It’s not just the key layout and menu options that have changed in the new ClassWiz range. There are upgrades to functionality, too, which Simon illustrated for us with some mathematical examples. Function key Casio’s recommendation for GCSE students who have not yet adopted graphing technology is the fx-991 CW, while year 7 students will find all the functionality they need on the fx-83/85GT CW. That is brand new functionality, and it’s really nice because it enables teachers and students to do a lot more on the handset and to understand a lot more,” Simon said. Format key

Texas Instruments also produces a range of scientific calculators. Any of these – most of which start with TX-30 – are suitable for GCSE, though if you like to be able to enter your fractions as fractions then you’ll need one of the Multiview models. However, Casio pretty much has a stranglehold on the UK market and not many institutions promote the use of TI models. With Casio’s ClassWiz range of scientific calculators recently getting a significant redesign, it seems like the perfect time to talk about what these upgraded models can do and the benefits they offer for teachers and students alike. Sept 2023: A fellow Maths tutor on Facebook recently had a meeting with a Casio representative to discuss these new models. We are told that the intention was to make them more like a phone to use (though I find it hard to see much resemblance myself) and that younger children who aren’t already accustomed to a particular scientific calculator layout have adapted well to its use. However, we are talking about 11-year-olds, and I find it hard to imagine that they’ve been using many of the functions needed for Higher GCSE and A-level Maths! As I mentioned previously, lots of functions – too many to list here – now require more key presses than they did before. A particularly annoying one is nCr (to calculate the number of combinations of r items chosen from a set of n – used in binomial expansion and the binomial probability distribution). Previously it was the Shift function above the ÷ key, but now it takes the following series of key presses to get to the same place:

Reviews

The new A-level specification required the candidate to use a calculator featuring certain statistical functions that the GCSE model didn’t have, so the new standard model for A-level was the Classwiz fx-991EX. This also included some additional functions to help with solving equations, so it could be useful for GCSE too.

Schools should be telling you to get the CW now since that’s the current model, but some haven’t caught up yet and are still telling students to buy the GTX – which is now hard to get hold of new at a reasonable price. The same thing happened when the GTX replaced the GT Plus.A significant addition to Casio’s scientific calculators is the Function key, which offers the ability to define two functions as before, but also to manipulate and evaluate these functions in several different modes. The Format key is another useful improvement to the ClassWiz range, replacing the S↔D (standard to decimal) button found on previous handsets.

Complete the short form that accompanies your product. Please ensure that you complete all of the sections, as this will guarantee the timely processing of your return/exchange. The A-level model now has the generic equation solver function in the same place as the quadratic and simultaneous equation solvers, rather than in an apparently random position above the CALC button. A whole number will lead to menu options including prime factor decomposition, for example, while a decimal or fraction such as 2.5 can make use of sexagesimal conversion, to display a time value of 2h 30′ 0″. There’s no S-D button for simple conversion of results between fractions and decimals. The answer always defaults to a fraction, and to get it into decimal format you have to either (a) press FORMAT, use the arrow keys to select the preferred format and press OK or EXE, or (b) press Shift then EXE to get a decimal approximation (i.e. rounded decimal form) – but the latter option will only work correctly if pressing EXE doesn’t prompt the calculator to carry out another calculation. Another exciting aspect of this key is its ability to effectively respond to the user’s needs. After completing a calculation, the Format button will provide different options, based on the previous inputs and the resulting value.

On previous handsets, it was only possible to define and evaluate functions in this way within Table.

If you have the older GT Plus then it will still do everything you need for GCSE, so don’t worry about that! While GCSE classes will get the most out of these devices in terms of functionality, year 7 students can also use the basic calculator features of the ClassWiz range and explore the more advanced tools at their own pace. It’s also worth considering an A-level model, especially if you’re doing the Higher Tier and there’s a possibility that you might continue to study Maths in some form beyond GCSE. All of the models mentioned above are allowed in any exam where calculators are permitted *; there is no distinction between a calculator for GCSE and one for A-level as far as JCQ (who make the exam regulations) are concerned. You can find the JCQ regulations in section 10 of this document. From a usability point of view, I think it’s a huge improvement,” Simon told us. “It’s a lot more accessible, even if sometimes there are more key presses.” Enhanced functionalityOur nominated carrier is Parcel Force. Deliveries are made Monday – Friday between 9.00am – 6.00pm (excluding Bank Holidays). We asked mathematician Simon May for his thoughts on the key features and advantages of the new ClassWiz series. More intuitive navigation In short, the new CW calculators are a lot more complicated to use than the older X models, and don’t offer any significant improvements that I can see. Casio describes the fx-83GT CW as “the new upgraded version of the Casio fx-83GT X” and the fx-991CW as “the new upgraded version of the Casio fx-991 EX”. That seems misleading to me, when the models are so completely different. It would be far more honest to call them “the replacement for” their predecessors.