Casio FX-115ES Advanced Scientific Calculator with 2-Line Natural Textbook Display

This is a good calculator. The ability to to scroll back through previous calculations is awesome. You can set this thing to give answers as a fraction or decimal, and either way you set the default to be, you can switch your answer back and forth. I use an HP 48S, but it was not allowed in the PPE exam, so I needed to have this for preparation to get used to entering formulas/calculations (awesome feature) just like you see them on the page.

Wow. That's what they want to know about the calculator; do I like its appearance? Wait, let me crunch the numbers on that! It seems to perform the functions it has just fine, and the layout is fairly reasonable.

This calculator is very effective and performs alot of very useful calculations including; matrices, vector calculations, definiete integrals, statistcs-standard deviation and normal distribution. It also has a number of conversions including fractions, unit conversions. I highly recommend it for any high school or college student needing a calculator for a test when graphing calculators are not allowed, this one is the next best option. Not to mention the fact that it is under $20 and completely outperforms the TI30XIIS. Definitely a buy.

I got this for my son he is 7th grade and in honors and he is studying pre-algebra. I've got to say that this calculator did better than any calculator i had before. Truly worth the buy

I am a die-hard TI 35 guy, from my Navy schools, which strongly recommended them. This Casio is MUCH easier to understand, I love the display method, which mirrors the way our College computer classes display and expect math input. It's my GO TO calculator. I am glad I risked it / bought this one.

The FE Exam allows you to use three specific types of calculators. Comparing all of the calculators I deducted that this calculator was the best because it has the most available functions in addition to unit conversions; which some of the others don't offer. For a starter/test scientific calculator I don't think you can get more functions with this unless you buy a TI-89 (which I have and is the best calculator I've had so far).

PRO's:
(1.) Lot's of functions including: integration, fraction to decimal, deg to rad, base conversions, factorials, summations, constants, variables, matrices, vectors, complex numbers and variable solver.
(2.) Two Way Power including a battery and solar. Good to have solar especially if you're in a long test.
(3.) Can recall previous calculations by pressing the "replay" button.
(4.) Relatively inexpensive for what you're getting ($18 at Target)
(5.) Keys are big and easy to see.

CON's:
(1.) The manual has no table of contents and isn't in alphabetical order, so it can be difficult to find out how to do something even basic.
(2.) There are no commas given in the answers so either you have to keep it in scientific notation or get ready to count.

Overall, I think it is a good investment for basic math needs but would definitely recommend buying something with graphing/programming capabilities (such as a TI-89) for the more advanced user.

J'ai acheté cette calculatrice pour mon fils à l'école. Il semble faire un très bon travail à un prix raisonnable.

The new integration algorithm is much better than in previous models. That alone made it worth the purchase price. The intuitive algebraic numeric display is very nice.

The one feature I wish were included would be the capacity to store entered equations and functions as well as variables.

I can't say that I love the appearance of this calculator. However, the price of this CASIO calculator was just overwhelming. I strongly recommend this one if your interest is in complex number calculating, just like me. This one is amazing.

I failed the FE last semester. Yes, probably one of 5 who failed out of like thousands who did fine. Needless to say I'm ashamed. I was a last semester senior in civil with a completely overwhelming 18 hour schedule which I should have known was suicide. Plus many other personal life complications and interruptions. All that business led me to completely put off all studying for the FE thinking it would be a sinch. Plus, friends had said it wasn't that bad at all. Lesson learned. Study for this test! I will not allow myself to fail this test again. Unless you're a genius, do not put off the studying like I did. I'm a 3.5 gpa student.

I'm registered to take this test again this October. I'm now a grad student and my schedule is actually much more realistic. I have been studying with a partner 2-3 times a week, for several hours at a time. We help push each other when we we're stuck. We both have the giant FE review manual by lindebergh. Also, go to the NCEES site, print out the Reference Manual available in pdf at kinkos and have it bound there. It is vital to get to know your way around it.

CALCULATOR!!! I actually owned this Casio fx 115ES for my first time taking the FE. Though I had spent a little time getting to know it before the test, I have realized only recently that it was not near enough! I have vowed to know this thing inside and out and in the process I have realized that this may be the best calculator ever created.

