ClassWiz+ compared: which model is right for your classroom?

ClassWiz+, our range of scientific calculators, comprises three models: the fx-83GT CW+, fx-85GT CW+ and fx-991CW+ UK. All three share the same fundamental logic, navigation style and user interface, so students and teachers get a consistent experience whichever model is in front of them.

However, there are also some key distinctions across the range, as we explore in this blog.

Universal features

Before getting into what makes each model distinct, it’s worth highlighting some of the most notable tools and functionality available across all three ClassWiz+ calculators.

The FORMAT key performs a standard-to-decimal conversion with a single press, working in the same way as the S↔D key many teachers will be familiar with from older handsets. Pressing SHIFT and FORMAT opens a fuller menu of conversion options, including standard form and sexagesimal.

Shortcuts are also built into the menus throughout, so common operations can be selected with a single number press rather than scrolling to find them. Inputting SHIFT and CATALOG gives instant access to a full list of available functionality, without needing to navigate through menus at all.

These features reflect direct feedback from teachers, and are designed to save time in lessons whether students are working through routine calculations or exploring more complex functions.

fx-83GT CW+: setting strong foundations

The fx-83GT CW+ is the UK’s most popular scientific calculator and – like all Casio handsets – is permitted in every UK exam where a calculator can be used. It’s recommended and approved for use through the key stages of secondary school maths from year 7 to GCSE.

As an entry-level model, it’s built to handle the fundamentals clearly and reliably. Essential arithmetic, trigonometry, logarithms and hyperbolic calculations are all easily accessible among 290 functions in total, including highest common factor (HCF), least common multiple (LCM) and recurring decimals.

All devices in the ClassWiz+ range display expressions in the same layout students will recognise from their textbooks, making it easier to move between working on paper and on the calculator.

For students just starting to build calculator fluency, this consistency matters. Commenting on the value of early exposure to the technology, Casio training instructor and former teacher Simon May said: “The sooner they get hold of a calculator, the more effective a tool it will be for them, because they’ll quickly build familiarity with how to use it.”

The fx-83GT CW+ is available in four colours: night black, clay grey, soft pink and vivid blue.

fx-85GT CW+: reliability + sustainability

The fx-85GT CW+ shares the same core functionality and curriculum coverage as the fx-83GT CW+, with one key distinction: it’s solar powered, with a battery back-up for use in low light, and it’s built with sustainability in mind.

Depending on the model, the handset is made from between 45% and 90% post-consumer recycled materials, using plastics sourced from previously used electronics rather than virgin material. It’s a step that reflects a broader shift towards more environmentally conscious classroom equipment, without any compromise on the reliability Casio calculators are known for.

Teachers have welcomed the move. Connie Naker, Head of Maths at Brakenhale School, described it as “brilliant” to see recycled plastics introduced into a mainstream scientific calculator, adding that Casio “has always been environmentally conscious”, partly thanks to the longevity of our products.

The fx-85GT CW+ is available in four colours, including a sea green model making its debut in the UK: space black, sea green, ice white and sky blue.

fx-991CW+ UK: built for the full span of secondary maths

The fx-991CW+ UK carries the same underlying logic as the rest of the ClassWiz+ range, but offers more advanced capabilities to help tackle the challenges of GCSE Higher and A-level maths, such as equation solving, matrix arithmetic, complex numbers and derivatives.

In practice, this means students can check their working on more demanding topics as they arise, whether that’s solving quadratic or simultaneous equations, manipulating matrices as part of further maths content, or exploring differentiation alongside what they’re covering by hand. Rather than replacing the underlying method, having this functionality available in the same handset used throughout secondary school means students can move onto harder content without a jump to an unfamiliar tool.

This calculator’s functionality has also been extended to include HCF, LCM and recurring decimals. That combination is why we consider it to be the ultimate scientific calculator for the UK maths curriculum: capable enough to support A-level study, while still built around the same fundamentals, navigation style and key layout as the entry-level models in the range.

The fx-991CW+ UK is available in deep black.

Going deeper

For students who want to take their exploration of A-level maths topics further still, a graphic calculator such as the fx-CG100 offers unique advantages when it comes to visualising functions and data. Because the fx-CG100 shares the same broader ClassWiz+ design principles, moving from a scientific to a graphic calculator doesn’t have to mean learning an entirely new way of working.

Whichever model your students are using, you’ll find free materials to help you get the best out of it in the Casio Education Resource Centre.

You can access collections including a dedicated library of ClassWiz+ resources, covering topics ranging from equivalent ratios to calculus.