Scientific Calculators

recommended calculators | approved calculator lists | calculator ratings | Casio calculator ranges | speed tests | conclusion

Initial listing August 2025.
Last updated September 2025.

The choice of a good scientific calculator in New Zealand involves compromise, which is hard to understand because there are clear choices in other countries. In particular, the most popular of the high end non-graphing scientific calculators sold in this country (fx-991ES) is missing functions that the most popular entry level model (fx-82AU) does have, and relate to topics taught in early secondary school. This is frustrating because it means there is no single scientific calculator model sold in New Zealand which is ideal for the whole of a student's school (and university) life.

Calculator models sold in New Zealand are also typically more expensive than the same models sold overseas, even including shipping to NZ. As of August 2025 the price of calculators in New Zealand has increased significantly in the last year or two – graphing calculators in particular. Some models no longer provide good (or even slightly reasonable) value for money.

Getting the right calculator can make studying a lot easier and more efficient, but involves the hassle of importing it.

Recommended Calculators

With the above comments in mind, here are my recommendations. Links go to expanded information further down this page.

Best scientific calculator for non-exam use

Casio fx-JP900-N

This is a brilliant and very versatile calculator, and is very easy and efficient to use. Also, it's expensive and not specifically approved by anyone for exams outside of Japan. This is sadly not one to get for exam compatibility.

Best scientific calculator for all of secondary school and university

Casio fx-115ES Plus 2nd Edition

This has a great range of features and functions which makes it a great option for the whole of school and university. Has to be imported into NZ, but it's a reasonable price, even including shipping.

It doesn't have the faster processor or higher resolution screen of the EX Classwiz models, but it's a well-recognised, widely approved model and will do the job throughout school and university. Approved for NCEA and Cambridge Exams, and also by at least some universities.

Being able to check the results of definite integrals and differentials, or quickly confirm the numbers for a probability distribution makes learning the correct processes for those calculations easier, while it doesn't sacrifice several functions which are useful in early secondary school years (and later!).

OK scientific calculator for early secondary school if not continuing maths at higher levels

Casio fx-82AU 2nd Edition

This is not a great calculator, but it has reasonable features to suit students in years 9 to 11 (forms 3 to 5). Seems expensive for what it offers, but it's widely available in NZ. "It's what they're all doing."

The fx-82AU will also serve older students – indeed, it's quite possible to only use an even older model (fx-82MS) throughout both secondary school and an undergraduate degree at university – but the fx-115ES better covers the full range. The two calculators are a similar price.

Regardless of what scientific calculator you have

• My strongest recommendation for all scientific calculator users is get to know the calculator. Even the simplest model, something like a Casio fx-82MS, has a huge number of features which can do amazing things if you know how to use it.

• Next priority, get used to storing calculation results in the variable memories; eg, [ANS] [SHIFT] [STO] [B]. The [ALPHA] modifier button is not used when storing (the calculator knows you want to store a value in a variable) but do use [ALPHA] when retrieving the variable. The variable can be used like you would in doing algebra on paper. For example, 2B² works just fine.

  Make a note in your working of what you are storing in which variable.

  Most scientific calculators have the variables A through F, X, Y and M. Not so much the M, but the others I've found are Really Useful for ensuring I have earlier results I can use in later calculations, thereby avoiding rounding errors, and especially compounded rounding errors, where a rounded result is used in another calculation and is then used in another calculation, and so on.

For graphing

For graphing I recommend Desmos. It's available online and as a cellphone app. Some schools encourage its use, but it's unlikely to be approved for exams.

Approved Calculator Lists

Who approves what? Are NCEA, Cambridge Exams, and various New Zealand Universities OK with these calculators?

NCEA has a list of approved calculators. Weirdly, it includes the Casio fx-115ES even though that model is not available in NZ. Also weirdly, the list includes a "Cannon" brand (rather than the correct "Canon" which I note is not an explosive projectile weapon infamously used on pirate ships).

Cambridge Exams has a list of rather ambiguous requirements. I guess a "graphic display" actually means a graphing display (since all Casio calculators with a natural textbook display have a graphic display), but what is a databank? A programmable memory that's not limited to a single number? Does wireless communication include displaying a QR code on the calculator screen? I doubt it, but why not explain what these points do mean? This ambiguity is quite unlike Cambridge Exams' normal clarity. (Compare that ambiguous list to the short and clear permitted calculators list in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge.)

Cambridge's ambiguity is frustrating, and considering so many other organisations have long lists of approved calculators, it's hard to not view it's lack of a list as anything other than a cop-out.