I have used a TI-86 for years. I always loved the TI setup so I thought about getting one of TI approved models, but the fx-115ES was rated a lot higher and had better reviews than the other calculators permitted on the exam. I got it. It frustrated me for a while because it seemed so unlike the format of TIs. I thought I was comfortable enough with it for the test, but obviously I wasn't. I feel I'm a notoriously bad timed test taker. You should know absolutely everything about the ref manual you can and know every short cut on your calculator as possible. Each 4 hour segment moves way fast!

This semester I have actually been using the fx-115ES during classes and for all my homework. Discovering shortcuts that I had no idea existed. The display is amazing. I like seeing a fraction like how I would write it on paper and this calculator allows you to do that. In fact, you can put fractions in the numerator and denominator of a fraction! You can even put fractions in the next fractions! Does that make sense? It helps me immensely because I have realized I notoriously type things in wrong in calculators. If I get an answer that isn't one of the choices, I can press the navigation key and go back and look at everything I typed in and easily fix it. It is amazing. I have done that over and over.

You can enter constants (Avogadro's number, gravity, etc etc) and can convert units by using the little cheat sheet that is already glued on the inside of the sliding case. Figuring out how to quickly use that (which is not hard at all) is also an amazing help.

There is a genius little button that converts mixed numbers to decimal form. I know that it's in most calculators but it seems better on this one. There is also a button to convert to engineering (i.e. 10^-4). At my level of schooling, integrating and derivation are very quick and easy, but holy crap, I can do it even faster on this calculator! There are so many great little features in this calculator that you'll find yourself wondering why other calculators even exist. Because I don't need to do a lot of graphing anymore, I actually have switched so this is basically my sole calculator. I recommend everyone do this. I am beyond confident that I will slaughter the FE this time around.

And just to prove to you one more thing. I researched the hell out of the available TI calculators this summer. I got the one that I thought was the best and offered the most functions. TI-36Solar. Don't even bother. It is built way cheaper than the fx-115ES. It's only solar and I found that it had a hard time turning on and being seen in the middle of the day!!!! This is a huge issue as FE exam rooms can be very dim! The Casio is double powered and contrast is easily controlled! The buttons on the TI are inferiorly organized to the Casio.

LAST NOTE! DO NOT get the fx-115MS or ANY other model of the fx-115. My study friend after seeing me gush over this ES finally decided to get one. He accidently got the MS and to his horror, the display is only one line and with less functions. I cannot believe I have typed all this up. I think I'm just hoping to help people to not make the same mistakes I did.

Did not want to purchase this device, but it was required for PE exam. Of the allowed devices, this was the cheapest and has redundant power (solar+battery). I haven't used it since then.

I still fall back to my TI85 that I've been using since '96 for my day to day use.

With few options for calculators for the EIT exam, this one delivers. The only thing I found frustrating was the Integration and derivation functions stopped functioning as expected. I had to clear the calculator, basically resetting it to initial use functionality.
I'm still learning all it has to offer, but highly recommend it for anyone taking the EIT exam. As with any tool, learn it's capabilities as much as possible to use it to it's full potential.

I used the Casio fx-300es in my last math class and got an "A." I keep my TI- 83 plus, in my bag if I ever come across a graphing or financial equation. I upgraded from my 300es and purchased both the fx-115es and the EL-W516B for my next math class because it is going to be one of those classes that touches on real life math situations and is very diverse. I read quite a bit on what both calculators offer and there are some very good reviews on both but I wanted to simplify things a little for those that may not understand some of the jargon used for these.
The similarities between both are:
Both have Write view/textbook displays
Dual solar power
General Math
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I & II
Geometry
Trigonometry
Statistics
Calculus
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Permitted on the AP, PSAT/NMSQT
The differences are:
The EL-W516B works with General Science and Pre-calculus has 556 functions and a 4-line display. The Sharp says that it in addition to the AP, PSAT/NMSQT, it is permitted on the AP Chemestry, AP Physics, SAT I, SAT II Math IC & IIC tests.
The fx-115es works with Engineering and 2-line display
These are the similarities and differences but to find which one is right for you depends on how involved you will be in math and how far you want to go. I hope this helps and good luck in school. Remember, once you are in, grab on and do not let go until you get your college diploma.

I really like this calc and very user friendly. The only con I see is, its flat when placed on table, I wish they should have risen (inclined) at the screen so that we can look more comfortably.

