The TI BAII+ Professional has a battery door that flips open, as do most HP12C’s so you can just flip open the door and swap batteries. The TI BAII+ (standard) you need a screwdriver to remove the back (which they allow in test centers). I usually took my BAII+ Professional with a fresh battery already in it and then took along my BAII+ (standard) as a backup in case the whole thing just fried.
Yes sat for the L3 couple of months ago. Have been using the same calculator with the original batteries that came with it and have not had a single problem.
As the great Blake suggested change the batteries the night before and bring mechanical pencils. Save yourself from being ridiculed by bringing way too many extra things and getting more nervous. But as its always the case, most of those 25pencil/2calc guys you see at the exam are also AF members.
I can’t even fathom spending time sharpening 25 pencils the day before.
^Well then, I stand corrected.
I didn’t bring 25 pencils to the exam, but I find it quite enjoyable to sharpen pencils with an electric sharpener. As I put each pencil into the sharpener and start to hear it being cut away, I picture it as the finger of someone I don’t like. Sometimes I even start to see blood oozing out of the sharpener and can hear the screams. It’s really very therapeutic. I think I’ll go sharpen a few right now.
Hhahahha nice Higgs.
A couple automatic pencils and 2 calculators. The probability of a calculator dying? Probably less than .1% Severity of failure? Substantial. If somebody wants to laugh at me because I have 2 calculators they can lick my asshole - I’m not in the exam center making friends - I’m there to pass tests and fill time before I go get crunked in celebration.
Yeah, I live dangerously, too. I bought my TI BAII+ (profesh-a-NO) a few months before level one in 2009 and used it straight through level 3 without changing the batteries ever. I remember tapping the on button too lightly during the level 3 exam and it didn’t go on, and I thought, "This is it, sadface. You’re doomed. Bet you wish that you were one of those sissies with a stack of 8 calculators now, dontcha?" Then it went on during the second attempt and I went back to BEASTING THE EXAM.
Anyway, there’s a moral in there somewhere, kids. Probably “bring 8 calculators if it’ll help you stop fidgeting”, I guess?
changing battery the night before is quite dangerous as you do not know whether the new battery is expired or you damaged the circuit without knowing
Like I said, most of the 25pencil/2calc test takers are AFers (since its a topic that always finds supporters every time it comes up). It has nothing to do about living dangerously. Heck change your batteries the day before to feel at ease.
But again, these people are in the minority and 90% of the people don’t fall in this category so better off dropping the subject. Obviously you guys feel strongly about being extra cautious when to the majority of us it seems a little overkill.
I brought a bunch of pencils and some calculator batteries. The bag of pencils was ridiculous/hilarious, but I ended up giving a few away before the exams. It made me feel warm and fuzzy to help someone out.
Would you bet a year of your life on the health of entire companies such as Hewlett Packard or Texas Instruments? Without upside? I mean, the chances of those companies going bankrupt soon are probably pretty small. How about selling me some CDSs for free? I’m buying.
Most people won’t take that bet. Of course - no upside. I don’t get then what’s the point of betting a year on a single unit of a single device made by those companies, with no upside as well.
If the little black swan hits you, and screws up your only calculator, good luck getting IRRs by trial and error and still having time to write all the essays.
Now, if people don’t hate you, you can borrow a calculator (faster and cheaper than changing batteries).
Unless you think the act of carrying it is some kind of extraordinary weight lifting feat, your psychological cost is akin to zero - maybe positive for candidates that feel safer.
NOT bringing an extra calculator means getting some risk for no return. It’s pretty much like selling CDSs for free. If I want extra risk I’ll rather pass the CFA and then play some roulette.
I did exactly what Blackswan did. Mechanical pencil for morning, and a dull and rounded #2 for scantron. I did bring 3 of each, because the mechanical may jam, and a #2 dull tip can break off
I changed battery to calculator 1week before exam day and used it fully for the last week of exam prep
If you do these steps, you’ll be fine
did this guy actually get in trouble? can someone update?
I’m surprised they let me wear a hat but made me take the elastic band off my desk
^ From my source deep within the CFAI, he went in for a hearing, and was handed a hacksaw with the panel nodding it’s intended purpose.
it was rusty right? otherwise it would be a violation
I thought he was on the drug PCP, or some speedy stimulant that was the reason.
MANDATORY POST-EXAM TESTING.
Olympic style.