How is this allowed in exams? (Casio FX 991ES)

Member Name: joerobo

Product:	Casio FX 991ES
Date:	03/06/09 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Boosts exam marks

Disadvantages: Might take a while to get used to all the functions

This is an unbelievable calculator and at £8.41 on amazon.co.uk is definitely worth buying if you are sitting any form of maths exam above gcse standard. Firstly when buying a calculator it is important to not get carried away when buying a calculator with a lot of functions just because it has them. However this calculator has a lot of functions which always makes me question how it ever came to be allowed in exams.

Besides the basic functions that you would expect from a calculator I have used this for several things all of which are extremely helpful in an a level maths exam. Firstly it will do all sorts of numeric integration, which is great for checking your answers. Next it has a function which solves linear simultaneous equations with 2 or 3 variables and also polynomials up to degree 3. This function is a fantastically quick way to factorise long polynomials without losing any marks on a paper.

Next there is a more general solve solution which although it does not always work, has an uncanny knack of solving equations very quickly which again is great for checking your answers. Finally if you take something like further maths then this calculator will also work with complex numbers and has a vector mode which is handy for laborious vector product calculations.

In short, this is unlikely to add too many raw marks to your maths exams (though it probably still adds around 10%) however the ability to check the majority of your answers with confidence during the exam is a fantastic help to both marks and confidence. Definitely worth buying for a level maths!

Summary: Don't go for anything else