Calculators - updated 15th Jan 2018
A calculator is now a requirement for every maths course delivered in UK schools, so it’s important to get a good one. This information has been updated for the new GCSE and A-level qualifications.
Scientific All GCSE students will need a scientific calculator, both for Foundation and Higher. Even if you are only just starting in Year 7 then I would recommend buying a scientific calculator as the help they provide with fraction work can prove invaluable. Go for the big brands: Casio, Sharp and Texas Instruments. I would recommend the Casio FX-85GTPlus. This is available in most big supermarkets for around £7-£8 and provides new functions to help with recurring decimals and prime factorisation (common topics at GCSE).
Sharp’s WriteView range is recommended too, though I do tend to prefer the Casio models. Texas Instruments are also a well-known brand though I have little experience of using them.
Advanced Scientific For students taking AS, A-Level or Further Maths I would strongly recommend buying an advanced scientific calculator. Machines such as these can work out the values of definite integrals, summations and the value of a derivative at a particular point. All of these features are very useful in an exam for checking an answer, not for typing in the numbers and just copying down the output! My recommendation is the Casio FX991-EX which can help with matrix and complex calculations and provides details from statistical distributions like Normal, Poisson and Binomial. This is the calculator I use and I am very impressed with its speed and ease of use.
Please note: all of the calculators I have mentioned here ARE allowed in UK exams when a calculator is permitted. There are some, but not many, which are not. Please check with your exam board if you are in any doubt.
I haven’t mentioned graphical calculators in this piece. They can certainly be useful to investigate functions (especially rational functions which come up in further maths courses) and to find statistical results. I have used them myself in the past to satisfy my curiosity about certain graphs but they certainly aren’t a necessity in any UK exam that I know of.
To find out more please phone me on 01789 415529 or 07870 524211. Alternatively, email me at simonwilliamstutor@gmail.com.