University of Auckland has a list of general subject/department categories, and more specific conditions need to be found in different departments. For example, Engineering has this list of general requirements. The only example it gives is an "FX82" (probably covering either fx-82MS or fx-82AU).

University of Canterbury approved calculators list 2024. It's very strange that the fx-115ES PLUS is OK, but only the 1st edition. This seems quite screwy because the 2nd edition has the same features. I have queried this but have yet to get a response and have been told it will be reviewed for the 2026 list.

University of Otago has two lists in one PDF (dated Aug 2022), with photos! Both lists lead with the fx-82MS; list B includes some quite old models of graphing calculators, but no particularly new ones.

Calculator Ratings

These are my own ratings. Calculators rated out of 5 stars, and listed below in descending order of rating.

All are solar powered unless otherwise indicated. All the Casio calculators can easily be accidentally turned off in the middle of a complicated calculation. :(

Casio fx-JP900-N Classwiz: ****** (6)

This is pretty much the Japanese version of the Casio fx-991EX Classwiz, with the -N (I think) simply meaning it's the latest iteration. (Or maybe "Nippon", meaning it's Japanese.) This is a brilliant calculator for physicists and professional nerds. It's a dream to use, and easy to move up to from lower Casio calculator models – most of the function buttons are exactly the same as the fx-82MS. Most of the writing on the back is in English.

Pros: Claimed 700 functions. Japanese or English interface; easy to switch. Higher resolution screen and more powerful processor than ES models. Several button functions have been rearranged for better ergonomics than the ES or EX models; hyperbolic has been moved to a menu; there's a dedicated x button. 21½ dedicated function buttons. Selectable Math or Line output, meaning it can emulate the quick calculation of an MS model. Includes several features that do not appear in the standard 991EX and 991ES models, including GCD, LCM, prime factorisation (991EX has it, 991ES does not), recurring decimal, product function. Solves up to 4th order polynamial equations. Can store the result of distribution calculations in variables (even the graphing calculators can't do this). Lots of physical constants (47) and zillions* of unit conversions (21 different types, and include a bunch of traditional Japanese units). Thousands separators! QR codes for graph display. Periodic table of element atomic weights. Easy to use unit prefixes (but not all of the unit prefixes).The cover can clip on, not just slide on. Probably OK for Cambridge Exams. Approved by NCEES for JPEC Exams in Japan.

* Actually just 302 of them. Yeah. Includes the barn!

Cons: Three buttons' extended functions are labelled in Japanese. No kelvins in the temperature conversions, no g·cm in the "Moment of Force" conversions. Other conversions such as (for example) Velocity: mile/h → km/h don't exist, but are covered by Velocity: mile/h → m/s → km/h (a multi-step hassle) and Length: mile → km (which gives the same result and is quick and easy to find). Cannot cope with `(-1)^-i`. The periodic table data looks like it dates to 2012; 4 unnamed elements. (I believe the next element named was in 2016; element 113 was named nihonium after Japan, "Nihon".)

[OFF] is still [SHIFT] [AC]. Why can't [SHIFT] [ON] turn these things off?! It's much less likely to be hit by accident!

Not available in NZ (and production has apparently ended). Price has increased 30% in less than a year and five months (NZ$160 from Japan, Aug 2025). Not approved for NCEA.

It's probably OK for many institutions here, and I know of no reason to not allow it at secondary school level (including chemistry), but it might be tricky to convince universities that it's OK for exams.

Casio fx-991DE X Classwiz: ***** (5) [but only if you speak German]

This is the German version of the Casio fx-991EX Classwiz, and includes several useful functions not included in NZ's 991EX Classwiz version.

Pros: Claimed 696 functions. Higher resolution screen. Slightly more powerful processor. Includes several features that do not appear in the standard 991EX and 991ES models, including GCD, LCM, prime factorisation (991EX has it, 991ES does not), recurring decimal, product function. Several button functions have been rearranged for better ergonomics than the ES models. Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams. Specifically pre-approved by the University of Sydney.

Cons: It's in German. (Ignore any dodgy websites with AI-sourced instructions for how to change it to English using buttons the calculator doesn't have.) No periodic table of atomic weights. Not available in NZ (NZ$111 from Germany).

Casio fx-115ES PLUS 2nd Edition: ***** (5)

This is an American version of the 991ES, and includes several useful functions the 991ES misses out on. This seems to be one of the most recommended calculators for engineering students in the USA.

