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Using the Windows calculator

Written by Mukul Pareek

You may be very busy preparing for the exam, but remember the only calculator PRMIA will allow you to use is the standard Windows based calculator.  It is important to spend 10 minutes familiarizing yourself with this calculator as it is just slightly different from the usual business calculators like the HP 12c or 17bii (or the TI 30) that you might be used to.

In particular, make sure you know in advance how to:

• calculate LN and EXP functions from this calculator,
• calculate roots, and
• raise a number to any given power (you may for example, need to calculate 1.06^(1/12))

To start the calculator, go to ‘All Programs’, ‘Accessories’ and click ‘Calculator’.

You should see something like the image below.  If you do not, that may because the ‘Scientific’ mode is not selected.  Make sure (at home, and also in the exam) that this is correctly selected.

Try a few calculations with this calculator.

• Raising a number to any power:
  Example: 1.05^(1/12)
  Click:
  1.05 [x^y] (1/12) = 1.0040741237836483016054196026721

• The LN function
  Example: calculate LN(1.05)
  Click:
  1.05 [ln] to get 0.048790164169432003065374404223165

• The EXP function
  This one is particularly confusing because you are not going to click the button titled [exp]!  Instead, exp is the inverse of ln, so to get the exp function you will check the [Inv] box and then click ln.
• ie, Example: ln(0.05)
  Click: 0.05 [Inv][ln] to get 1.0512710963760240396975176363356

The buttons you might need the most are circled below.

Other than the above three operations, most of the calculation buttons are fairly straightforward.  Avoid confusion by avoiding the use of the calculator’s memory buttons unless you are comfortable with those, stick to the pen and erasable board you are provided to use as scratch paper.