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Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing provides admissions tests for a range of university-level courses and assessments in thinking skills and behavioural styles. 

You may enter for the following examinations through British Council centres in the UK:

  • STEP 2
  • STEP 3

For full details of the tests see the information for test-takers on the Admissions Testing website.

Registration and Exam Dates

Registration Dates: 

STEP registration opens
Test centres can register candidates from this date

1 March 2023

Deadline to apply for modified papers for STEP
(e.g., enlarged print)

20 April 2023, 5pm (BST)

Registration closes
Deadline to apply for access arrangements (e.g., extra time)

4 May 2023, 5pm (BST)

The registration period for all tests will be strictly from 1st March 2023 to 4th May 2023, 5pm (BST). There is no opportunity for late entry in 2023. 

Exam Dates

STEP Paper 2 test date    8 June 2023
STEP Paper 3 test date    21 June 2023

Test Centre Information

We will run the STEP tests in 7 British Council test centres.

You can locate your nearest test centre via the ‘Find a Centre’ portal. Venue information will be released 2 weeks before the test day.

Centre

00565 – British Council Edinburgh

00570 – British Council Leeds

00572 – British Council Manchester

00575 – British Council Bristol

00576 – British Council Birmingham

00583 – British Council Greater London 1

00591 – British Council Cambridge 1

Exam Registration Process

Registration Procedures

Our Online Registration System will be available to candidates until 4th May, 5pm (BST). 
Registration is only possible online via our Online Registration System. You cannot register over the phone or via email. 

You will need to provide the following information:

  • Name (exactly matching your UCAS application and/or driving licence, passport or national ID document)
  • UCAS ID (if available)
  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • Details of any Access Arrangements and supporting evidence
  • University and course applied to
  • University course code (if not sure of the code, please check your university’s website or contact the admissions office). 

Contact us if you encounter any problems while registering for exams.

On the Test Day

  • STEP tests in the UK will take place in the morning
  • You should arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time of the exam
  • You must bring your National ID, driving license or passport used at registration. IDs must be original (not photocopies) in hardcopy format (not electronic), contain a photo and must be in date/not expired
  • If any candidates under 18 need to be collected after the end of the tests, the parent(s), guardian(s), any other authorised person(s) must present to the invigilators the original copy of ID which matches the scanned copy uploaded onto our Online Registration System 
  • You can take rulers, protractors and compasses into the examination. They should write their answers in black pen only and use pencil for diagrams and graphs
  • From 2023 bilingual dictionaries are no longer permitted for candidates who don’t have English as a first language. Calculators are not allowed in the examination
  • Late entries are only allowed within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, and you will be allowed the full time of the test. If you arrive after the first 15 minutes, you will NOT be allowed to sit the exam

Fees and Terms of Payment

Exam fee

All tests will be charged at £205* per candidate per test (which includes the £93 Registration fee per STEP paper set by Cambridge Admissions Testing).

*Our administration fee covers the cost of invigilation, despatch costs and room hire.

Terms of payment

All test fees must be paid by candidates in GBP through our Online Registration System. All fees must be paid at the point of registration.

Refund and Cancellation

What if I need to withdraw my entry during the registration period - 1st March 2023 – 4th May 2023, 5pm (BST)?

If you wish to withdraw your entry before the final registration deadline (4th May 2023, 5pm BST), you must contact the British Council and you will receive a refund of any fees paid.
Refund payments will only be made to the account or card which you used to pay the administration fee. Refunds will not be issued in cash.

What if I need to withdraw my entry after the registration period has closed (after 4th May 2023, 5pm BST)?

If you need to withdraw your entry after the final registration deadline, you must contact the British Council as soon as you are able to and no later than 1 working day before the exam,

You may be eligible for a refund of part of your administration fee if at the sole discretion of the British Council you have a valid medical reason, and you are able to supply a medical certificate no later than 5 working days after contacting the British Council. If the British Council accepts your reason and receives your medical certificate within 5 working days, you will receive a 50% refund on the British Council administration fees paid. The British Council is unable to offer you any refund for the Cambridge Admissions Testing registration fees paid.
Refund payments will only be made to the account or card which you used the pay the administration fee. Refunds will not be issues in cash. 

