<p>I have never used one in my life before. I know that you can get a 800 without a graphing calculator but I am not very good at maths. And although all problems can be solved without one, it certainly helps with the time (from what I’ve read on CC).</p>
<p>I haven’t bought one yet. If I get one tomorrow, I’ll have 2 weeks to get familiar with it. Is it enough?</p>
<p>go over the functions of the calculator with the manual. once you’ve perused that then practice math sat problems with the graphing calculator. the more you use the calculator the more comfortable and confident you’ll feel. </p>
<p>You didn’t answer my question. Is two weeks (Now 11 days left) enough to get familiar with a graphing calculator?</p>
<p>Oh and my summer vacations are going on. So I have full days.</p>
<p>Another question: Can you list the types of question which a graphing calculator can solve? What are the things that a graphing calculator can do but a scientific calculator CANNOT do?</p>
<p>I am very slow at quadratic equations, so I think getting one will definetly help.</p>
<p>Two weeks should be enough.</p>
<p>As for your question, it somewhat depends on the graphing calculator. I have a TI-NSpire (not CAS), and I’ve used it to do things like:</p>
<p>*numerically solve equations in one variable (I’m 99% sure it uses Newton’s or another approximation method, so it likely won’t return all n solutions to an nth degree polynomial)</p>
<p><em>define functions (for example, f(a,b,c):= (-b + sqrt(b^2 - 4</em>a<em>c))/2</em>a, g(a,b,c):= (-b - sqrt(b^2 - 4<em>a</em>c))/2*a returns the roots of a quadratic equation ax^2 + bx + c).</p>
<p>*evaluate permutations, combinations, etc.</p>
<p>If you have a CAS calculator, then it can do additional things like solving for an equation algebraically, or computing the derivative of a function (the non-CAS only does derivatives at a point).</p>
<p>I rarely used the graphing calculator on the SAT, and only used it to check work. But it definitely helps to be familiar with the functions on it. Best is to just play around with the menus or look at a manual.</p>
<p>@MITer94 Thank you so much for your elaborate reply. The shop near me has TI-84 Silver Edition, if I buy inspire CAS then I’ll have to order it online and wait for it to arrive. The shop also has Casio FX991ES Plus Scientific Calculator. </p>
<p>The scientific calculator can do these things that I think may help in the SAT:
<p>Do you think that given all these functions in the Casio scientific calculator, I should still opt for a graphing one? If yes then which one: Casio graphing calculator or Texas’s TI-84 or TI- Inspire series?</p>
<p>I’m going to take the other side here: with two weeks to go, I would not introduce the distraction of learning a new calculator unless you do not currently own any calculator that you are comfortable with. Yes, there are occasional problems where graphing would provide one path to a solution. And CAS is useful occasionally. But two weeks is not enough time to get to a level of automatic comfort. The calculator could just as easily become a distraction.</p>
<p>Also, the time you were going to spend learning how to use it would still be better spent doing the gold-standard test prep activities: taking blue book tests, and then reviewing those tests like a maniac until you can explain every problem you missed. Time spent doing this will have a greater rate-of-return than time spent learning how to use a new calculator. And, BTW, you won’t have to solve quadratic equations on the SAT.</p>
<p>I agree with @pckeller. I decided to get a graphing calculator when I wanted to go back and re-study pre-calc (in preparation for retaking calc, which I passed 30 years ago… but I want to take some physics classes requiring calc now, and don’t remember a thing…). Anyway, I bought a TI-84 Silver, and it took a really long time (lots more than 2 weeks) to get really familiar with it. I work in IT, too, so am not slow on the uptake with new technology. I’d suggest you stick with the calculator you normally use at this point.</p>
<p>@intparent @pckeller You made a very good point. Time spent on practicing > time spent learning the new calculator.</p>
<p>Right now I have a 4 function calculator. </p>
<p>Is scientific calculator easier/faster to learn than a graphing one? Or should I forget about scientific calculator too and just carry my old 4 function calculator to the test?</p>
<p>Btw, I remember a question from the blue book which required one possible value of x from a quadratic equation in a grid in question.</p>
<p>@ssgupta 2 weeks will be more than enough. I recently bought ti-84 plus and learned all of the functions required for Sat Maths 2 in just 2 days. And I had never ever used any graphing calculator before. </p>
<p>Wow, I am super confused right now. 
2 replies saying yes and 2 saying no. Now 11 days are left. </p>
<p>You could buy it and spend a couple of days working with it. If you aren’t comfortable, go back to your old method. I found that it took me longer to do problems with the new calculator for a while. I spent more time looking up the functions and steps than it would take to do the problem by hand. These calculators are really computers, and they have a lot of robust programming. But there is also a learning curve.</p>
<p>if you are going to take more advanced math over time you will probably want the graphing calculator anyway. So you could buy in and then decide whether to use it for the SAT.</p>
<p>@intparent I’ll be majoring in CS. I don’t think it will require graphing calculator.I plan on taking math 2 subject test but have not decided for sure yet. So I really don’t know if I’ll use the expensive graphing calculator again.</p>
<p>@ssgupta remember none of the math questions on the SAT math require a calculator, and it may be useful on Math II (I only used it to construct a linear regression, which I probably didn’t need to do). For your quadratic equation grid-in, I’ll be 95% certain that one of the roots is rational.</p>
<p>Also I’m majoring in math w/ CS, and I haven’t used a graphing calculator in college except for a general ed class (chemistry).</p>