<p>I see the list of calculators not allowed on the act website. Are loading certain programs also not allowed? I'm a verbal tutor- hence I may not even have worded this correctly. but I sometimes have students ask me about the calculator policy. (Of course I'm inclined to say that if anyone needs programs, they are too slow anyway...)</p>
<p>I use a quadratic formula program that I made; considering that other calculators are likely to have this (legal), I doubt that there’s anything wrong with it. The prohibited calculators are only prohibited because they can access the internet or have a word-bad (according to ACT.org, I’m not entirely sure what this means though). </p>
<p>Likewise, I don’t see why there would be any problems with other programs. Many calculators have built-in programs (mine has circles, ellipses, etc.), so I don’t see an issue with making your own. </p>
<p>Also, if it was illegal to have programs, then wouldn’t they just reset your calculator before the test? (That’s what they do in many colleges.)</p>
<p>Check out what calculators are allowed here: [ACT</a> Test Prep : Tips for Using a Calculator during the ACT Math Test](<a href=“ACT Test Preparation | Test Prep Resources | ACT”>ACT Test Preparation | Test Prep Resources | ACT)</p>
<p>Nancy, glimmer is wondering about programs, not calculators in general…</p>
<p>^ I have a feeling that ACTNancy is from ACT itself.</p>
<p>you don’t need any programs for the ACT. just a basic calculator will be enough.</p>
<p>im pretty sure it is legal. for the sat math 2c, the barrons book had a section about entering the quad formula and such. i’m pretty sure this is also allowed on ACT. no one checks anyways.</p>
<p>Yeah, they’re legal, it’s just that you will probably never use one. I always had the quadratic formulara around, but never actually needed it.</p>
<p>I used a calculator with the following programs:</p>
<p>Quadratic Solver
Distance formula
triangle solver
equation of a line (given slope or 2 points)
root solver
systems solver
trinomial factor
whole number factor
volume formulas
area formulas
surface area formulas
equation of a circle solver
midpoint solver
x + y intercept solver
polygon angle/diagonal solver</p>
<p>you could do all of these by hand, but the calculator just saves time. these were used on a TI84 plus silver. nothing illegal about it</p>
<p>Can you give a step by step process of putting these programs into the calculator? Me and math don’t mix…so anything could help!</p>
<p>The test isn’t designed to measure how good you are at working a calculator. Learn how to do the problems.</p>
<p>^LOL @ khh594. Well said!!!</p>
<p>I’m no math wiz at all, but the 29 I pulled off in that section came as a result of my hard work and studying. Why should someone get a higher score than me, just because even though they don’t get how to do any of the problems I worked my behind off to learn, they know how to program a calculator to basically cheat?</p>
<p>Well said, khh594. My son didn’t use any calculator programs and got a 31 on his first try. But he’s taken some really tough math classes (unlike his Mum!). Keep up the great work!</p>
<p>I completely agree… I am a natural at math and its kind of sad that people are so desperate</p>
<p>I see no problem with using calculator programs. I am not the best math student. i have always had to work harder than everyone else in math. So i fully intend on using programs on a TI-83 plus. If it is such a display of “cheating”, the ACT would not allow anything but a standard calculator. That is not being dishonest, it’s being resourceful, using common sense. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>nobody ever said it was cheating 
keep up the hard work…Just curious did u take the Feb. ACT</p>
<p>Resourceful? It’s being lazy. What about the kids who aren’t good at math that can’t afford a $100 calculator?</p>
<p>Too bad they can’t be as “resourceful” as you.</p>
<p>It’s not that hard to just learn the problems.</p>
<p>I did not find a need to use calculator programs when I took the ACT, but it’s not cheating to use one; I could care less if people do anyway, because there’s not very many questions that require straight-up calculator plug ins. And it probably takes longer to go through a list of programs to execute.</p>
<p>There is nothing inherently wrong in using the calculator programs, especially if you created the program yourself–if you can create the program, you know how to do the problem.</p>
<p>There are some people who know all the mathematical concepts & problem solving, but have a difficult time pushing numbers around. If they can figure out how to use those programs on the calculator to solve the problem, they should be allowed to use them, that’s why it’s not illegal.</p>
<p>Besides, the real world has more need of people who can take proper advantage of the tools available to them so that they can spend their time on the more difficult, creative problems.</p>