Back to school: finding the right Casio calculator for your students

As a new school year begins, teachers all over the country will be preoccupied with the many challenges September brings and making the smoothest possible start to the term.

For many maths teachers, that will involve questions about calculators. In this blog, we take a look at the full range of Casio calculators – from entry-level scientific to advanced graphic – and how they can aid teaching and learning at different key stages.

Getting started in KS3: fx-83GT CW and fx-85GT CW

All of the functionality required to cover essential curriculum requirements during Key Stage 3 can be found on the fx-83GT CW and fx-85GT CW, our entry-level scientific calculators.

If you’re looking to settle in a new class with some simple investigations of squared numbers and square roots, for example, these handsets offer different ways to do that.

You could simply enter a number followed by the Square key, or you could use the f(x) (Function) key and Table mode to display a range of values. After defining f(x) as x², open Table on your handset or emulator and enter any values in the x column, to see the squared results in the f(x) column.

Students with their own handsets can do the same thing and start to investigate what happens when they throw all sorts of different values into the x column.

The fx-83GT CW and fx-85GT CW models – which are identical in functionality – offer many more tools that can serve students well throughout KS3 and all the way up to their GCSE maths exams, including:

• Sin, Cos and Tan keys (and their inverses), to help with early exploration of trigonometric ratios and functions
• Statistics mode, where you can enter data and frequency tables, and perform calculations including mean, median and standard deviation
• Math Box, a dedicated app for probability simulations, number line inequalities and examination of angles and trigonometric values

Bridging GCSE and A-level: fx-991CW

The more extensive functionality and benefits of the fx-991CW, our most advanced scientific calculator, are most relevant to higher-tier GCSE students who are laying the groundwork for A-level maths.

A good example of what sets this handset apart from the entry-level ClassWiz models is its ability to solve equations, including simultaneous equations and polynomials. The Solver tool, found in the Equation app, uses Newton’s method to approximate the solutions to equations.

Simon May, our Principal Technology Trainer, pointed out that this functionality is useful for much more than checking answers, because it can aid students’ deeper learning and understanding of algebra.

“If a student wanted to solve a quadratic, for example, the fx-991CW enables substitution into the quadratic formula,” he said. “If possible, it will represent the answer as a surd, so it’s supporting their algebraic working and understanding.”

Equation is one of several apps on the fx-991CW that illustrate how the calculator can help to bridge the gap between GCSE maths and the more complex challenges of A-level.

Here are some other examples:

• Distribution: Lets you perform calculations with binomial, normal, inverse normal and Poisson probability distributions.
• Spreadsheet: Supports calculations in a 45-row × 5-column spreadsheet, helping students prepare for the A-level requirement to enter formulae into cells and do evaluations.
• Complex: A dedicated app for complex number calculations that allows input of either rectangular or polar coordinates.

New dimensions at A-level: fx-CG100

September 2025 marks the start of the first full school year in which the fx-CG100, our most advanced graphic calculator, will be available to schools, teachers and students.

When it comes to the dual challenge of getting your year 12 students back into the school mindset and starting the A-level maths curriculum, you might choose to start by refreshing what they should already know from GCSE.

A graphic calculator can help to add a new dimension to this stage of students’ learning, by opening up multiple ways to solve quadratic equations, for example.

Just like on the fx-991CW, they can go into Equation mode and find solutions to quadratics using the Solver tool. However, the fx-CG100 also has unique features that offer clear advantages over scientific calculators.

SolveN, for example, can present multiple solutions to equations as exact values, while Graph and Table mode lets you graph and analyse a range of functions.

“A big part of A-level maths is asking ‘what if’ questions,” Simon noted. “What if I change one of the coefficients in the quadratic? What effect does that have on the curve, and therefore the roots, and therefore the factorised version of it?

“Students can see all this very clearly when they start to graph functions. It gives them a different way of approaching problems and can really help to tie everything together.”

The case for upgrading

Since the fx-991CW provides the core functionality students need to navigate the A-level maths curriculum, you might have some questions about the need to upgrade to the fx-CG100.

Here are some of the key features that differentiate our newest calculator from the ClassWiz scientific range:

• Graph and Table: Offers the ability to input functions, draw and analyse graphs, and display tables of values all in one app.
• Distribution: Expands on the fx-991CW app withoptions to plot, graph and evaluate a wider range of discrete and continuous probability distributions.
• Recursion: Creates numeric tables and draws graphs from two-term or three-term recursion formulae of sequences.

It’s also worth noting that the fx-CG100’s key layout, user interface and menu structure are consistent with the ClassWiz scientific range, enabling an easier transition to graphing technology for students as they start A-level.

We’ll be hosting a series of webinars in September and October focusing on the fx-CG100’s functionality and the most compelling reasons to use a graphic calculator.

You can get the details of these events and sign up here.