Pros: Claimed 460 functions. Includes several features that do not appear in the standard 991EX and 991ES models, including GCD, LCM, prime factorisation (991EX has it, 991ES does not), recurring decimal, product function. 40 constants, 40 unit conversions, printed on inside of cover. Very inexpensive in USA (as low as US$16.88). Somehow manages to be approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams (and at Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge). Reasonably priced, even with international shipping.

Cons: Lower resolution screen and less powerful processor than 991EX. Not available in NZ but can be bought on a certain monopolistic US company (NZ$47.50 from USA, Aug 2025). 2nd Edition not yet accepted at University of Canterbury (2024 list) although the feature-identical 1st Edition is approved. The examinations department says it will be reviewed for inclusion in the 2026 list.

Casio fx-991ES PLUS C 2nd Edition: ***** (5)

This is the Canadian version of the Casio fx-991ES, and includes several useful functions not included in NZ's fx-991ES version. Alternatively, it's the Canadian version of the fx-115ES, which has those features.

Pros: Claimed 460 functions. Includes several features that do not appear in the standard 991EX and 991ES models, including GCD, LCM, prime factorisation (991EX has it, 991ES does not) recurring decimal, product function. Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams. Specifically pre-approved by the University of Sydney.

Cons: Lower resolution screen and less powerful processor than 991EX. Not available in NZ. Can be found online (CAN$20 without shipping) but nowhere offers shipping to NZ.

Casio fx-991EX Classwiz: **** (4)

This is the upgraded version of the Casio fx-991ES, but is sadly still missing several useful functions.

Pros: Claimed 552 functions. More powerful processor. Higher resolution screen. 9 different types of conversions. Has prime factorisation. Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams.

Cons: Does not have functions GCD and LCM which are included even on the entry level fx-82AU, meaning it's not the best model for the whole of a student's highschool life. Missing several other really useful functions, including recurring decimal. Not available in NZ. Apparently not accepted at Universities of Canterbury or Otago.

Casio fx-991ES 2nd Edition: **** (4)

This is the current standard NZ version of the Casio fx-991ES, and is sadly missing several useful functions.

Pros: Claimed 417 functions. Commonly available in NZ. Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams (and at Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where they are available from a vending machine for £27 [NZ$61]). Approved for University of Otago.

Cons: Does not have functions GCD, LCM or prime factorisation which are included even on the entry level fx-82ES, meaning it's not the best model for the whole of a student's highschool life. Expensive in NZ (NZ$87 mid 2025, or NZ$58 from USA).

Casio fx-9860GIII: ***' (3½)

A very capable graphing calculator (rather than being strictly a "scientific" calculator). There's a lot to learn and it's not a very intuitive upgrade from typical Casio scientific calculators. Sadly, student users often wish teachers would spend time showing their students how to use them. With the present horrendous price it's simply not a model I'm willing to strongly recommend, and I'm told some students are allowed to use Desmos instead.

Casio may be pricing it out of the market (mid 2025) in order to push buyers towards a newer series of graphing calculators with colour screens based on the some horrible layout and menus the fx-8200AU uses.

Pros: Claimed more than 2900 functions. Much more powerful processor than even the Classwiz calculators. Large screen. Huge number of functions, including many unit conversions. Full alphabet of variables. Graphs! Probability distributions. Solves up to 6th order polynamial equations. Programmable. Can interface with a computer over USB. Remembers its calculation history when it's (accidentally) turned off! Lots of unit conversions (106 units, each of which can be converted into any of the others in the same category, in either order, making 1132 total conversions; I counted).

Readily available in NZ. Approved for at least some NCEA subjects; the calculator has an exam mode but it's not clear if or when NCEA would require that to be used. I've seen claims that exam mode is not used in NZ.

Cons: Very bulky compared to the Casio scientific calculator models. Not solar powered; runs on 4*AAA cells (NiMH works fine); the only calculator I've had to change the batteries on. Steep learning curve which is generally not well (or at all) taught in school. Only 14 dedicated function keys. Sprawling complicated menu system. Somewhat slow to use many functions because of the number of button pushes required to get the cursor into the right position or even just find the function in the menu system. No physical constants. No DRG symbol on-screen. No thousands separators. Even more totally screwball % function than the fx-82MS. All four silicone pads have fallen off the cover of my one; that's simply a case of bad engineering.

