Mocks and exams: boosting calculator skills and confidence

Mock exams often reveal gaps that might not be obvious in everyday lessons, especially around how confidently students use their calculators under pressure.

This mock season could also be slightly different for your pupils. For the first time, some of them will be heading into assessments with the fx-CG100 in hand.

Our new graphic calculator can support efficient working, clearer checking and better understanding – but only if students know how to use it.

In this blog, we:

• Recap the core calculator skills and exam-friendly techniques worth reinforcing with your classes ahead of mocks
• Highlight what students should know about using the fx-CG100 in exams
• Signpost some Casio resources available to support you and your students

Core calculator skills to revisit before mocks

Mock exams can highlight how effectively students are able to use their calculators when time is tight. A short refresher on a few core skills could help remove friction and reduce avoidable errors.

One useful habit to reinforce is checking calculator setup basics. Confirming the angle unit, as denoted by the on-screen indicator, and knowing how to change settings quickly can prevent minor issues from having big consequences.

It’s also worth revisiting how students with graphic calculators can use graphs to support their thinking. Drawing a function to check behaviour, using intersections to confirm solutions or tracing along a curve to link algebra and coordinates can all help when it comes to sense-checking work and spotting mistakes.

Another issue that can trip students up is re-entering long expressions. They should be aware that functionality such as the f(x) key on ClassWiz scientific calculators and the fx-CG100’s onboard memory lets them save and reuse functions and values, rather than repeatedly inputting them manually. This can make a big time-saving difference and reduce the risk of input errors.

Finally, encourage your classes to check calculator outputs carefully. Expanding listed values before rounding, confirming whether answers should be exact or decimal and making sure solutions sit within the required range are all small steps that matter under exam conditions.

Key functions to support efficient exam working

Once the fundamentals are in place, it could be beneficial to review calculator functions that consistently prove useful in exam conditions, particularly for checking work or navigating longer questions.

Equation-solving tools are a good place to start. The Equation app and SolveN function available on our graphic calculators can confirm solutions students have already found algebraically, or show where multiple answers exist.

This is especially helpful in questions involving higher-order polynomials or trigonometric equations, where missing a second solution could cost marks. Reminding students that these tools are most effective for checking and building on algebraic work – rather than replacing written methods – will help ensure they’re used appropriately.

Tables of values offer another quick way to support checking. Switching to a table after graphing a function, for example, means students can confirm numerical details without re-entering the algebra, helping them spot inconsistencies or confirm trends.

Finally, for statistics-heavy papers, dedicated statistics and distribution functions on their calculator can come in handy when students need to understand and interpret results.

Using the fx-CG100’s Distribution app to visualise a distribution alongside numerical outputs could reinforce understanding and reduce mistakes when working with probabilities, hypothesis tests or summary statistics.

If they’re familiar with their calculator and can use it proficiently, students can apply these functions to work quicker, check their reasoning and approach exam questions with more confidence.

First exams with the fx-CG100: what students should know

For some of your students, the coming mock and exam season will be their first experience of taking the fx-CG100 into an assessment. They don’t necessarily need to know everything the calculator can do, but it’s worth making sure they’re comfortable with the features that matter most under exam conditions.

Exam Mode: now simpler and more intuitive

One practical point to reinforce with your students ahead of mocks is how to activate UK Exam Mode on the fx-CG100.

In the past, students sometimes found this a tricky process, especially under exam-day pressure. On the fx-CG100, UK Exam Mode has its own dedicated app on the home screen, making it much quicker and more intuitive to access.

Encouraging students to practise turning on Exam Mode in advance helps remove uncertainty on the day itself and allows them to focus on the exam, rather than navigating settings.

Working more efficiently in Graph&Table

The fx-CG100’s combined Graph&Table app allows students to input algebraic functions, draw the resulting graph and view the corresponding table of values, all within the same workspace.

In exams, this can help them move more smoothly between representations without switching apps or re-entering data. That can save time and support clearer checking, particularly in multi-stage questions.

Easier navigation with tab keys and shortcuts

Small workflow efficiencies can make a big difference under pressure.

The fx-CG100 features new left and right tab keys that allow students to switch quickly between graphs, tables, functions and other representations of their data.

Number key shortcuts are also available in menus, making it quick and easy for students to access the operations and functionality they need without constant scrolling.

Supporting you and your students at exam time

If you’re looking for additional support during mock season and beyond, we offer a range of resources designed to help both teachers and students build confidence with their calculators ahead of exams.

For those still getting up to speed with the fx-CG100, there are free introductory training webinars specifically for teachers, which highlight core features you might want to reinforce with students before exams.

In our resources centre, you’ll also find how-to videos covering everything from solving equations to calculating probabilities, as well as downloadable worksheets, revision materials and more.