Calculator

Nehpets

Um.. can I use this calculator?

Sharp EL-506W

MathsManiac

No.

This calculator can solve equations, manipulate matrices and do numerical differentiation and integration. Any ONE of these features causes it to be disallowed. (See paragraph (f) in the circular below.)

The calculator regulation is contained in this circular at the SEC website:
http://www.examinations.ie/schools/S9305UseofCalculatorsintheCertificateExaminationsev.pdf

Find another one. (The Casio fx83ES is a humdinger! it'll manipulate surds and logs for you, [e.g. will tell you that root(2) + root(8) is 3root(2)] and draw up a table for a function, and it is allowed.)

conor2007

i doubt it


mite get away with it tho

Nehpets

Bollox.....

Damn you Easons!!

It doesn't say that in the rule book, only says "no graphics calculators allowed"

EDIT: thanks for the help!

MathsManiac

Did they tell you in Easons that it was allowed?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Memorise the Model number of another calculator, I doubt there'll be any checks done

MathsManiac

I see that honesty and integrity are alive and well in Ireland!

ninebeanrows

MathsManiac wrote:

No.

This calculator can solve equations, manipulate matrices and do numerical differentiation and integration. Any ONE of these features causes it to be disallowed. (See paragraph (f) in the circular below.)

The calculator regulation is contained in this circular at the SEC website:
http://www.examinations.ie/schools/S9305UseofCalculatorsintheCertificateExaminationsev.pdf

Find another one. (The Casio fx83ES is a humdinger! it'll manipulate surds and logs for you, [e.g. will tell you that root(2) + root(8) is 3root(2)] and draw up a table for a function, and it is allowed.)

I have this, any tricks i should be aware of? Just purchased it!

conor2007

ye , id well be aware of being able to program it to do stuff


if they ask , they probally wont be able to figure how to use it


so ull most likely be fine , reset shud work if an examiner comes over tho

legs11

just remember how to use the equations and matrice functions on it, read the manual up.........:rolleyes:

Nehpets

Most likely calculators won't get checked but I might as well change it. I don't even know how to use those functions since I had the previous model before. Yeah easons said it's non-programmable so it's allowed.

mp3guy

Speaking of calculators, can you bring in two of the same model calculator in case you think one could possibly die?

E92

I thought calculators that can convert square roots into surds aren't allowed either. That calculator can solve equations, can do some differentiation and Integration, substitution in Algebra, basically a lot of things the rest of us have to do in our heads in the exam! That calcuator would definately not be allowed in the exam. Sure if they alowed that calculator everyone would be doing honours maths!
I wonder that too. Are you allowed to bring in a second calculator in the exam in case the first one fails?

Nehpets

I don't see why not. You'll probably get other people asking for it though. Thinking about it.. calculator isn't used that much anyway

mp3guy

mp3guy wrote:

Speaking of calculators, can you bring in two of the same model calculator in case you think one could possibly die?

I always bring in two into every exam (that I need one). I've a retro Texas Instruments Galaxy 40x and a more recent Sharp 531-W. The first is quicker to use then the second.

ninebeanrows

E92 wrote:

I thought calculators that can convert square roots into surds aren't allowed either. That calculator can solve equations, can do some differentiation and Integration, substitution in Algebra, basically a lot of things the rest of us have to do in our heads in the exam! That calcuator would definately not be allowed in the exam. Sure if they alowed that calculator everyone would be doing honours maths!
I wonder that too. Are you allowed to bring in a second calculator in the exam in case the first one fails?

This ones allowed

Casio fx83ES

And it does all that apart from Diff and Integ.

Patricide

Ok so the BIG question i have to ask, is the casio fx-83 MS allowed? i have no idea what it can do or whatever, i use it for just division multiplication addition and subtraction and to make somthing to the power of.

Why dont the department of education have a list of calculators that are alowed and arent. Darnst buggers.

cabla

Patricide wrote:

Ok so the BIG question i have to ask, is the casio fx-83 MS allowed? i have no idea what it can do or whatever, i use it for just division multiplication addition and subtraction and to make somthing to the power of.

Why dont the department of education have a list of calculators that are alowed and arent. Darnst buggers.

Ye thats fine im pretty sure

Nexarz

is the Fx-570es allowed? had it for aages and id hate to change jus before my math exam:(

Spank

This thread is freaking me out! Wouldn't it be the worst thing ever to get your calculator taken off you minutes before the exam? I have a sharp EL-500M. This ok???? < note the urgency

Thomas_S_Hunterson

MathsManiac wrote:

I see that honesty and integrity are alive and well in Ireland!

No point spending another €20 on a superfluous calculator

Corruptedmorals

http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/01/3b/42/b3/20660915.JPG

That's mine, whatever it is. Used to have to stab the reset button a lot because the numbers would fade..but I have shiny new batteries in it now.

Never liked the Casio ones. Wouldn't dare bring in any of the 'cheat' calculators, imagine getting it taken off you!

spurious

You have to indicate on your paper the make and model of calculator used.
There's a whole section on it in the LC handbook.

MathsManiac

In answer to Patricide, Nexarz and Spank respectively:
Casio fx83Ms - yes
Casio fx570es - no (has diff, int and equation solving)
Sharp EL-500M - yes

lemansky

I bought the one that the OP was originally speaking about...eason's said that it isn't programmable as per the restrictions, and that its allowed.Also it had a big sticker across the front that said it was ideal for leaving/junior cert

MathsManiac

Notwithstanding the claims of a sales assistant in Eason's, it clearly contravenes paragraph (f) of the circular.

