Which Casio calculator does your class need?

As a new academic year begins, one of the many practical questions you face as a maths teacher is whether your students have the right calculator for the point they’ve reached in their learning.

Here’s a clear guide to the current Casio range and how different models support key stages in secondary education.

The Casio calculator range

Year 7 to GCSE: fx-83GT CW+ and fx-85GT CW+

The fx-83GT CW+ and fx-85GT CW+ cover everything students need for the early years of secondary maths through to GCSE, including fractions, decimal and percentage calculations, ratio work, and building tables of values from functions.

Thanks to the recent ClassWiz+ upgrade, the FORMAT key now handles standard-to-decimal conversions in a single press. The same update also gave rise to the SHIFT + CATALOG navigation option – allowing quick access to all functionality available on the handset – and time-saving shortcuts across every menu.

A simple example of how these calculators can support early secondary maths: when introducing squared numbers and square roots, students can define f(x) as x² using the FUNCTION key, then use the Table app to generate a set of squared values instantly. This can help them spot patterns without getting bogged down in repeated manual calculations.

Casio training instructor and former teacher Simon May points out why starting early matters: “The sooner students get hold of a calculator, the more effective a tool it becomes for them. They build familiarity with where to look and what it can help them with, and that pays off for years.”

Higher-tier GCSE and A-level: fx-991CW+ UK

The ultimate scientific calculator for the UK curriculum, the fx-991CW+ UK now includes greatest common divisor, least common multiple and recurring decimals, meaning it offers all functionality available on entry-level models.

What sets it apart for higher-tier GCSE and A-level students specifically is its more advanced features – namely equation solving, matrix arithmetic, complex numbers and derivatives, none of which are available on the fx-83/85GT CW+.

Simon notes: “If a student wants to solve a quadratic, the fx-991CW+ UK can substitute into the quadratic formula, or use the dedicated polynomial solver in the Equation app and represent the answer as a surd. It’s not just checking an answer, it’s supporting the algebraic working itself.”

That’s exactly why it suits higher-tier GCSE and the step into A-level: students get the scientific calculator they already know, with the extra depth that advanced topics demand.

In practice, this shows up in apps like Distribution, which lets students calculate binomial, normal and Poisson probabilities directly on their handset, rather than relying on printed tables.

A-level: fx-CG100

For students who want to investigate concepts graphically and explore more functionality beyond what’s available on the fx-991CW+ UK, the fx-CG100 is Casio’s most advanced graphic calculator.

A few features worth knowing:

• The Graph&Table app: Lets students define a function, view its graph and generate a table of values all in one place, switching between them with a single key press. This makes it easy to show how changing a parameter affects a curve in real time, reinforcing the link between algebraic and graphical representations.
• The Distribution app: Allows students to explore Binomial, Normal, Poisson and other distributions visually before committing to a calculation, which can help those who need a visual starting point to grasp abstract statistics topics.
• SolveN: Presents multiple solutions to an equation as exact values, whether that’s surds, fractions or in terms of π, rather than a single decimal estimate from one starting point.

Simon sums up why this matters at A-level: “A big part of A-level maths is asking ‘what if’ questions. ‘What if I change a coefficient in the quadratic?’ Students can see the effect immediately when they graph it, and that helps tie everything together.”

Switching to a graphic calculator

Some students, particularly those already well into their A-level courses, will still be using the fx-CG50, which remains a highly capable graphic calculator. While still available to buy, this handset has been discontinued and is no longer being manufactured.

James Davis, Head of KS5 Further Mathematics at Newstead Wood School, has suggested that students already using the fx-CG50 and feeling comfortable with it as they go into their final year are probably better off sticking with it, rather than switching handsets partway through.

For students starting fresh this year, though, the fx-CG100 is the natural choice. It has everything the fx-CG50 could do, plus new additions like the Numeric Inequality app and a far simpler way to activate Exam Mode.

It’s also built to sit comfortably within the wider ClassWiz+ range, so the step up from a scientific calculator feels like an extension of what students already know, not a different device to learn from scratch.

As Vicky Moore, Year 11 Raising Standards Lead at Brakenhale School, put it: “The fx-CG100 has a similar interface to the scientific calculator, so it allows students to adapt from GCSE to A-level quite seamlessly.”

Getting set up for the year ahead

Whichever model your students are using, you can rest assured that all Casio handsets are permitted in UK exam papers that allow calculator use.

For more support throughout the year, the Casio Education Resource Centre is full of practical, classroom-ready materials, from how-to videos to lesson ideas, to help you and your students get to grips with your calculators and gain maximum value from them.