Calculators....
JaffasGirl
Registered Posts: 387 Dedicated contributor 🦉
Hello 
Hoping someone can help me, I need to buy a new calculator as my one is a bit naff, and you have to mash the buttons to get it to do anything!
Now, I've seen people saying on here that in exams your calculators are not allowed to have certain functions, can anyone tell me what they are? Or if there are some things you calculator should have?
I know this isn't the most interesting topic lol but you would save me from making a calculator size dent in my wall....
Hoping someone can help me, I need to buy a new calculator as my one is a bit naff, and you have to mash the buttons to get it to do anything!
Now, I've seen people saying on here that in exams your calculators are not allowed to have certain functions, can anyone tell me what they are? Or if there are some things you calculator should have?
I know this isn't the most interesting topic lol but you would save me from making a calculator size dent in my wall....
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Comments
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No idea what others are talking about, maybe they're referring to calculators that have programmable functions.
This is similar to the Casio calculator I've been using for years. Costly but extremely good build quality and you'll appreciate the larger keys and "acre-age" in an exam situation (i.e. you won't accidentally hit the wrong keys like on smaller calculators and have to restart your sum or even worse, not realise you've caught the wrong key and give an incorrect answer!):
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ogimages.co.uk/products/46350X.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.officegiant.co.uk/pd-46350X-46350x---casio-calculator-tax-desktop-solar-power-12-digit-4-key-memory-147x196x38mm-ref-dj120t.aspx&usg=__Zl_niXka_vppwHpYdoDKUqEO-Ak=&h=260&w=300&sz=30&hl=en&start=77&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8__8JoxF_lt8xM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcasio%2Bcalculator%26start%3D72%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1SMSN_EN-GBUK385%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:10 -
Thank you!
I shall have to go on a calculator shopping trip (or sit on my arse and do it on the internet) oh the exciting life of a trainee accountant!0 -
No idea what others are talking about, maybe they're referring to calculators that have programmable functions.
This is similar to the Casio calculator I've been using for years. Costly but extremely good build quality and you'll appreciate the larger keys and "acre-age" in an exam situation (i.e. you won't accidentally hit the wrong keys like on smaller calculators and have to restart your sum or even worse, not realise you've caught the wrong key and give an incorrect answer!):
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ogimages.co.uk/products/46350X.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.officegiant.co.uk/pd-46350X-46350x---casio-calculator-tax-desktop-solar-power-12-digit-4-key-memory-147x196x38mm-ref-dj120t.aspx&usg=__Zl_niXka_vppwHpYdoDKUqEO-Ak=&h=260&w=300&sz=30&hl=en&start=77&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8__8JoxF_lt8xM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcasio%2Bcalculator%26start%3D72%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1SMSN_EN-GBUK385%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1
I like that calculator, it has the +/- button which is very handy!0 -
I have been using a similar calculator for exams and at work for a while which I find really good:
http://www.calculators-online.co.uk/prod/216/desktop_calculators/Sharp/EL334F.htm
Again it has large buttons, a +/- button and you can add or deduct VAT which I find really useful at work.
If I have to use another calculator I mess it up every time now!0 -
A calculator is the most important tool you can take into any numerical exam so you need to make sure it's a well designed, durable one with decent sized buttons. While you'd think they would, not all calculators work the same way and cheaper ones often cannot process multiple calculations and will return the wrong answer.
Spending thirty quid might sound a lot but it'll last for years and cheaper than risk hitting the wrong buttons and having to resit a forty or fifty pound exam!0 -
A calculator is the most important tool you can take into any numerical exam so you need to make sure it's a well designed, durable one with decent sized buttons. While you'd think they would, not all calculators work the same way and cheaper ones often cannot process multiple calculations and will return the wrong answer.
Rob - I always knew you were rock and roll through and through...0 -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-MX8-MX-8-Calculator/dp/B0006L25FQ
Cheap and cheerful and never let me down, I have 4 of them about the office. I still have the one from my exams, it's about 5 years old now. I know it's the exam one because I've written 'RTFQ' in marker pen on it!
