Help please - A level maths calculator

[Jenry]

DC is away at school for 6th form and just started maths A level, they've asked me if i can order them an A level maths calculator!

google is not helping as so many options - can anyone please share one that would suffice?

thank you!

Ask the school. Most schools will recommend a particular one so that everyone has the same calculator so they can all be taught how to use the required functions easily.
Each school will be different though.

Has he not been recommended what to get? As an aside how did he think he was going to do a level maths without a calculator?!

Like PP have said ask the school, but I got through A levels and university with the same scientific calculator I had for GCSEs so not sure what else would be needed for A level maths?
Maybe just a specific brand so they're all doing the same thing on their calculators?

Ds’s school sell a calculator for A level maths at a discounted rate. I’d check with them first.

Our school buy them at a discount and sell them to the students. They have not done this yet though so maybe your YP is just jumping the gun.
Check with school first as it's important they get the right one

DS1 was recommended a different calculator for A-level from the one he had for GCSE, and he's studying Maths, Further Maths and Physics - and applying to
university to study it at degree level.

Email school, preferably DC's maths teacher/the head of Maths (or both).

I also recommend asking whether they have any scheme selling recommended calculators or other equipment/books at a discount. I did that and got a CASIO Classwiz fx-991 CW (description on school shop page: Calculator with functionality required for A Level and Core Maths. Can also be purchased by KS4 (GCSE) students who are considering further mathematical study) for under £21 (RRP is about £36). Casio makes a lot of scientific calculators and they offer a student discount of 20% but obviously the discount I got through school last year was better.

not sure what else would be needed for A level maths?

The OCR guidance points out that they need statistical functions at A-Level.

There is guidance published by the Joint Council for Qualifications, but it's not easy to comprehend. The trouble is that they're not allowed to recommend or exclude specific models because of competition law (every business has the right to try to sell you something that's not what you need or want). The school will give clearer advice.

There's a useful blog on the OCR web site. The similar link for AQA takes you to a blank page.

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/FAQs-%25E2%2580%2593-Using-CalculatorsFINAL.pdf

@NobleGiraffe (or anyone else who teaches Maths A level, it's just yours is the username I remember!), do you have any suggestions?

My son was told to get this

Casio FX-991CW Advanced Scientific Calculator (UK Version)

We bought it from Amazon

Sorry, super long link but as a PP said, this is the usual A-level one. (You can't use the same as GCSE, you need extra stats functions).

Be careful, there was a really good old Casio classwiz with white and silver buttons that got discontinued and it was much nicer than the one below, so you can now buy cheap knock-offs of it online BUT they should be avoided as they are dodgy and actually give the wrong answers to questions.

Double check with your DS as to whether his school needs a graphical calculator though. It's not required, but some schools prefer their classes to have one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-FX-991CW-Advanced-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B0BVVZYNQH/ref=sr_1_3?crid=KTGI7VDVX4LP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AoeiCJR-Hj-VREoyuyuILPrv_zXa_x-F2nvZjU2pfV5GqVa7UZ882aPbZg68Cu3wRKjL34XnJwokpS5IDN2u3beUUyEdvaX2irLPf2UGWnYOpK4OrmP2K2Tw3AOiH_bLaqsa0aDx8yoos4zE30tTnWYLnX6_69RSEnAJ-BD25u2ZRoZqMvYYteNFtkhjlhylYW3sGVWJLrJqUDM_hHLubaWdrLXN_9SbWcAEDtkMFYQ.u0hqkxGoj0KO-epJ-lZUEHjcy4Kc9fOQEWbs_df3koU&dib_tag=se&keywords=casio+classwiz+calculator&qid=1726777874&sprefix=Casio+clas%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-3&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS%3AUK_IHI_3M_AUTOMATED

Thanks, this is really helpful. He has a calculator- just a gcse one!
he said he would ask his teacher if it should be a particular one

My DS is doing A Level Maths and I have just ordered the R199 FX-CG50 graphical calculator from school at £70