silver Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 I'm trying to figure out if a TI-84 is required, or if we could get a cheaper Casio graphing calculator or even a TI-83. Does anyone know what statistics your calculator needs to be able to do for this course? What sort of tests and functions and data functionality does it need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 Here's the list of calculators for this year. We got a ti-84 on Facebook, but I wouldn't say DD is using all its capabilities. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/exam-policies-guidelines/calculator-policies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 A normal scientific calculator which typically has stats functions is all that is needed. Basically a calculator that cost less than $20 and would be a good backup calculator for college. My kids used a solar power Casio scientific calculator for AP Stats. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 1 hour ago, Arcadia said: A normal scientific calculator which typically has stats functions is all that is needed. Basically a calculator that cost less than $20 and would be a good backup calculator for college. My kids used a solar power Casio scientific calculator for AP Stats. I was looking around online and some AP Stats calculator function tutorials did work with t-tests and chi-squared tests. Our TI-36X doesn't have that functionality. The TI webpage does list it as appropriate for a statistics class (not the AP class specifically). Did your kids not need the t-test and chi-squared test functions in AP Statistics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 17 minutes ago, silver said: Did your kids not need the t-test and chi-squared test functions in AP Statistics? I don't remember needing those but I am old school and can just calculate since the formula is provided in the exam. My kids are used to learning to do everything using a scientific calculator in case their TI84 battery is flat. The only exam that "need" a graphing calculator was the AP Calculus exam because there is usually a question or two that requires that and my kids wanted that 5 so every point feels important to them. Take a look at the 2023 FRQ and sample answers https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-statistics/exam/past-exam-questions 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Likaly Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 I bought this one, I wanted to save some money before, but he could not do the necessary stuff for AP stat with the calculator for $40-60. Now, it's much easier, he says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 On 4/16/2024 at 3:52 PM, silver said: I'm trying to figure out if a TI-84 is required, or if we could get a cheaper Casio graphing calculator or even a TI-83. Does anyone know what statistics your calculator needs to be able to do for this course? What sort of tests and functions and data functionality does it need? Several people have posted the link to the list of acceptable calculators. Here is my summary of calculators: TI-84 is not the only game in town for AP Stats (and other AP’s). It is popular because they make deals with publishers to put the directions for using their calculators in the textbooks. They use a rechargeable battery that charges via USB cable plugged into your computer. A Casio graphing calculator is perfectly fine for AP Stats, and is often cheaper. They are also faster, computationally, and for graphing in particular. Most models use regular replaceable batteries (AAA or AA depending on the model). My favorite calculator for AP Stats (and it is also allowed for AP Calc) is NumWorks. It has the smallest learning curve of all of them— most students need almost no instruction on how to use it once they get the basic idea of how it is set up (it essentially has apps, just like a smart phone). What I like as an instructor is that the calculator gets out of the way and becomes a nice learning tool for the material, because of the way it’s been thoughtfully designed— in many cases by people who have taken the courses. It organizes and displays information thoughtfully and usefully. The battery system is a rechargeable with a USB cord. It also has a free online emulator that will work on computer, tablet, or smart phone— while these are not allowed on the AP exam itself, it comes in handy if you need to do something and find you left the calculator somewhere else. For many students, the best calculator for AP stats is whatever calculator from the list that they already own! In my class, I welcome students to use what they like from the approved list; there is no need to drop yet another $100–$150 for a new calculator. Jen Driscoll AP Stats/PA Homeschoolers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 On 4/17/2024 at 1:16 PM, silver said: I was looking around online and some AP Stats calculator function tutorials did work with t-tests and chi-squared tests. Our TI-36X doesn't have that functionality. The TI webpage does list it as appropriate for a statistics class (not the AP class specifically). Did your kids not need the t-test and chi-squared test functions in AP Statistics? Yes, they should have t, z, and chi-square functions, invt and invNorm, log and ln, and confidence intervals, as well as linear regression. Graphing is nice to have and occasionally helpful, but not a dealbreaker. If they are going to take AP Calc later, picking one from the list that has an asterisk by it will ensure it is useable in AP Calc as well. Colleges will vary on calculator use and policy, so there is no one “correct” answer for whether it’s useful in college. My younger son was in a math course where he was told he had to get a TI-84, but before heading off to spend yet another $100, he went to the professor to ask for an explanation, and it turned out his Casio was perfectly acceptable, so he saved a pile of money there! As noted in my other response, my favorite is becoming the NumWorks calculator, but for the most part, as long as it meets requirements, the calculator a student already owns is probably the best one. It’s nice to have one that is familiar so “learning calculator” doesn’t take up time instead of learning the material. Jen Driscoll AP Statistics/PA Homeschoolers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malam Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 You can even mod it to have a CAS: https://getomega.dev/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 @silver if you want to get a TI84 so that it can also be used for AP Calculus, wait for back to school/college sales. Walmart and Target would take turns to bring the sale price to about $100 and sometimes $80. Also, a cheap (under $20) scientific calculator that runs on battery and solar is always a good backup to have. My kids had classes at community college that do not allow graphing calculators for exams. They do have scientific calculators for loan on a first come first serve basis. My husband brought home a TI scientific calculator but my boys didn’t like it. They rather share the Casio one. My oldest brought the Casio one with him to college so we’ll get my younger one one too. It is $16.99 at Amazon and Target https://www.amazon.com/Casio-fx-115ESPLS2-Advanced-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B086Z79HXS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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