(2023) The best calculator for the FE or PE exam

[@pc4i]

Something to note about the HP35s and the CBT format tests. CBT format is closed book. You can only use the material provided. So if you have entered a lot of equations into the list, you would need to memorize what they do and what the variables mean. For paper and pencil tests that were open book, people would bring a guide to the formulas they put into the calculator. The CBT format really takes the advantage away from the HP. Perhaps this is why HP discontinued it in 2021.

[@АндрейАльтов]

Unfortunately, fx-991 has a bug when extracting the root of complex numbers.

[@asheridan07]

Huge plot twist bringing the TI-30X Pro MathPrint in 2/3 into the review! Ha I picked up a TI-30X a month or so back. Definitely agree with you on its improvements over the TI-36X. The HP is a great desktop calculator for its enjoyment and novelty of being an RPN machine. It’s short comings are forgiven in that environment. I enjoy using it for my daily engineering work. The clicky keys FTW. But, the TI-30X would be my preferred calculator for the PE

[@pc4i]

Very true, the HP 35s is fun to play with, and I like making programs for it, but to be honest, I use SMath Studio for all my daily engineering work. Unless you are "in the field" and need to do a precise calculation on the spot, I have really only used the calculators for the exams, school, and for fun. My computer can do it all much better, faster, and all in the same environment that I work in most of the time.

[@MrNoahTall]

Made me laugh. I picked up the 30X Pro from EU after owning a 36X Pro for awhile. Now the 36 is my backup and I use the solvers in the 30 in developing/checking custom problems for my students (math teacher).

[@onyxcorchado1935]

Do you know of a link to purchase this with? I have been searching but like he said it is hard due to it being in Europe?

[@MikeB3542]

I've been using a TI-30XA for most of my engineering career...over thirty years of banging our calculations. In high school, most of us had the original TI-30 with the LED display and soft-sided case with the belt loop. Great calculator, but it ate 9v batteries like there was no tomorrow. Incredibly affordable, it has nothing you don't need and everything that you do. I have two...one that stays at the office and another that I take with me in the car. They aren't solar powered, but the built-in button batteries last for years and are easy to replace.

[@ColasTeam]

I'm rather surprised the Casio calc can't keep stuff in memory! I figured by now that would be a standard feature on any calculator.

[@pc4i]

As I understand, the way the memory works is heavily influenced by the Asian market testing requirements, which is the primary market for Casio.

[@pc4i]

@@rodericksibelius8472 Or just go with a TI…

[@jeronlloyd4703]

Had a TI-30XS since 2008 ....best calculator i ever owned... replace the battery once but can't complain about Texas instruments build quality

[@pc4i]

Well, the TI-30X Pro MathPrint is magnitudes better than the TI-30XS. Basically a TI-83 without graphing capability.

[@commtechengineer612]

HP 35s for the win! When I took the FE exam the proctor examined my HP 35s and she dropped it on the floor! Right before the test! I was not happy.

[@CalculatorCulture]

Great video - very clearly explained and practical. The 35S is getting hard to find these days because it has been discontinued, and new ones have skyrocketed in price. They are still relatively easy to find second-hand though.

[@pc4i]

Thank you. Totally agree. Lightly used ones are usually just as good as new. Unless you’re collecting, no need to get a new in box one. eBay is the best place to find one.

[@tapv9516]

I looked soo many videos to look for this kind of info. Thanks best review

[@pc4i]

I also looked for something similar and couldn’t find it, so I made it. Glad it helped you!

[@lapulapu1970]

I am using HP35s for my FE Electrical Exam. Its better because it's programmable and I can use RPN for fast computation.

[@pc4i]

Agreed, for electrical I would also go with an hp35s. As far as RPN goes, most calculators now have MathPrint or textbook entry, which really makes entry quite fast, and you don’t need worry about parentheses. I’ve done several speed tests and RPN is slower. The fact that you need to plan your computation slows you down than the entry mode on other calculators. RPN vs single line entry with only parentheses, for sure RPN wins.

[@travislimerick1713]

Hi Neil, is it difficult though having to memorize the variables and knowing which equations to use and how to call them on the calculator? Because we can’t bring notes into the test as a guide for which equations to use or how to use them.

[@GB2G]

How’d u do?

[@enginerdy]

@@pc4iI disagree with that.. once you use RPN for a while it becomes how you think. It starts to come down to the number of key presses. I used the 35s for FE and PE but didn’t bother with any programs. Really just used it for complex number computations and RPN.

