- What do you need to know about the TI-30XS calculator? Calculator Advice for Students (includes practice questions)
- GED Mathematics Formula Sheet and TI-30XS Calculator Reference Sheet (produced by GED.com)
- GED.com online calculator tutorial
Note: For a detailed guide on the TI-30XS (more useful for teachers, probably), see TI-30XS MultiView™ A Guide for Teachers.
The TI-30XS calculator (and its 32 buttons, not including the secondary keys) can seem intimidating to both students and teachers. Much of the training videos available for the calculator often only make things worse given the sheer number of features available.
The things that students will actually have to do with the TI-30XS on the HSE exam are pretty limited compared to all of the buttons and capabilities it has. We created this handout for students to learn the most important features they will need on the HSE exam. The handout includes step-by-step directions, pictures of the buttons and a few practice examples.
Most students will need regular practice to become comfortable – a one-day practice session is probably not enough. We recommend that students use these calculators regularly in class, when it is in service of learning mathematical concepts. Of course, they should also have regular practice doing computation and estimation without a calculator, as this is a skill necessary for the test.
Please note, for students taking the Computer-Based GED, there is a virtual calculator embedded in the test itself. Students can also bring their own TI-30XS calculator to their test. Some testing centers may provide one if asked, but some may not.
Also note that on the GED exam, students will have access to the calculator on the Social Studies and Science sections as well as the Reasoning with Math section. This reflects the math content found in science and social studies sections.