In the last year and a bit it has become extremely expensive (Aug 2025: NZ$208, or $161 here, NZ$174 from Aus), making it hard to get a strong recommendation. It will likely have limited long-term viability for most users because the full alphabet, programmability, and graphing features each rule it out for use in most exams at secondary and tertiary level. Not approved for Cambridge Exams. Not accepted at Universities of Auckland or Canterbury; Otago unclear – an older version is approved in List B, but I have no info about what calculators in that list could be used for.

I note that the fx-9750GIII is available for less (NZ$104 to NZ$107 from Aus including shipping), has almost the same feature set, and comes in a choice of colours.

Tech.Inc 991ES PLUS: *** (3)

This appears to be a cheap and cheerful knock-off of the first version of the Casio fx-991ES. Styling is reminiscent of an old Casio AA-powered calculator. I don't know if the solar panel works.

Pros: Claimed 417 functions, the same as the Casio fx-991ES. Readily available in NZ for really not much (NZ$29, Aug 2025). Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams.

Cons: A bit bulkier than most of the recent Casio models. I haven't used it and have not tested that all functions actually work as intended, or as quickly. Not approved by Canterbury or Otago Universities.

Casio fx-82AU PLUS 2nd Edition: *** (3)

This is newer than the fx-82MS but is presently the typical entry level model for the NZ and Aus markets. It's an OK model for younger students up to year 11/form 5 who do not expect to proceed to higher levels of maths, but is not the best model to see older students through calculus and probability distribution, and into university.

Pros: Includes the useful functions GCD, LCM and Factorise. Commonly available in NZ and widely approved for exam use. Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams.

Cons: A limited set of functions which limits its best use to younger secondary students. Not solar powered. Expensive for what it offers (NZ$53, or $40.25 here, Aug 2025). Why is something that most NZ secondary school students would be expected to have so expensive?

Casio fx-82MS: *** (3)

This is an old classic model. It's the fastest scientific calculator to use I've owned.

Pros: Very fast to use because extra button pushes are not required to get the cursor into the right position on-screen. Power rating on the back: 100 µW(!). Thousands separators. Can solve quadratic equations using a quadratic regression. Spins really well on a smooth table top when the case is clipped to the back of the calculator.

Approved for NCEA. OK for Cambridge Exams. Specifically approved for Universities of Auckland (Engineering), Canterbury, Otago. Basically, it's good to go everywhere.

Cons: No "natural textbook display" (but this means it's very fast to use). Does not have functions GCD, LCM and prime factorisation which are included on the more recent fx-82AU PLUS 2nd Edition. Totally screwball % function. Small calculation history memory. ("Replay memory capacity is 128 bytes for storage of both calculations and results.") Solving quadratic equations is easier just using the quadratic formula than using the weirdly complicated regression process available. Not solar powered (but it just keeps on going on its original AA – recommended to change after three years because of risk of battery leakage).

Casio fx-8200 AU: * (1)

This is the entry level model of the latest CW Classwiz calculators Casio brought out in its latest full line revamp, and apparently the only one presently available in New Zealand. Buy it if you want to make two or three times as many button pushes to do your calculations and have panic attacks in exams when you realise you don't know how to find a particular function in the sprawling menu structure. All CW Classwiz calculators automatically get one star ratings from me because of the horrible ergonomics (including significantly reducing the number of function buttons) and terribly inefficient menu-based user interface.

FWIW the fx-8200 AU calculator hero shot with the back-glow used by Casio on the calculator's product page has been resized badly at some point in its editing history.

Pros: Higher resolution screen compared to ES models. A few more features than the fx-82AU, such as probability distribution calculations, logs in any base, recurring decimals, and sum and product of a series. (Good luck finding those things in the menus.) Available in NZ. Approved for NCEA. Possibly OK for Cambridge Exams, but only a dodgy NZ calculator-selling website claims that.

Cons: Provides a very unpleasant and slow menu-driven user experience instead of having buttons dedicated to the most-used functions. Only two rows of dedicated function keys; 12 keys. (My fx-82MS has 3⅔ rows of dedicated function keys; 22 keys.) The any-base-log gets a dedicated button, and to get the more commonly used log₁₀ and ln functions requires using the SHIFT key; daft. The ANS button is no longer next to the = button, but has been moved somewhere up towards the top left. But the = button is actually now an EXE button; crazy.

Expensive for what it offers in the way of functions (NZ$59). Possibly not OK for Cambridge Exams because new features may mean it has a databank. Not accepted at Universities of Canterbury or Otago (indeed, it's specifically exempted by Canterbury). At University of Queensland it requires an approval sticker; the fx-82MS and fx-82AU have automatic approval, no sticker required.

Also see the CW range notes below.