[@pc4i]

@@enginerdy People have become good at RPN, and that is fine, but RPN was relevant when calculators had single line entry and the alternative was a hard to read algebraic entry mode with lots of parenthesis. If you have a large formula, and you make a mistake in your calculation, you have no way of checking intermediate calculations beyond the results shown in the stack. With the TI, I can see exactly what I entered, and the results, and I can modify any of my inputs again without having to work the entire problem again. I can input the entire formula as shown and let the calculator do the order of operations work for me. RPN is fun, and has its retro appeal (like my typewriter collection), but it is by no means better than textbook/Mathprint entry and display that modern scientific calculators have. There is a reason HP RPN calculators are discontinued. On the PE and FE, your calculator should reduce the time it takes to perform calculations and to check your work if there has been a mistake. Working the entire problem again because of a wrong result is a huge waste of time. There is also no way to check the intermediate results of your new calculation, so if it is wrong again, wasted more time. The TI work history saved me on more than one occasion where I had mistyped or used the wrong value during a calculation. Simply keyed up, saw the wrong input, pulled that entry into the current entry, modified the input and got the correct result.

[@mrcpu9999]

I enjoyed this. I'm not sure why you say you need to store variables or intermediate variables. With the stack, there shouldn't be any need, except on some really pathological problem . In all my years of HP calculator usage, from 11 through 42, I don't recall ever having to write down any intermediate values, even on heavily parenthesized infix notation problems. I seem to recall reading somewhere that with a stack of 4, there wasn't any infix type problem that couldn't be done in RPN directly. But that was 40 years ago.

[@pc4i]

Specifically talking about FE and PE exams, there are a lot of problems that work with multiple equations, sets of calculations, and combinations of previous results into new calculations in order to obtain a final result. I'm sure that with lots of practice (and some people have that with the HP35s), you can make it work, but it just leaves room for mistakes that might require you to rework the entire problem since the HP can't show you your past input and only shows 4 results in the stack unless you save results into variables, or write them down. This is obviously not the case on every problem, but the point is to maximize the benefit from the calculator to reduce the time you need to solve a problem. I had more than one problem on my PE exam that produced incorrect results and I was able to quickly go back and see the entire input, identify my mistake, modify that input and get the correct result in a couple key strokes. For me, that is an indispensable advantage. I will hopefully make some video with some actual examples that show the benefits and disadvantages of each calculator in the exam environment. The HP35s definitely has its niche, but it comes with some big compromises for an exam like the PE. I wouldn't want my success on the PE to depend on a calculator that can have it's memory cleared in a couple of key stokes leaving me with zero programs and equations. That has actually happened to plenty of people.

[@mrcpu9999]

@@pc4i In the context of the exam as you explained it, I can see that. I thought you were referring to single equations, but what you said makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.

[@xavier2946]

Awesome video! I hope you make more

[@pc4i]

I'm working on a TI-30X Pro MathPrint tips and tricks video for the PE and FE exams. Hopefully show how to maximize the use of the calculator to save time.

[@potatogoestocollege]

Where do you buy the TI-30X Pro Mathprint? I've been trying to find it with no luck.

[@pc4i]

Amazon is an easy option. Texas Instruments 30Xpromp/Tbl/2E5 Scientific Calculator a.co/d/eZnCnG4 You might find other sites that sell directly out of Europe, but shipping costs can vary.

[@ehsanullahrashidi2348]

Which one you recommend for Civil Engineers Sit???

[@pc4i]

I think the TI-30X Pro MathPrint is the best option. At the end of the video I talk about why I think it’s good.

[@abather11]

Hi, can you make some begginer tutorials about the plus42 app?

[@pc4i]

What do you mean by plus42 app?

[@abather11]

@@pc4i it’s an android app that works exactly like hp42s but with some improvements

[@MrNoahTall]

Probably not useful for the FE/PE exam, although I bought the physical manifestation of the spirit of Plus42, the Swiss Micros DM42.

[@АндрейАльтов]

Unfortunately, fx-991 has a bug when extracting the root of complex numbers.

[@pc4i]

That’s interesting, I haven’t heard that. Do you have an example?

[@АндрейАльтов]

@@pc4i

[@АндрейАльтов]

@@pc4i sqrt(9+9i) or sqrt(9∠9)

[@АндрейАльтов]

@@pc4i (9∠9)^(1/2) also gives an error. but (9∠9)^2 = 81∠18 ok

[@АндрейАльтов]

@@pc4i KZbin is likely deleting posts with special characters. But if you enter any complex number (for example in polar coordinates) under the root sign, the calculator will give an error. When raising to a power, such an error does not occur. Maybe the bug is only in my firmware version.

[@philipjohn1338]

You sound exactly like the Organic Chemistry tutor guy

[@pc4i]

Organic Chemistry is definitely a challenging subject, so I will take that as a compliment!

[@fenixfyre]

Haha true!

[@user-ns9fc]

I checked the channel cause I thought it was him lmaoo

[@Rai_Te]

Honestly ... this is partly a useless comparison. With the HP35s the main question is if you want an RPN calculator or not ... If you don't, you will not buy this one. Besides that, comparing a multi-hundred dollar calculator to sub-50-dollar calculators is certainly something that does not make sense.

