Calculator advanced features.

[archived_user]

I was wondering how reliant people have been on the advanced functions of the financial calculators for the exams on each of the three levels?
Do you think it is worth it to learn it in very fine detail? For the tests? For professional work? To impress women?
I have a BA II Plus Professional and am staring at the ~100 page instruction manual…
Thanks!

 

[archived_user]

While I have yet to take the first level, and since this thread has had no response for almost two days, I will chime in by saying yes, that the more you know about your calculator the better.

 

[archived_user]

Hahahaha, wiseguy. Well, I was more interested in later levels, since Level I is highly qualitative and you can get by doing calculations the long way without knowing anything besides two or three buttons. Furthermore, in professional work, I was also wondering how reliant people are on Mathematica, Matlab, etc. versus a handheld device like the BA II - PP.
It’s a cost-benefit analysis…because reading though that manual is painful and …and I want to get by knowing as little about the advanced functions as possible…but not so little that it adversely affects my test performance.

 

[archived_user]

As long as you can do time value calculations and cash flows for NPV/IRR problems you should be fine as far as the test goes. Other functions on the calculator are useful and can come handy (i.e. Bond function, etc) but you can do without them on the test.

 

[archived_user]

bostonkev Wrote:
——————————————————-
> Hahahaha, wiseguy. Well, I was more interested in
> later levels, since Level I is highly qualitative
> and you can get by doing calculations the long way
> without knowing anything besides two or three
> buttons. Furthermore, in professional work, I was
> also wondering how reliant people are on
> Mathematica, Matlab, etc. versus a handheld device
> like the BA II - PP.
>
> It’s a cost-benefit analysis…because reading
> though that manual is painful and …and I want to
> get by knowing as little about the advanced
> functions as possible…but not so little that it
> adversely affects my test performance.
If you’re trying to get by knowing as little as possible, then I don’t see the point in asking your question. If the CFA institute only allows the BA II and HP 12c, then I’d consider spending some time knowing most of the functions. Besides try walking into the exam with cheap basic calculator.
And getting by Level I using “two or three buttons” is kind of an understatement. Apparently you haven’t messed with the cash flow, amortization, bond pricing, and statistics worksheets to see the value in this calculator.
But whatever floats your boat.