a level maths

hi i just started a level maths a couple days ago and my school recommend getting the casio fx-cg50 calculator however it is £100 pounds. I've already spent a lot of money on textbooks just for year 1/AS so i dont want to spend a lot more on a calculator. Do i really need this calculator to do well and is it really worth it?

Reply 1

DarylO

18

I used the CASIO fx-991EX. It cost about £27 and worked perfectly for A Level Maths content.

I've only heard of a few F/M students getting the fx-cg50. It's a great calculator but you don't need it. A lot of students can't afford it and do just fine without it.

Reply 2

Acamp12

I’ve just completed A-level maths and FM with the fx-cg50 and it was extremely useful for both. However the only advantage - graphing - is only really useful if you’re more of a kinaesthetic learner so want to “make” the graphs or struggle learning the shapes of graphs (the table function works well as a substitute if you’re ok with tables). If you’re looking at engineering afterwards I’d suggest against it as you’ll have to get used to a non-graphical calculator anyway.

Overall, probably a waste of money if you’re not looking at further maths.

Also you can get free online PDFs for the textbooks if you can work from those but textbooks should be covered in your course costs?

Reply 3

propergoodman

16

Original post by dilsheen

hi i just started a level maths a couple days ago and my school recommend getting the casio fx-cg50 calculator however it is £100 pounds. I've already spent a lot of money on textbooks just for year 1/AS so i dont want to spend a lot more on a calculator. Do i really need this calculator to do well and is it really worth it?

im thinking of getting cg 50 and am taking maths, fm, econ, and business

Reply 4

math4892

14

A CG50 is overkill. There's not really anything it can do that you can't do with a 991ex combined with basic free online graphing software e.g. demos/ geogebra 3D. That said, it can give some slight advantages in A-Level exams. If you go on to university, you won't even be allowed to use the CG50 in pretty much any exam though.

Reply 5

Muttley79

20

Original post by dilsheen

hi i just started a level maths a couple days ago and my school recommend getting the casio fx-cg50 calculator however it is £100 pounds. I've already spent a lot of money on textbooks just for year 1/AS so i dont want to spend a lot more on a calculator. Do i really need this calculator to do well and is it really worth it?

"FX-991EX advanced scientific calculator

The ClassWiz FX-991EX advanced scientific calculator is a numeric calculator with all the functionality required by Ofqual."

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/mathematics-2017.news.html?article=%2Fcontent%2Fdemo%2Fen%2Fnews-policy%2Fqualifications%2Fa-levels%2Fmaths%2Fspecial-discount-on-casio-calculators

Reply 6

InnateImpunity

9

Original post by dilsheen

hi i just started a level maths a couple days ago and my school recommend getting the casio fx-cg50 calculator however it is £100 pounds. I've already spent a lot of money on textbooks just for year 1/AS so i dont want to spend a lot more on a calculator. Do i really need this calculator to do well and is it really worth it?

Definitely not. Are you doing further maths? I don't see why your teaching recommended that when the standard is just an FX-991EX and it's what like 99% of people at my school used.

Reply 7

dilsheen

OP

9

Original post by InnateImpunity

Definitely not. Are you doing further maths? I don't see why your teaching recommended that when the standard is just an FX-991EX and it's what like 99% of people at my school used.

nah im not doing further maths my school also said that we can get the other one you mentioned if the cg50 is too much money but i was just wondering if it was really that worth it. anyways thanks for your reply, ill be getting the fx-991ex now

Reply 8

dilsheen

OP

9

Original post by Acamp12

I’ve just completed A-level maths and FM with the fx-cg50 and it was extremely useful for both. However the only advantage - graphing - is only really useful if you’re more of a kinaesthetic learner so want to “make” the graphs or struggle learning the shapes of graphs (the table function works well as a substitute if you’re ok with tables). If you’re looking at engineering afterwards I’d suggest against it as you’ll have to get used to a non-graphical calculator anyway.

Overall, probably a waste of money if you’re not looking at further maths.

Also you can get free online PDFs for the textbooks if you can work from those but textbooks should be covered in your course costs?

thanks yeah im not doing fm so ill get the fx991ex calculator. also no the textbook costs arent covered by my school only if youre eligible for bursary

a level maths

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