I'm a pre-pharmacy student and this calculator is the BEST!!! I wouldn't recommend a TI or HP* over this Casio. This calculator does so much for its $20.00 price tag. I am not permitted a graphing calculator in ANY of my chemistry, math, stats or biology classes and this fits the bill and takes care of it all.

The only con is the crappy manual that folds out like a road map. I can't believe that they seriously gave that to us. Other than that, this calculator won't let you down.

*I still recommend the HP 12-C if you are a finance student.

This product is simply awesome. Very light weight and easy to use. As people said in previous reviews that it gives output in fractions instead of decimals. I can see that it may be annoying sometimes but I found that helpful especially in the examinations where you are trying to write in some intermediate steps on the paper. Also, its not always in fractions and one can press shift button before the result to get it in decimals. I would buy it again without doubt anytime.

The Calculators arrived on time and in very good conditions, New.
I will definitely do business with you again.Good product for money.
Thanks

I used this product merely for the FE exam, and would recommend it to anyone for this use. It was easy to learn (I sat with it for about 20 minutes pretest and felt perfectly comfortable with it during the exam). Even though I use a TI-89 for classwork, the switch to Casio for the test was no problem. Solid calculator.

Love the calculator. I bought it for my FE exam, and it definitely helped me through it. It has a lot of functions, including matrix calculations, statistical calculations, and can give you definite integrals and derivatives. Only downside is that the instruction manual is one massive sheet folded up, but that was manageable.

After getting a little hands-on experience with all the calculators allowed on the FE exam, I was impressed by this one. It easily gives the HPs a run for their money, and at half the price.

-The display is fantastic, functions are easy to read and edit
-Common functions are accessed easily
-Easy-to-use equation solving and stats functions
-Exact (irrational) and approximate answers, and easy to switch between them

Basically this is the next best thing to my TI-89.

The only downside is that the manual is an affront to God and Nature. I mean really. Seriously? _This_ is what you give me? A gigantic fold-out, like what I'd imagine I'd receive with a watch manufactured by the devil himself? Just put the PDF online (actually, they have) and save trees. Don't even unfold it, just chuck it straight in the trash.

But really, how often do you even use the manual after you've gotten through the basics? I don't remember the last time I opened it for my TI-89. So I'll leave it at five stars.

Also, the fact that the FX-115MS is currently selling for only two dollars less than this is astounding to me. This would be the best two dollars you ever spend.

If there's a better calculator out there in the <$20 range, I haven't seen it. This is a huge step up from my wife's old fx-180P I had planned on using for the PRAXIS II math test (until I picked it up the other day and it rattled as I shook it).

The road map-style manual is the only reason I took a star away from it. A booklet manual with an index would be a big improvement.

I have a TI-89 which works well, but I bought this last week from Target for the FE exam. I have been using it for my regular calculations so I can get familiar with it and I like it so far.

Both of my calculators actually have almost the same number of buttons but I feel like I can get to the functions I use most often quicker on the Casio than on the TI. For example it is much quicker to square something, use cos, sin, tan, or log on the Casio. I like how easy it is to change the answer from exact to approximate and also to change it to Scientific Notation.

My only complaint is that the Casio does not let me scroll back through previous calculations after it turns on and off, which is obviously a given for my TI-89. However, I am surprised that I can go from a 150$ calculator to a 20$ calculator for typical calculations and have that as my only complaint.

I think that the calculator is pretty nice. It has a lot of functions, but it is very easy to understand. I loved it! I use it for physics and calculus with no problems.

it was sent in a short period of time and the quality is quite good. by the way, the package is also good.

To preface this review, I have used TIs throughout high school; mostly the TI-30x variants. This calculator has all the functionality of the TI-30x plus much, much more, solidly beating it. Firstly, the combination of battery and solar power means it the display will not fade when there is not enough ambient light (a problem with the ti-30xa solar) and the battery will last a long, long time. If you compare it with the ti-30x, there might seem to be some buttons that the ti has and this casio does not. However, the Casio has the same capabilities - they are stored in menus instead of buttons. For statistics, for example, there is a separate "statistics" mode, and there is a separate menu with statistical functions. The functionality of the DRG button on the TI can be found on the Casio by going to the setup screen, where you can choose between using degrees, radians, or gradients for calculations. the DRG button on the Casio converts between these different types of meansurements, which I think makes it even more useful than the TI.

My only quibble is that the manual is the same kind you might get with a digital watch. Booklet form would have been better.

