New Casio FX-85GTCW Black Scientific Calculator

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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! 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. Our entry-level scientific calculator with solar power has been upgraded to the latest ClassWiz technology.

fx-85GTX contains additional features such as clearer display, clearer menus, faster processor and 14 additional functions. Allowed in every UK exam where a calculator can be used. Recommended and approved for Key Stages 3 & 4 (including GCSE, National and Higher, Junior and Leaving). The large Natural Textbook Display (Natural-V.P.A.M.) shows mathematical expressions like roots and fractions as they appear in your textbooks which increases comprehension because results are easier to understand.From the comments I’ve seen on social media from other Maths teachers, I’m far from alone in having a strong preference for the older Classwiz fx-83/85GT X and 991EX models over these new CW calculators. Casio doesn’t appear to have done much field testing of the new models before launching them on the world! Another one that’s been brought to my attention: the functionality of the button has been changed so that it no longer “attaches” itself to the preceding number. It’s not actually wrong but it’s a change that will be very confusing for many students! 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.

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.

If you require any further information relating to the Delivery service used, please call us at +44 (0)20 8208 9567. Some schools and colleges required, and some still require, their A-level students to buy more expensive graphical calculators – calculators that can plot graphs on their screens, such as the CG50 – since these are often perceived to give the student an advantage. This may well have been true in the past, but the exam boards have got wise and nowadays exam questions are carefully worded so that the possession of a graphical calculator doesn’t give the candidate a significant advantage. It features a brand-new interface with scrolling menus, all mathematical functions available in a single key and a new crystal-clear display. The new interface features scrolling menus, all mathematical functions available in a single catalogue key and number formats available in a format key. The new display has a new font and 4-tone input for extra clarity. CALCULATION: arithmetic, trigonometry, logarithms, exponential, hyperbolic, equivalent ratio, number line

Having read your review and comments from my elder son, we are going to keep the 991EX. My elder son will get a model with more functionality for his University course. A lot of schools/colleges haven’t caught up with the change yet and are still telling students to buy the X versions, so at least yours is on the ball! Natural Textbook Display (Natural-V.P.A.M), shows mathematical expressions as they appear in textbooks. The Casio fx-83GT CW ClassWiz is the new upgraded version of the Casio fx-83GT X (the UK’s best-selling scientific calculator), containing additional features, to include a high definition display and improved menu navigation. Allowed in every UK exam where a calculator can be used. Recommended and approved for Key Stages 3 & 4 (including GCSE, National and Higher, Junior and Leaving). Until the current GCSE and A-level specifications came in (2015 and 2017 respectively), the standard calculator in most English schools for both GCSE and A-level for a good few years had been the Casio fx-83GT Plus – or the fx-85GT Plus, which was exactly the same except that it had a solar panel as well as battery power.

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: The Casio fx-991EX is Casio’s most advanced scientific calculator, providing 552 functions and is suitable for Key Stages 3,4 and 5, to include A /AS level. 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. Advantage for students: Easy operation even for beginners Advantage for teachers: Easy to teach how to use The large Natural Textbook Display shows mathematical expressions like roots and fractions as they appear in your textbooks which increases comprehension because results are easier to understand.