But, do as you choose.

lemansky

No its just that the one that can draw the tables that you were saying,it can solve equations and its fine.......also the one i have technically isn't programmable,so i dunno

mp3guy

Nothing to stop people writing a different model on the paper

MathsManiac

lemansky wrote:

No its just that the one that can draw the tables that you were saying,it can solve equations and its fine.......also the one i have technically isn't programmable,so i dunno

The fx83es can't solve equations.

E92

mp3guy wrote:

Nothing to stop people writing a different model on the paper

What if the superintendent is a Maths, Applied Maths, Physics,Chemistry, Accounting, Business or Economics teacher? Theres calculator work involved in each of these subjects. So they would know the ins and outrs of different calculators. Especially a teacher of the first 4 subjects I mentioned.
Anyway, and sorry for being anal, its unfair on the rest of us who will not have the luxury of doing the exam much faster and get a much higher grade for doing less work, and a lot easier work. The exams comission aren't that dumb and I'm sure even if the superintendent doesnt teach a subject with calculator involvement they will be told to watch out for certain types of calculator that dont conform witrh exam rules.

I'd say with the amount of calculators that can do a load of things that they don't allow they'll ban calculators again or else supply them on the day like they do with log tables in time to come.

Nehpets

The easons I got the calculator is sold out of all the other ones now

alan4cult

Patricide wrote:

Why dont the department of education have a list of calculators that are alowed and arent. Darnst buggers.

Too much work updating it, I guess.

ZorbaTehZ

Imagine your battery ran out mid-test. That would be rofltastic.

alan4cult

Trust the Power of Solar!

Corruptedmorals

Nah my batteries were dying for a few months...the numbers just fade, but repeatedly stabbing reset button gets them back..for a while. Opened it up, found out the batteries were just AA ones, and my calculator is 6 years old...last for fecking ages, obviously.

Nehpets

Sold out in dundrum too! Whats the world coming to when shops can't supply enough calculators

StephenC_IRL

sean_keevey wrote:

Memorise the Model number of another calculator, I doubt there'll be any checks done

sharp el531h

its allowed, so memorise that and bring something cool

johnny_ultimate

By the way, did it last year and Im pretty sure no-ones calculator was checked before the exam. You just right down the model number on the page, as someone said.

So if theres a problem with your calculator youll find out after the exams
But yeah, as long as you dont bring a supercomputer in with you, Id say you are ok. Any run of the mill job should do.

adam_ccfc

Sharp EL531W <-- allowed?

genericgoon

adam_ccfc wrote:

Sharp EL531W <-- allowed?

OMG Thats what I was gunna ask. Although since the h one is allowed it should be easy to bypass even if it isnt allowed.;)

mathew

adam_ccfc wrote:

Sharp EL531W <-- allowed?

yep

genericgoon

thank christ

Patricide

ok, had to get a new calculator cause my last one died, anyway its a CASIO fx-83es .

Says on a big sticker in the front that its ideal for leaving cert but still taking no chances here.

lemansky

As long as the sticker on the front is from the manufacturer its okay,because it could be from a shop otherwise who lets face it are just trying to sell things....thats the upshot of my chat with somebody from the dept of education about this.Loads of people are using the originally quoted calculator,Not eben the bastardish supervisors or inspectors are checking calculators.As has been said as long as it doesn't look like a supercomputer its grand.Just bring in a crapper one as well.....just in case

mathew

No calculators were checked in my exam centre. Bring in something that looks normal and your fine! You can write any modle number on the paper

genericgoon

The thing is if even if we did bring in these super calculators half of us wouldnt even know how to use all these cheating features. its hard using calculators with alltheir modes secondary modes. Without a manual youre lost!

lemansky

genericgoon wrote:

The thing is if even if we did bring in these super calculators half of us wouldnt even know how to use all these cheating features. its hard using calculators with alltheir modes secondary modes. Without a manual youre lost!

Exactly.Its all very well saying that they should be banned because you can do integration on them......besides don't you have to show all your work anyway?SO when talking about using it to solve equations its not a help beyond checking your answer.You still have to do the work.

genericgoon

I know my calculator can do more than I do with it (though not to an LC infringing extent) but i wouldnt know how. Tbh its easier to just do this stuff on paper anyways.

cocoa

mine can do standard deviation and I'm allowed use it for that in the exams
FTW

ZorbaTehZ

Not many people seem to know that you can get the polar/modulus of a vector on nearly all normal calculators with POL, and theres a few other things like the store function as well.

The calculator I used for my SAT's can integrate, differentiate, solve quadratic/exponential/regression/logarithmic functions, find min/max, solve logs, solve matrix equations, calculate standard deviation, solve complex number calculations and a lot of other stuff, best thing is that it looks exactly like my other calculator except for a few extras stickers around the buttons.
It's not hard to use either, since it has a math display. Bringing something like that into tests would definitely help in my opinion.

But I'd be way too chicken**** to bring it in tbh. . .oh and of course theres the strong moral objections I'd have to it as well. . .

Bluefox21

lol getting worried coz i have a pretty advanced calculator it was casio and didn't say suited for the leaving cert but it said it was alright for the english exams ( GCSE'S).....