Calculator

I’m sorry if this has been discussed already. I’ve seen mention here and there of the TI calculators. I use a HP10BII for work. Is there a “best” calculator to use for the CFA exams, and if so, which is it? Thanks!

Go for the TI, and the word is that the best supplier is: Karan Sports And Stationers Shop No: 27 DDA Shopping Centre Ber Sarai (Ber Sarai Market) New Delhi-16 Phone: 26526163 Cost INR 3,600/- with bill. Thanks ananda

The BAII Plus is really good for the exam. Keep in mind you may need time to adjust to new calculator and determine if its worth it. You should be able to do exponents, TVM as well as cash flows. The calculator costs about $30 US, not 3600 rupees.

I have got to say that the 12c by far is the better option. It takes some time to get used to RPN and the memory stacks but once you do you will never go back to regular algebraic input. Also, the 12c has one hady function that the TI does not which I use quite often, which is the weighted average data input. I would say, when you have a free weekend, but a 12c and read thru the manual cover to cover and learn the rpn input and how to use the memory stacks. Also the 12c just looks more sophisticated. The TI looks like the calculator I used in grade school.

How about we have an overveiw of the pros and cons of the all four ? Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including BA II Plus Professional) Hewlett Packard 12C (including the HP 12C Platinum)

pro - they all work and are easy to use con - they don’t run on nuclear energy so there is a chance the batteries could die, in that 6-hour window

That doesn’t stop people from bringing 5 calculators to the exam, just in case all 5 batteries fail simultaneously (though if two fail simultaneously, I’d guess that the chance that the other three will fail is substantially higher than otherwise). Or you can sell them to other test-takers.

Well, Palacio seems to think that HP is better … tough crowd …

bchadwick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That doesn’t stop people from bringing 5 > calculators to the exam, just in case all 5 > batteries fail simultaneously (though if two fail > simultaneously, I’d guess that the chance that the > other three will fail is substantially higher than > otherwise). > > Or you can sell them to other test-takers. I was always curious to know whether those that brought 5 calculators and 15 pencils had, as a group, superior results than the average test taker. I would guess so, because if you are that worried about something out of your control going wrong, you must be well prepared.

…or they are panicking because they know they are _not_ prepared

starbuk Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > …or they are panicking because they know they > are _not_ prepared pretty fancy there starbuk with your improvised underlines and xing ba ke name . . .

I’m sure there is some positive effect to pass rates from obsessive preparation. However, there is probably some negative effect due to the person being batshit crazy. The net effect is hard to determine.

bchadwick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That doesn’t stop people from bringing 5 > calculators to the exam, just in case all 5 > batteries fail simultaneously (though if two fail > simultaneously, I’d guess that the chance that the > other three will fail is substantially higher than > otherwise). The likelihood of 2 calculators failing during an exam is essentially zero. So I always bring two calculators, and make sure one is already dead – that way I know the second one won’t fail.

I use an abacus.

ohai Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’m sure there is some positive effect to pass > rates from obsessive preparation. However, there > is probably some negative effect due to the person > being batshit crazy. The net effect is hard to > determine. Hahaha nice.