Different calculator for a level?

[stringmealong]

DD has randomly announced that if she does A level maths next year the normal scientific calculator used for GCSE's would not be scientific enough? But she does not know what 'extras' are needed. Any experience?

Our school usually sends an email sayong which is the preferred A level one. Last year they did it and said it was currently on offer in WH Smiths which was helpful
.

Perhaps email the head of maths

You can get some very fancy calculators these days, I would expect her to need a new one for A level and would expect the school/college to recommend one that is both 'up to the job' and 'legal' for exams.

Investing in a calculator is a good move I think.
I still use my Casio fx-80 from 1979

This is the one DS's school recommended last year for those taking Pre-U or A level Maths and FM.

Casio fx-991EX “Classwiz” calculator.

Dd has the casio classwiz fx-991ex too

She’ll need the Casio Classwiz. The new A-level requires a calculator that has built in probability tables, and as far as I’m aware that’s the only non-graphical calc currently up to the job.

My DS has been told that his GCSE calculator is perfectly fine? He says he gets the probability tables in the formula book for Edexcel...

My DC needed a special one for A level, iirc it was about £60

No jr they have removed the probability tables from the formula book for the new A-level. Your DS needs a Classwiz.

I see there is a reason - thank you all so much! I couldn't think of any reason she would need anything more than DH used at university 20+ years ago, but if there is a proper reason I await schools email telling us which one to get

Dd1 was told she needed a new one. They then had a special offer from Casio to swap their current calculator for a new one which was eye wateringly expensive.
She was looking at that offer with the scepticism of "anything that looks too good to be true probably is too good to be true" but decided to try it and has been delighted. Only thing is the new one seems to eat batteries.

Classwiz currently reduced to £15 on Amazon which is a total bargain. Or £24 for solar powered.

Prob tables are still in the formula booklet. You need them to do inverse Binomial Distribution. In theory, the old Casio fx can be used for AS Level Maths as you still can calculate Binomial Distribution from 1st principle. However, in practice, it takes too long and easy to make mistake.
Also if they carry to 2nd year they will definitely need it for Normal distribution.

There aren’t any tables in the A-level maths booklet? There are some in the Further maths booklet, but for A-level the old Binomial cumulative distribution tables are gone.
I suppose they could fudge it with a function but far easier to just buy the calc with the button! (I love my Classwiz, it’s so shiny).

For Edexcel, there are some tables. I think it is only used to inverse Binomial Distribution to find n or p. Poisson tables are in there too.
Edexcel is in their own little world sometimes. I remember at one point they had suvat equations in their GCSE formula sheet but they weren’t need for GCSE.
I haven’t had time to look at other boards so can’t comment.

That’s interesting, I thought all the exam boards were doing the same stuff now, apparently not!

I would go with the one the school recommends a the calculators can be a hassle to learn how to use and it's much easier if the teacher and classmates are familiar with that model so can help you'll also be sure that it isn't one that is banned from the exam hall. The normal scientific calculator is actually fine for A-level but the more advanced ones have some additional functionality that can save time and help out in some situations when a student is stuck. (It won't make the difference between a C and an A* but could be the difference between one grade and the next if the student was on the boundary).

Other exam boards provide stats tables (which I find quite funny and archaic - like looking up logarithms in tables you won't ever do that outside school).