Hi all.
I will be a junior next year, and that probably means taking the new SAT. (yay)
Should I invest in getting a high-end calculator, like the CAS for the new SAT Math section?
Would it be worth it? Further down the road, I might take the SAT Math 2 subject test as well.
Thanks!
I found a regular graphing calculator to be helpful for the SAT. Beyond that, it was helpful for me while I was doing calc outside of school, and with CAS I could check my answers.
I’ve seen the CAS do great things, although I don’t have one myself; I have a TI-Nspire CX. It’s probably the best one. So yes, you should buy a high-end calculator. It will be really useful in classes like Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics, and even tests like SAT/ACT. It will probably last you throughout high school and into college.
I used a regular TI-NSpire (non-CAS) throughout high school and it served me well.
You won’t need a CAS calculator on the SAT or SAT Math II, although if you can find a CAS calculator for relatively cheap (e.g. not much more than a non-CAS graphing calculator), then perhaps it’s worth it.
CAS on the SAT Math II is very helpful.
I was able to answer 2-3 questions on the test that I probably would’ve left blank if i didn’t have CAS.
Thanks everyone!
I guess I have some saving up to do lol.
Isn’t a CAS calculator now allowed for standardized test?
@annamom to my knowledge, CAS calculators are allowed on the SAT and math subject tests, but not the ACT.
thanks. got it. I only checked ACT, here is for SAT https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/taking-the-test/calculator-policy
I didn’t take the SAT II, but a graphing calculator is completely unnecessary for the SAT I. Since many students can’t afford a graphing calculator (or just don’t have one for other reasons), the SAT math sections are designed to be done without them. Just a regular ol’ scientific calculator is all you need.
^It is not that simple a question.
While it is true that top students can get perfect scores with no calculator at all, that is largely irrelevant. The question here is will this particular individual student benefit from using a calculator with CAS. This requires an individual answer that is based on your own current math skills. To me, it seems that there is a “Goldilocks” range of students for whom the CAS is useful.
If you are really strong in math, then it probably does not matter what calculator you use.
If you are not effortlessly fluent in your algebra, but you are comfortable with technology and willing to take time to learn how to use it, then the CAS offers a real benefit. We are not talking about a complete transformation here – just a handful of questions where you will save time and get an answer with more ease.
On the other hand, if you are really weak in math, it is likely that you struggle to understand and remember algorithms in general. In that case, a complicated calculator just adds another layer of things to learn. You might be better off sticking with the calculator you are already comfortable with and practicing things like trial and error and making up numbers for variables.
One other thing: if you do like math and are interested in technology, there’s another good reason to get one of these: they are just fun toys. As an old guy, I am amazed how much computing power my students now have at their finger tips.
There are quite a few questions and parts of questions on the new SAT that can be solved more easily with CAS than without it. I agree you can’t plug the whole test into the calculator, but there is more CAS-ready math on the new SAT than on the old, for example equations of circles, max/min problems, higher order polynomial functions, and non-linear systems (intersection of parabola and line). There is a little more overlap between Math Level 2 and the regular SAT than there was for the old test.
The TI-Nspire CX CAS operating system is pretty easy to learn. You only need minimal tech skills. There is even an ebook explaining how to use it for the new SAT.
If you want to strengthen math skills, do all questions both with and without the calculator.
For Math Level 2, CAS is a no-brainer. Get it.