Can My Graphing Calculator Be Used On Tests?

Are you a student or parent wondering if the expensive graphing calculator you just bought can be used to help you or your child pass tests, the most important reason the calculator was bought in the first place? In a few words: yes and no. The answer to this question really comes down to your instructor, but in many instances, a graphing calculator can be used on tests. So, to figure out if your calculator can be used, just ask your instructor!

What I've found is that for the most part, instructors allow graphing calculators to be used on tests as long as you reset the calculator back to factory settings while they're watching. If you're unsure how to do this, your instructor should be able to walk you through how to do so. It's really fairly simple. Now, while resetting your calculator might sound like an okay exchange when it comes to being able to use it on the test, there are many people who spend a lot of time and effort finding and downloading programs for their calculators, programs ranging from tools to make tedious calculations a lot easier to those that enable you to play simple arcade games. If you are this person, don't forget to backup your calculator settings on your computer. Doing this will make sure that you don't lose all that time and effort you put into getting those programs on your calculator in the first place, as well as make the process of going from factory settings to your preferred settings in minutes after use on a test a lot less of a headache.

If you have any questions about whether you can use your graphing calculator on tests, ask your instructor. I can't stress that enough. When in doubt: ask, and I recommend you do this for every test. Sometimes instructors allow calculators for one test, but disallow it for another because they want you to really internalize the process of figuring out the calculations long-hand of the methods discussed in class. For this question, it really comes down to a simple question before each and every test. Do that and you'll insure you won't be taken by surprise by the fact that when you show up to your next test, you aren't prepared because you thought you could just use your calculator.