<p>I can't really get the T1-89 at a cost of £135 here. Are there any other models which would be feasible and have the same features to get through the math section smoothly?</p>
<p>Scientific calculator should be enough for the SAT math section if your pressed for money.</p>
<p>You can get an 800 with a regular, non-scientific calculator if you have a strong math foundation. Meaning: a graphing calculator for SAT I math is definitely overkill, unless you just really want to do it with one, in which case I’d recommend a TI-83/4.</p>
<p>My son who took the SAT in his junior year obtained a 720 in the math section using a TI 83+ and he thought the graphing feature was useful in doing some problems faster. Besides TI, I think HP makes graphing calculators but are almost certain to be more expensive than comparable TI models. I know that Casio also makes a graphing calculator that is approved for the SAT but is also fairly expensive. It seems that very powerful scientific calculators can be bought for less than $20 (the Casio fx-115MS is a good example) but when it comes to having a graphing feature, the cheapest models cost several times as much as a good scientific calculator.</p>
<p>I guess the question you have to ask yourself is the possibility of getting one or two more problems correct on the Math SAT worth the cost of a graphing calculator?</p>
<p>^A graphing calculator is not going to be an empty investment if you plan on taking a math class above Algebra 2.</p>
<p>Another thing about calculators and the SATs is that buying a very advanced and complicated one the day before the test is a recipe for disaster. Probably the most important thing about the calculator you use for the SAT is how skilled and experienced you are in using it. The middle of the test is no time to try to figure out what keys you have to push to perform a certain operation. While my son can do amazing things with the TI83+, it would be useless to me since I have no idea how to operate it. My first calculator was a TI SR-10, which you can see an example of on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. I do have a graphing calculator, an HP 48G which I purchased over 15 years ago. I am sure that compared to a TI 89 its capabilities are very rudimentary but I have used it for many years and am very familiar with it. On a timed test where every second counts I am sure I would be much better off with my “obsolete” HP48G than with a cutting edge TI89 which I would have no idea how to operate.</p>
<p>Also, as Billabongboy said, you will get a lot of use out of a graphing calculator if you plan to take more advanced math and science courses. My older son who is a college sophomore majoring in Geology was required to have one for his Calculus courses.</p>
<p>I have actually read somewhere that TI makes the most expensive (more than HP and Casio) graphing calculators (since it is the most famous brand), though I could be wrong.</p>
<p>To get you through the SAT I Math section, a TI-83 or 84 would suffice. Personally, I love the TI-89 (mostly for its CAS), especially for the SAT II Math II test as well as higher math, but if you just need something for the SAT and anything under Calculus II, an 83 or 84 would be OK. You can also look into some HP and Casio calculators if you can’t afford a TI; they do the same things as a TI, but they’re just not as popular.</p>