I wish this calculator existed when I was in high school. As it is, I expect it will help me out in calculus class. I also have a ti-89, but I find I don't use it as often as the fx-115 es.

This is a low cost scientific calculator with all of the basic functions. The natural display is really nice and easy to enter complex functions. I was concerned about this calculator, because some of the functions on the unit do not produce answers. I tried to use the numeric differentiation function, for example. Try calculating the derivitive of the COS X at 3 degrees. The calculator gives you a "time out" error. I picked 3 degrees because I originally entered PI by mistake thinking that the calculator was in radians mode. In degrees mode, the calculator will not produce an answer for this problem. The calculator will give you an answer for -SIN 3 though, which is the derivitive of COS 3. Students, if you want this calculator to hash out integrals for you, it's not for that, it only calculates the numeric value of the integral with given limits BTW! The calculator really chugs on integrals, taking several seconds to produce an answer although it seems to produce answers from some pretty complex integrations. I was impressed with the integration more so than the differenciation...the integration works on some complicated functions. Impressive considering that this is a low cost calculator. I don't like the fact that some of the answers are given as fractions at times when it makes no sense for the answers to be represented as a fraction. You have to hit the S<->D button in order to convert many fractions and symbols to decimal values. There must be a way to change this default setup in the calculator, but damned if I can figure out how. The manual is totally lame. Half of the manual tells you how to open the sliding plastic cover and change the batteries. Unit has a lot of functions, but some of the calculations are slow. Basic calculations are fast.

I still like HP calculators better even though HP sold out and discontinued all of their really heavy duty models...my HP 20s is twice the calculator this one is, but it cost more when I bought it over 10 years ago. HP now is just a calculator importer like Casio & TI. All HP is now junk from China too, although I purchased and am anxious to get a new HP 35s that just came out. I believe that I can trust the precision of the HP calcs more despite the fact that all of todays calcs are made in China. I still think that students should all be trained on RPN calculators as most nested operations are faster.

I haven't had time to explore this calculator, but it seems to have all the functions I need and is of decent quality-not bad for $20!
The only place I find fault is in the documentation which are multi-folded "booklets" for a User Guide and Appendix. There are no tables of contents or Index in either "manual". They are essentially worthless and difficult to read, plus fragile. Fortunately, I was able to download the PDF versions and format them to 2 pages per 8.5 x 11" sheet for printing. This makes it a little less unwieldly and easier to read, albeit, lacking in usefull information. Users are on their own after that. Apparently there are no after market books specific to this calculator that I have found.

I had stupidly thought that since my preferred calculator is a TI-89 that I should use the TI model for the PE Exam. Ha! I'm glad someone told me about the Casio, because it is a far superior choice. Key differences between the two that make it amazing:

A solve routine
Responsive keys
Clear display

Might I also add, for the FE takers out there, that it derives and integrates? Yeah, the TI30X is basically a cheapy free calculator in comparison.

I love using this calculator. I used it for over 5 classes now. I have abused it so often I thought it would have died by now. Each time I take it out I am amazed how well it still works. My wife has a Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus Graphing Calculator. Often she will grab my Casio because it is so much easier to use. Also being its solar means no batteries to change, ever.

If you want a great calculator for a very good price then this is the one for you!

i bought the calculator for my son who is in high school. he appreciates the display, the sleek appearance and speed of processing data. good job Casio!

Now that many, if not all, of the TI/HP graphing calculators are banned from standardized exams, scientific calculators are generally approved for use. The HP 33/35 are overpriced calculators, and the TI-30XS MultiView is too basic of a calculator. The FX-115ES includes many features like differentials, integration, matrices (albeit only up to 3x3 matrices), "pretty print" or math print (where fractions are displayed like fractions in a textbook, and has a dual power system (solar power and batteries). The instruction pamphlet is large and unwieldy. TI at least includes a "booklet", while the Casio instructions are printed on a huge foldout sheet that is easily torn or lost. The ON/OFF controls for the FX-115ES are unintuitive. To turn ON the calculator, you must press a special ON button. To turn it off, you press SHIFT + AC. I instinctively hit AC to try to turn on the calculator since my old Casio scientifics all turned on in this manner. Why did they change this? The Casio also takes getting used to for TI graphing calculator users. I've used my TI-86 and TI-89 for nearly a decade and now I am forced to get acquainted with the Casio. It's not difficult but it is almost like learning a new keyboard layout. The screen text/font is also too large. While it offers a 2-line display, it really is useless for scrolling back. I am more used to the multi-line display of a TI-86/TI-89 where you can see 3-4 previous problems at a single time. They could have tried and squeezed more lines of text, but this is just a minor inconvenience. The protective cover also requires extra care to slide into place. It is not as positive or easy to use as a TI graphing calculator cover. They should have extended the tracks instead of making a curved design.

