Calculator Programs -- Legal or no?

Test Preparation
1

<p>I'm sure a lot of you know exactly which thread I'm talking about. It's just that it's pretty unfair to the maker of the thread to have it filled with alter-arguments.</p>

<p>What I'm wondering is: Where exactly does it say programs are legal to use on the SATs?</p>

<p>I've always assumed (actually, I heard the procedure from a teacher), that technically speaking, proctors/students are supposed to clear all graphing calculator memory before students take the test. Now, I didn't find that in the SAT rules anywhere (then again, I only did a 1 minute search), but I didn't find that you were allowed to use calculator programs anywhere either.</p>

<p>Collegeboard rules:</p>

<pre><code>* Test materials are secured before, during, and after the test so that no one has access to questions before taking the test.
* Timing of each section is strictly scheduled. This means that you cannot skip ahead or go back to a previous section while taking the test.
* Because questions are sometimes reused, no one should see the questions except you, while you are taking the test. Sharing of test questions with others may enable them to attain inappropriately higher scores, thus decreasing the value of your score.
* Cell phones, pagers, PDAs, and other electronic devices, which could be used to send notes, may not be used in the test center.
* Sharing essay questions or multiple-choice questions with anyone for any reason is a violation of test fairness policy. Never give questions to others (including your teachers) or discuss them by any means, including, but not limited to, e-mail, text messages, the Internet, or in any other form of communication. Discussing the essay question (not multiple-choice questions) is permissible after it is available online.
* You may not consult textbooks, other people, electronic devices, or any other resources during breaks.
</code></pre>

<p>As for me, I honestly believe they should be banned. I've taken the math SAT without a calculator and gotten an 800. I've taken it with just a scientific calculator (practice tests, of course) and gotten an 800. For the real test, I had no programs, and I used the basic solve functions on a Ti-89 titanium, and I still got an 800. Perhaps it's not technically wrong, but morally, I think it's comparable to cheating.</p>

<p>Honestly, while I see nothing wrong with storing the formulas they give you, there's a line between punching in numbers and knowing how to do math. Programs are crossing this line -- or at least, have the dire potential to.</p>

2

<p>yea they r allowed...i wouldnt complain (only complain cuz i dont no what programs 2 put in..lol)</p>

3

<p>Yes, Taggart, I understand your point, but there is nothing in the Collegeboard rules that specifically bans programs, nor is there some unwritten law that memory is to be erased prior to testing. I think there is one rule that says you can't do anything that would give you an unfair advantage over others, but that's debatable, since anybody with half a brain can put a program in his calculator.</p>

<p>I know what you mean, that it's ridiculous, since the whole test is completely feasible without a calculator. For some, it can make the difference between college acceptance and rejection, which is unfair, since they didn't deserve to be accepted in the first place (just to keep it clear, I'm not one of these people - I took Math 2c and only touched my calculator on 2 problems to do some multiplication).</p>

<p>About the morals, it's a tough call. As much as programs are technically allowed, I realize that it's not really "right" to do it. Then again, we're here discussing SAT problems right after the test, which is specifically banned by Collegeboard, and it seems like nobody is having an ethical dilemma. Hard to say what's wrong and what's not...</p>

4

<p>Personally, I'd like to see calculators banned from the SAT entirely. The way I see it, there are really only two kinds of things a calculator can do. One kind--like multiplying large numbers--is something that shouldn't be tested on the SAT, since it's just a matter of punching things into a calculator. The other--like solving triangles--is something that students should be able to do on their own, and if they can't, they shouldn't get credit for it. I suppose things like graphing equations don't really fall under either category, but I can't remember any SAT problem for which this has been a critical function. And you should be able to get a rough idea of the shape of a graph just from looking at the equation anyway.</p>

<p>This would require a slightly different style of problems, but it's not that difficult to tailor a test so that it can be taken without a calculator. The AMC writers do it all the time.</p>

5

<p>Haha...the AMCs. I'm still bitter about missing the cutoff by half-a-problem because my idiot proctor told us we weren't allowed calculators at all.</p>

<p>How comprehensive are the calculator programs out?</p>

6

<p>I think it's fine on the SAT and SAT II math. However one of the things mentioned before the ACT is given out is that only "calculator functions" may be used and that "programs such as games..." are not to be run during the test if they are on the calculator.</p>

7

<p>they don't say anything about not using them, and since they allow calculaters like the 89 titanium, they probably don't care.</p>