Hi… I am about to begin my studies for the cfa level 1 this December. I need to know what calculator I should get? I have done pretty good amount of research on both the 12c and the TI BAII. It seems that the TI is faster and more user friendly. But the HP 12c is the long time industry standard. What are your thoughts? I do not have any experience with the RPN, but am not afraid to learn it if it is the better choice. People in my office seem to like the HP 12c. I am also taking a Stalla course with a buddy of mine and he is using the HP 12C. Do any of you know if the Stalla program prefers one calculator to another? I would like to know your thoughts? I have heard the 12C is slow and can be confusing when first trying it due to the RPN. I welcome your thoughts and opinions. I would also like to know which version of each you prefer and why. Thanks!
For a first-time user (who is not used to either one) the TI is easier to get used to.
Hi I used the HP 12C platinum but I didn’t try the TI so I couldn’t really compare them. The RPN can be quite frustrating at the beginning, but trust me, once you learn how it works you’ll never return to algebraic mode, because RPN is way faster and easier, so don’t worry about that. Slow? I don’t know what you mean with slow, all of the calculations I made with the 12C were almost instantly done. Lets say it has a lag of 2 seconds. Equity, F.I, Derivatives, F.A, Quant, that should be about 80% of the exam. 80% of the exam=192 questions*2/60secs=6.4 mins, Honestly… that’s the time you spend staring at the proctors nice rack through the am and pm session. I think it doesn’t really matter which one you buy as long as you practice long enough with it, that’s what really makes a difference at the exam.
Are we allowed to use a standard scientific calculator as well??
So it looks like even a scientific calculator is not usable. I have used HP 10bii in the past for undergrad finance classes - which one would be easiest to transition to?
@clearlycanadian: Only two calculator models are allowed: Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including BA II Plus Professional) and Hewlett Packard 12C (including the HP 12C Platinum) Please see: http://www.cfainstitute.org/about/governance/policies/Pages/calculator_policy.aspx Scientific calculators cannot be used.