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i think the ones that are not allowed are the ones that have a button to calculate VAT as in some exercises you need to be able to calculate this on your own0
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JaffasGirl wrote: »I know this isn't the most interesting topic
Are you joking?! We're accountants!0 -
I'm still waiting for someone to make a fancy Apple style iCalc
Just as long as its not touchscreen....0 -
I'm still waiting for someone to make a fancy Apple style iCalc
Just as long as its not touchscreen....
Clearly, you've identified a hole in the market there PGM. Once Steve Jobs and co have designed and built one, they can then threaten to sue every other calculator manufacturer in the world for infringing on Apple's own invention, patents, copyrights whatever...
It probably won't support VAT calculations, but hey, what the f*ck, it's built by Apple so it must be the best in the world, surely?0 -
Are you joking?! We're accountants!
I still use my Casio FX85 which has given my good service over the years. Though it's probably more complicated than you'll ever need as an accountant, I do like the full text display so you can view and edit calculations.
£30 does sound like an awful lot of money for calculator though.0 -
Are you joking?! We're accountants!
haha, well thanks for all your help. I'm going to try and find one the shows you what calculation you have done, cause i'm prone to doing the calculation and then not being sure i've pressed the right buttons, so therefore repeating it, which would be a huge waste of time in exams.
I'm going to avoid the ones with the VAT calc button, cause that does seem a little like cheating (in an exam setting, at least for the first few exams, where they will want to know i can actually do it myself..) dont want to go into my exam and have it taken away!0 -
Are you joking?! We're accountants!
I still use my Casio FX85 which has given my good service over the years. Though it's probably more complicated than you'll ever need as an accountant, I do like the full text display so you can view and edit calculations.
£30 does sound like an awful lot of money for calculator though.
This is the one I was looking at actually. I cant really see in the picture, (and to be honest i'm not sure what i'm looking for entirely lol) but does this have a button to calculate vat?0 -
JaffasGirl wrote: »This is the one I was looking at actually. I cant really see in the picture, (and to be honest i'm not sure what i'm looking for entirely lol) but does this have a button to calculate vat?
No, it's pretty standard scientific calculator – I do seem to recall it taking a little time to get used to some of the features but the full text display is a big plus.
I think what the rule is there for is to prevent calculators where you can store formulae- in any case I can't really imagine invigilators going round checking everybody's calculators before the exam.0 -
When you sit CIMA exams you have to state the model of the make and model of the calculator you are using for the exam!0
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Placed my order
Thanks so much for all your help!!0 -
Working ok for me so far :-) You are right though, its when I run out of fingers and toes I get into trouble :-)0
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Don't you struggle with the text books you're using though, Paulie?
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Thought I'd made it simple enough - even for you to understand - but clearly not. Have you ever thought of claiming disability allowance, being a brummie and all that?0
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No idea what others are talking about, maybe they're referring to calculators that have programmable functions.
This is similar to the Casio calculator I've been using for years. Costly but extremely good build quality and you'll appreciate the larger keys and "acre-age" in an exam situation (i.e. you won't accidentally hit the wrong keys like on smaller calculators and have to restart your sum or even worse, not realise you've caught the wrong key and give an incorrect answer!):
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ogimages.co.uk/products/46350X.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.officegiant.co.uk/pd-46350X-46350x---casio-calculator-tax-desktop-solar-power-12-digit-4-key-memory-147x196x38mm-ref-dj120t.aspx&usg=__Zl_niXka_vppwHpYdoDKUqEO-Ak=&h=260&w=300&sz=30&hl=en&start=77&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=8__8JoxF_lt8xM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcasio%2Bcalculator%26start%3D72%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1SMSN_EN-GBUK385%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1
my manager has this one and has done ever since she started at the company... 8 years ago!0 -
Also worth noting that 12 digit calculators are best for exams otherwise you'll end up having to decimalise your workings and that can get a bit complicated. Thankfully we were warned us of this before our simulation. Could of been a bit messy otherwise...0
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