Thoughts from Bicen Maths on the new fx-CG100

As the fx-CG100 – our newest and most advanced graphic calculator approved for UK exams – is released into the world, we’re seeking feedback on the device from as many maths and education experts as possible.

One such person is Seb Bicen, a maths teacher and YouTuber whose Bicen Maths channel has more than 76,000 subscribers and 19 million views.

You can find out exactly what Seb thinks of the fx-CG100 in this blog.

First impressions

The first thing anyone will notice about the handset is its aesthetic design, and Seb told us he was impressed by how sleek and sophisticated it looks.

He also noted how sturdy and durable it feels – particularly the screen. This could be a big plus for many students, particularly those with a habit of throwing their calculator into their bag at the end of a lesson or dropping it on the floor!

When he powered up the fx-CG100 and started using it, Seb was struck by the clarity of the display and the clean, easily accessible layout of the home screen.

As far as operation of the calculator is concerned, one of the first things you might notice if you’ve previously used the fx-CG50 is that the fx-CG100 doesn’t have F1-F6 keys.

Instead, it has features including left and right Tab keys and the Catalog and Tools menus, which are designed with intuitive exploration in mind.

Seb told us it took him next to no time to get to grips with these methods of operating the fx-CG100.

“I very quickly got used to how the Tab keys worked and it just felt really intuitive to use those to advance to the next stage of whatever calculation or operation I was doing,” he said.

Intuitive user experience

Intuitive navigation has been an overriding theme of our recent revamp of the ClassWiz range – from the upgrades to our scientific calculators to the design and ideology behind the fx-CG100.

Central to this is the Catalog key, which is a single point of access to all available functions and commands.

“Catalog, as well as feeling familiar for many students, just seems to make sense because it brings everything together in one place,” Seb said.

“Having previously used the fx-CG50, I found it so much easier to find what I was looking for on the fx-CG100. And as soon as I found it, I thought, ‘Of course it’s there – that’s the most logical place for it to be’.”

Seb also commented on the highly appealing ‘pick up and play’ nature of the calculator, which is a characteristic that all users should be able to benefit from.

Students who are naturally comfortable with technology and curious about a new bit of kit can jump straight into playing with it and exploring the menu structure, like they would with any other device.

Teachers, meanwhile, who may be less inclined to adopt new technologies and more concerned about the time involved, should appreciate the fact that the fx-CG100 has been designed to support logical, common-sense navigation.

The home screen, for example, has been arranged so the apps we know people use the most – such as Calculate, Equation, Distribution and Statistics – appear at the top.

Seb said: “The fx-CG100 strikes a really nice balance between that easily accessible, ‘pick up and play’ idea, and the high performance and sophistication of an advanced graphic calculator.”

New features and functionality

The fx-CG100 comes with some unique and exciting features that aren’t available on the fx-CG50 or on any other ClassWiz calculators.

One particular aspect that Seb was keen to highlight was the new method of activating UK Exam Mode. This is a somewhat long-winded process on the fx-CG50, but it’s much easier on our new calculator thanks to a dedicated app on the home screen.

We’ve produced a short video guide to entering UK Exam Mode on the fx-CG100.

“I’ve been in exam halls so many times and seen students struggling to get into Exam Mode on the fx-CG50,” Seb told us.

“On the fx-CG100, it’s very easy to activate and it’s one less thing to feel anxious about on the day of the exams.”

Seb also highlighted the new Numeric Inequality mode, saying he was “really pleased” to see there is now a dedicated app for solving inequalities on the calculator, something that had been missing on the fx-CG50, but was present on the ClassWiz.

Making the transition

When it comes to making the transition to the fx-CG100 – either from a scientific calculator or another graphing handset – Seb was confident that the majority of teachers and students should find this smooth and simple.

He highlighted his own experience as a case in point. Having previously used the same graphic calculator for many years, he’s now finding that his first instinct when he needs to perform a complex task or calculation is to pick up the fx-CG100, ahead of the older device that he’s more familiar with.

Seb also discussed how students frequently ask him whether they should buy a graphic calculator for their A-level maths exams – sometimes just a few weeks ahead of examination day.

In the past, he would have hesitated to say yes, given the time required to get comfortable with using the device. Now, with the arrival of the fx-CG100, he would feel much more confident in encouraging students to buy one, as long as they still have some time to explore it before their exams.

“I would happily tell a student: ‘Get the graphic calculator, play around with it, try out tools like Distribution mode, and within a couple of days you’ll be up to speed with how it works’,” he said.

As for teachers, Seb reiterated that you don’t need to be a technology expert to pick up and use the fx-CG100.

As long as you’re confident in the maths you’re teaching, using the calculator should follow on naturally, especially when you can hand it over to a class of enthusiastic students and let them do the exploration for you.

If you’re interested in taking a closer look at our newest calculator, head to the fx-CG100 homepage, where you’ll find video guides, links to webinars, FAQs and more.