Casio Calculator Ranges

Casio's calculator range is split into different vintages of style and performance. There are typically several levels of functionality in each range. The choice of a good scientific calculator can involve a lot of compromise, but calculators from all of these ranges will provide years of faithful calculations... except the CW Classwiz range which is ergonomically garbage.

MS

The oldest style, with no visual textbook display. Typically very fast to use because less button pushing is required, but harder to tell if a calculation is entered correctly. Calculation results are just numbers, shown with 7-segment displays.

The MS range is the most likely to be accepted for exams.

ES, ES Plus, ES Plus 2nd Edition

I include the fx-82AU in this range.

Better featured with natural textbook displays, but getting the cursor in the right place often takes more button pushes than required for the MS range. The ES Plus 2nd Edition calculators are the newest. Some of these are very well featured, but are a little let down by the low resolution screens – especially for menu navigation. Some of the higher end models offer amongst the best value, but be aware that the best model offered in NZ has had some of the basic functions removed.

EX Classwiz

Improved processor and higher resolution display – nice hardware. Some rearrangement of button functions to improve usability – nice ergonomics. Removal of important basic functions on some of the high end models – not at all nice.

I don't quite get the Classwiz name. Secondary school students are old enough to know not to wiz in class.

CW Classwiz

I include the fx-8200 AU in this group.

For some reason* Casio has taken the excellent layout of the EX and earlier calculators and removed almost half the function buttons, replacing them with menus requiring many more button pushes – if you can find the function you want. Example: The fx-82MS has 22 dedicated function buttons; the fx-8200 AU has just 12 dedicated function buttons. It makes for slow and frustrating usage.

* I've seen suggestions Casio wanted something that behaves like popular calculators from a competing brand (thereby making navigation more similar to that brand instead of keeping it better); that Casio wanted to get a year or two ahead of counterfeiters; and that Casio is creating a new interface platform which is easier to expand.

From my programming assignments at Auckland Uni I know that menus with multiple layers of forced selection are easy to implement, but I also know that they provide a poor user interface.

An example of the bad way the menu navigation has been implemented is the number of required button pushes to select a temperature conversion (°F → °C) on the fx-991CW Classwiz, not including entering the original temperature or hitting the = button.

Calculator model	Button pushes to select temperature conversion	Notes
fx-991ES	4	Conversions are chosen from the numbers listed on the inside of the cover.
fx-991EX	6	Or only 5 if you remember where to find the temperature conversion options in the main conversions menu (push the up arrow once instead of down twice).
fx-JP900	7	This model has 21 conversion types, not just 9 types like the 991EX, so there are more menu screens to wade through.
fx-991CW	19	Unbelievably inefficient user interface!

The CW Classwiz range does not offer any advantages for the downsides these calculators have been designed with. Avoid this range!

 

PS. New features said to be in the CW Classwiz models include the ability to change the auto-off delay from 10 minutes to 60 minutes; the contents of a spreadsheet are not lost when changing modes (but are still lost if the calculator turns off); and the contents of the stats mode are not lost when the calculator turns off. This combination of new features seems like it could provide interesting opportunities for exploitation – and that the features would constitute a databank, which is a non-approved feature for Cambridge Exams.

PPS. Casio is bragging on its website how some teachers are telling their students they have to get the new CW model for consistency: child abuse!

Speed Tests

These test results are purely for interest. In practice it is unlikely that any necessary calculation during an exam will take a long time.

However, I'm curious to see if there is a linear correlation between the times taken, or have some of the algorithms changed, making them more efficient for particular tasks than a simple speed bump in the processor?

Conclusion

Why go for a high end calculator? Quite simply, they have high end functions. Being able to check definite integrals (for example) makes study so much easier, with very quick confirmation of manually obtained answers. But the main calculator models available in New Zealand compromise on price and important functions. I do not regard high processor speed as being an important feature – it will very seldom make any practical difference at all in an exam.

The locally available high end scientific calculator, the fx-991ES, is significantly more expensive than the price in other countries, and for some reason has sacrificed several of the important functions for lower levels of secondary school. I regard prime factorisation as an almost essential feature for a scientific calculator. For around the same price as the fx-82AU locally, an imported fx-115ES has more functions than the two NZ options combined, providing a range of functions suitable for the whole of a student's secondary school and university life.

The locally available high end graphing calculator, the fx-G9860GIII, is also significantly more expensive in New Zealand than overseas (with one exception linked above), and does not offer good value for the money. A lower model is half the price overseas and has almost the same feature set.