is there any point (maths students)

If you're doing stats you will need to for std dev and distributions etc, for core it's a help, get your parents to pay :tongue:

edit - yes thay are allowed in exams, except c1 obviously

Reply 21

Gemini92

Original post by ella37

well they're not allowed in the exams right? so i suggest get used to not using them.
i didn't use them for my A-level, and to be honest, it wasn't that hard without it.

You are allowed to use them in exams, excluding C1 as it's a non-calculator paper, subject to certain conditions. For instance, you're not allowed a calculator that can manipulate algebra and they have to be reset before the exam to get rid of any saved data.

Reply 22

supernova92

14

Original post by Gemini92

You don't need them for A-Level maths although they can come in handy. Remember that they have to be reset before exams so anything saved onto them disappears.

you realise no one does that right? :lol:

It's not essential, the further maths students have done all of c2,3,4, s1, m1 etc, wiithout graphical calcs. It depends on how confident you are with graphs I guess..

Reply 23

twelve

13

Original post by kerily

If you're not doing statistics, you don't need a graphical calculator. If you are, however, the exam is written presuming that you can calculate standard deviation and the like in a short space of time.

You don't need a graphical calculator to find standard deviation... My normal scientific one does it too!

Graphical calculators are good - if you have the money to spend. I got one because I realised that graphs are my weak point, and if I can have a definate sketch of it in front of me it really helps. But having said that, I haven't NEEDED it.

Reply 24

Gemini92

Original post by supernova92

you realise no one does that right? :lol:

I'm assuming you're talking about resetting them. At my school, before the exam started, a teacher went round and personally reset each graphical calculator.

Reply 25

Hudzy

8

Numeric Integration and differentiation are very useful as a check (particularly in C4). It also trivializes any graph transformation where the function of the graph is given. It's definitely not necessary, but will give you a slight advantage.

Reply 26

supernova92

14

Original post by Gemini92

I'm assuming you're talking about resetting them. At my school, before the exam started, a teacher went round and personally reset each graphical calculator.

Yeah sorry, i forgot to bold it, oh well then i guess it will vary from school to school... but having spoken to people at other colleges, the general idea is that, exam invigilators have no idea what to do/check most of the time...

Reply 27

kerily

15

Original post by twelve

You don't need a graphical calculator to find standard deviation... My normal scientific one does it too!

Really? My normal scientific one doesn't, and school basically told us we had to have graphical ones that did all that or we'd fail S1 :confused:

Reply 28

username297163

17

You dont NEED one

but I have one and i can say they are really useful

Reply 29

Chwirkytheappleboy

17

They're only mildly useful at A level (but you'll be fine without one) and then when you get to Uni you probably even won't be allowed to take any calculators into exams at all, nevermind graphics calculators. So it's not a good long term investment

Reply 30

Gemini92

Original post by kerily

Really? My normal scientific one doesn't, and school basically told us we had to have graphical ones that did all that or we'd fail S1 :confused:

Are you sure that your calculator doesn't do SD? I thought all scientific calculators could do it, mine does and it's over 7 years old.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 31

tface

14

Original post by supernova92

Yeah sorry, i forgot to bold it, oh well then i guess it will vary from school to school... but having spoken to people at other colleges, the general idea is that, exam invigilators have no idea what to do/check most of the time...

Yeah at my college some people put so much stuff on their calculators to cheat and no one checked!

Reply 32

twelve

13

Original post by kerily

Really? My normal scientific one doesn't, and school basically told us we had to have graphical ones that did all that or we'd fail S1 :confused:

This is a picture of my calculator:
http://www.sciencestudio.co.uk/acatalog/casio-fx83gt-large.JPG

does standard deviation, variance etc etc

Just did my S1 and S2 exams with this calculator, and I'm planning on doing S3 with it.

What calculator do you have?

(man I feel sad asking someone about their calculator...)

Reply 33

Stef90

Original post by llpokermuffinll

WOW !!!! IDIOT! Obviously you can get an A without a graphic calculator if you have the brain to imagine graphs. Not everyone has that. So stop showing off here.

Some people just think they can say anything behind their pc screens. pffffffffft

Nice of you to call others idiots. The syllabi don't mention the need for graphical calculators, so you only need a normal calculator to do the questions. If however you can't be bother to sketch a graph by hand, then that's your fault.

Reply 34

akash11

9

Dont need it, it may help if your reall stuggaling with the trig (you'll see what i'm mean when you do it), but in my opnion its not worth it

Reply 35

04ayasin

I thought you weren't allowed them in the exams. If you are it could have helped me with C3 cos daaamnn that exam was hard.

Reply 36

boba

there are 3 A2 maths classes in my college and not one single person has one, i assume the same can be said for AS although I could be wrong. many people got A's and we do statistics in the standard maths A level and mechanics for further maths so every single person did the s1 without one and again many got As and we all plan on doing S2 without one as far as I am awear although its possible that someone might buy one between now and then

Reply 37

Fission_Mailed

15

Everyone in my AS maths had one, but my school sold them for £30 with an agreement to buy them back for the same price if you don't break it. Doubt I would have bothered otherwise, it saved time in S1 but as everyone else seems to have said; you can do quite nicely without.

Reply 38

ella37

10

Original post by Gemini92

You are allowed to use them in exams, excluding C1 as it's a non-calculator paper, subject to certain conditions. For instance, you're not allowed a calculator that can manipulate algebra and they have to be reset before the exam to get rid of any saved data.

oh right, so not all graphic calculators can do the calculus and algebra bits?

we were always told to use the same calculator during a-level. and even in university, they gave us a free calculator so that they have a standard.

Reply 39

Gemini92

Original post by ella37

oh right, so not all graphic calculators can do the calculus and algebra bits?

we were always told to use the same calculator during a-level. and even in university, they gave us a free calculator so that they have a standard.

Apparently, some graphical calculators can factorize algebraic expressions etc. and this is not allowed in A-Level exams. Also, some (if not all) unis don't let you use graphical calculators in exams.

is there any point (maths students)

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