Using a Graphical Calculator

The rigours of A-Level maths mean that you will need a more advanced calculator that will perform functions such as solving linear simultaneous equations, solving quadratics, performing calculations on a binomial or normal distribution and many others.

There are three options available for you:

Casio Classwiz fx-9911ex

This is the A-Level entry calculator and is a minimum requirement to do A-Level. 

Casio Graphical

Graphical calculators are strongly recommended for A-Level. The latest version from Casio is the CG100, which has superseded the CG50, which in turn superseded the CG20. Any of these are suitable for A-level Maths.

Numworks Graphical

The graphical calculator from Numworks is preferred by an increasing number of schools and colleges and is a little cheaper than the Casio.  It does the same tasks but in a slightly different way. One advantage of Numworks is that there is a freely availabe emulator that you can play with before you buy...try it here.

If you can afford the extra cost, I would recommend investing in one of the graphical ones. The graph mode has some incredible features that can be gold-dust on many topics. Whichever you buy, you must practice using them and having a teacher or tutor who can help you is very useful. Whenever you complete an A-Level question, you will be able to ask yourself 'How can I check my answer using my calculator'. 

Practice will make perfect!