Grade boundaries move each year with the difficulty of the paper, so check the explanation of results for the year you are working through.
STEP runs once a year, in June, so a resit means waiting a full cycle. That matters if your offer depends on it, which is why preparation timing is worth planning properly rather than leaving to the spring of Year 13.
Sources
Past papers, specification, key dates, fees, scoring and explanation of results: OCR STEP Mathematics. Paper structure, grades and the role of STEP in a Cambridge offer: University of Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics. Mock papers and assignments: STEP Support Programme. All links verified 7 September 2026.
Disclaimer: STEP question papers, examiner’s reports and mark schemes are the copyright of OCR, which publishes them as zip archives. We host the individual PDFs here unmodified so that you can open a paper without downloading and unpacking an archive, and every one is credited to OCR. The worked papers are hosted by the University of Cambridge and linked directly. If OCR would prefer we link rather than host, we will change it on request. Dates and fees change, so always confirm against OCR before relying on them.
Talk to us about STEP preparation
Tell us which papers your offer names and where you have got to. We will reply with an honest view of what is realistic in the time you have, and what we would work on first.
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