What if I want to withdraw my entry after the day of the test?

You cannot withdraw your entry after the day of the test. No refund will be offered to candidates who notify the British Council after the day of the test has already passed.

What if I am absent or sick on the day of the test?

If you are absent on the day of your test with no prior notice, you are not eligible for any refund on your fee.

However, if you contact the British Council at least 1 working day before the exam, you may be eligible for a refund of part of your administration fee if at the sole discretion of the British Council you have a valid medical reason, and you are able to supply a medical certificate no later than 5 working days after contacting the British Council.

If the British Council accepts your reason and receives your medical certificate within 5 working days, you will receive a 50% refund on the British Council administration fees paid. The British Council is unable to offer you any refund for the Cambridge Admissions Testing registration fees paid.
Refund payments will only be made to the account or card which you used the pay the administration fee. Refunds will not be issued in cash.

We can submit a special consideration request on your behalf, but we cannot offer you another test date.

What if I am delayed by circumstances beyond my control?

If you arrive late for your test, you may be admitted to the exam at the sole discretion of the British Council supervisor. If you arrive late for your exam and the British Council supervisor decides not to admit you to the exam, you are not eligible for any refund on your fee. 

How soon can I re-sit an Admissions Test?  

These tests only take place once a year and you will have to wait until June 2024 to take another test. We recommend you speak to your university at the earliest opportunity as they will be best placed to advise on next steps.

STEP Results

On results day (17 August 2023), you will be able to view your results using Cambridge Admissions Testing’s Results Online system.
See the Admissions Testing website for full details of Scoring and Results.

Post-test Service

Candidates who register for STEP with our centres may submit their enquiries about results by 23rd August 2023. We are unable to process any enquiries about results for candidates from other test centres. For Enquires about Result service available, please contact us.  

Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing Results Enquiries

Service

Description

Total Fee (GBP)

Results Enquiry

If a candidate thinks there has been an error in the processing or reporting of their results, they can raise a Results Enquiry.

£46

Appeal

If a candidate thinks a Results Enquiry or a Malpractice case was incorrectly handled or if they have a complaint about an aspect of the administration of the test that is not covered by the Special Considerations process, they can submit an Appeal. Please note there is no other basis for a review of a Results Enquiry or for raising an Appeal.

£46

FAQs

Q1: What is UCAS ID?

When you register with UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), you will get a 10-digit Personal ID Number like this: 123-456-7890. It is very important to ensure that your UCAS ID and personal details submitted to us are accurate and match what you put in your UCAS application, so that your results can be sent to the correct university.

Q2: How long is the result valid for?

The result is only valid for the year the test is taken and cannot be carried over to a re-application.

Q3: Can I take Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing this year if I don’t plan to apply for university in this year?

Yes, but as the result is only valid for the year the test is taken and cannot be carried over to a re-application, you need to take the exam again in the year you plan to apply for universities.

Q4: How to deal with any time clash between different exams?

With the same exam series, there may be different scenarios of exam timetable clash:

  • If you require any re-arrangement for timetable clash between Cambridge Assessment Admissions Tests registered at our centre and other exams you must contact us (general.enquiries@britishcouncil.org) as soon as possible.

You should avoid any timetable clash before registering for exams. Please note Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing will not approve any requests to move the test due to family holidays and/or school trips.

Q5: Can I register at different centres at the same time?

Within the same exam series, candidates can register for the exams of different subjects at different centres, but not the same subject at different centres. Please also note that if you register for exams at different centres within the same exam series, it may lead to problems like failure to re-arrange timetable clash. Therefore, registering for all exams at one test centre is highly recommended.

Q6: Notice to Under-18 Candidates

While registering under 18 candidates at our centre, the parents and/or guardians should:

  1. Read thoroughly the Minor Safety Regulations on our Online Registration System
  2. Complete the Minor Candidate Consent Section
  3. Indicate how the candidate will leave the venue after the exams, and upload relevant documents as required
  4. On test day, parents, guardians, or any other authorised people must present the original copy of ID to be checked by invigilator with the form

For more information, please see the below resources from Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing.

External links