[@pc4i]

I’m comparing the best options from the three brands permitted on the exams. The HP is far inferior in my opinion than the cheaper options. With the HP35s, the point is that you can’t effectively use it anymore because you can't take additional materials for CBT FE and PE exams. Surveying I think still does paper and pencil, so it might be useful there. If spending $200 on a calculator is the difference between passing and failing, then I think it’s worth it. That’s for everyone to decide for themselves.

[@pc4i]

People learn RPN just to use the HP on surveying exams because it is the only programable option. They don’t pick this one because of the RPN. RPN is rather useless now with math/text book style inputs. The HP is only relevant because it’s programmable.

[@MrWaalkman]

@@pc4i I learned RPN when it was "forced" upon me since the HP-15C was the only calculator that the college that I went to would allow (PPCC, home of the fighting Aardvarks). Despite having to pay somewhere between $99 and $120 back in 1984, and then take a 3 credit hour class on how to use it for another $60, it was hands down my favorite calculator that I have owned (and I have about 50 of them). With all that said, RPN is pretty easy to learn, but I have no experience with the other input system that you mentioned. And either one of them is faster than my old slide rule. :) But if I had to take a calculator into a classroom these days, I would probably want to take my HP Prime G2.

[@pc4i]

@@MrWaalkman RPN is very neat, and I think in a traditional sense of problem solving it makes sense since that is how we would solve problems on paper, and at the time single line algebraic entry was very cumbersome because of parentheses and how hard it was to visualize the input to see if it was right. With math/text book entry methods, you can input an equation into the calculator exactly how it is shown on paper thanks to built in formatting features. This makes the input of complete and complex formulas very easy and fast. In my opinion, it is faster than RPN simply because I can input the entire formula at once, while in RPN I would need to "work my way out", and depending on complexity, it could mean having to think about how to tackle the equation, and how to store results for future steps, etc. I think that because of this, RPN has gradually faded out, and HP is almost entirely out of the professional level of exam calculator range. The HP 35s hangs in there, but not for long. Eventually all tests will be computer based, and for that the HP 35s just makes no sense. I'm guessing HP came to the same conclusion. The HP Prime G2, like most modern CAS calculators are really cool, basically a computer, however this level of calculator is not allowed on professional exams, and my advice to students in the engineering fields is to learn to use a calculator that you are allowed to use on the FE/PE exam. I used a TI Voyage 200 when I was in college and it was great, super capable and extremely helpful in many classes, but it did nothing for me on the FE/PE exams.

[@unclerojelio6320]

The answer has always been and will always be “HP 11C”.

[@pc4i]

Except that it’s not one of the models permitted on the exams, so no, it’s not.

[@fabiuspocus1430]

A Sharp calculator too. Why not?

[@pc4i]

This is a review of the best calculators permitted on the FE and PE exam. Sharp calculators are not approved.

[@yalol]

So Casio 991ex or Ti-30X pro?

[@pc4i]

I would go with the TI-30X Pro MathPrint just because of the persistent memory. Every solver or mode on the TI keeps your previous inputs even after powering off. On the exam, for me personally this just saves time when going back to check work or redoing a calculation.

[@3Peter3]

FX-991CW has persistan memory supposedly. Maybe comparing the 991CW vs the TI30x Pro would be a more fair comparison.

[@pc4i]

@@3Peter3 The 991CW doesn’t have persistent memory. Its memory function is slightly better than the 991EX, but a power cycle still clears all calcs. The only thing on a 991CW that is not lost are matrix inputs and stat data inputs. Also switching modes doesn’t clear spreadsheet data or saved functions f(x) and g(x). The 991CW still can’t use past calculations in new calculations.

[@rafaelfrequiao]

HP 35s prices skyrocket. WTF.

[@pc4i]

I feel like it’s more the collectors than anything driving the prices up. Honestly the HP35s is such a compromise compared to lots of much better options. RPN alone is a compromise, and then you have to deal with everything else on the HP. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very cool calculator and fun to play with, but I also wonder why it’s so expensive given the fact that it’s probably the least useful calculator you can take into the FE/PE exams. The surveying exams might still have utility in the calculator, and these are probably the people paying $300+ for the calculator. Beyond the exam, there are so many better calculators to use professionally.

[@Charger-ob8yl]

Ti36x pro can't do indefinite integrals, derivatives, nor evaluate limits. It's crazy I've watched 5 videos and nobody mentioned that, yet talk about a bunch of shi that doesn't really even matter. Casio 115ex plus can do all three, plus everything the TI can do.

[@pc4i]

lol… How do you do an indefinite integral on the Casio fx-115ex Plus? I’m genuinely curious.

[@irishchocolate3872]

The HP-35S is no longer available unless you purchase a used one. It doesn’t do any good to recommend this calculator when it basically can’t be purchased anymore.

[@pc4i]

The intent is to have a quick look at the best options that are allowed on the exams per NCEES calculator policy. My recommendation is for the TI-30X Pro MathPrint. All of these calculators can be purchased, there are even "New" HP 35S calculators for sale on eBay.

[@pc4i]

There are actually other very good reasons for not going with the HP35s. Refer to my pinned comment…