Pros: Lot of calculator for the money. Beats out the TI-30XS for power, and beats out the HP 33/35 for value.

Cons: Unwieldy instruction foldout, quirky on/off buttons (not intuitive), slightly more difficult to get used to for the TI user.

Overall: Simply one of the top choices for modern standardized exams if graphing calculators are banned.

I THINK THAT THIS CACULATOR IS GREAT FOR HIS PRICE.
I BOUGHT ONE AND MY BROTHER TOO.
I HAVE TI-30X IIS, BUT I THINK THAT THE CASIO FX-115ES IS BETTER.

Easy to use, has all the functions needing for algebra, and gmat prep. Buttons are big enough for convenient usage. Good display. Over all a good buy from amazon for the price and the seller.

The NCEES, which administers the FE and PE tests, has banned all high-end calculators, for example, the HP50 and TI89. One can only take the test with a scientific calculator from the "approved" list:

[...]

Here is a brief description of a side by side comparison of two approved machines, the HP35s and the Casio FX-115 ES. Without a doubt the Casio is the better machine:

(1) Cost: about $18 for the Casio compared to some $60 for the HP. If the only use of the calculator is for taking the test, the Casio is one-third the price of the HP. This makes the Casio the clear choice based on economics.

(2) Display: the Casio has a clear, distinct, textbook "pretty print" style of fractions and radicals. Argument entry is algebraic, and large, complicated expressions are easy to enter.

(3) Semi-symbolic logic: for example, in radian mode, "cos^-1(.5)" the Casio returns "1/3*pi", impressive for just a scientific calculator. Exact fractions and radicals are nicely done. Toggling between exact and decimal values is done at the touch of a button.

(4) No need to program: many functions on the HP, such as root-finding, have to be programmed or are hard to use. The Casio has built-in, easy to use second and third degree polynomial root-finding equations. The procedure for doing rectangular <-> polar conversions on the HP is stupid. In contrast, they are nicely done on the Casio, with a button dedicated to each one. Also included on the Casio are systems of equations, matrices, and vectors, all built-in, no programming needed.

(5) A neat feature: the Casio's integral button. Press it and an integral sign with limits pops up, easy to use. Most functions are readily integrated on the Casio, though it does choke on many root and complicated integrals.

(6) Equation solving: write an equation with X, and the Solve function on the Casio will solve it readily, every bit as good as the old HP Solver.

(6) Constants and conversions: the Casio has 40 constants and 40 conversions, which far outnumbers what the HP has.

In conclusion, the best calculator to take the test with is the Casio FX-115 ES.

I'm homeschooling my 12 year old son ... he loves math and had buzzed through algebra and trig, so we started calculus this year. Much fun for both of us!

On a whim, I bought this calculator when I saw the price ($[...]) and the note that it does integrals. I thought my son would shrug his shoulders at yet another calculator. Instead, it's turned into one of his treasures. Right off, he began doing algebra on it; within an hour, he was numerically integrating functions. Lately, he's been challenging it with calculations that take ten minutes to converge. Yikes!

We've been studying physics as well, and when we were fooling with Maxwell's Equations, he'd dig the constants (permitivity & permeabilty of free space) out of the innards of the calculator.

Probably he would have loved any good calculator, but I'm delighted at how he took to this one. Simple, fairly rugged, lightweight, and cheap enough to give to a 12 year old without worries that it'll get broken or lost.

I have since changed my mind about the new Casio FX-115ES calculator. It is as good or in some ways even better than the Sharp 506WBBK unit and of course slightly higher in its price. Both units are quite small, light and yet highly useful and powerful algebraic operating system (AOS) machines, capable of performing many important mathematical operations. The Casio doesn't perform matrices of order higher than three (whereas the Sharp will perform up to 4th order matrices), but the Casio has a screen contrast control and a lot more intuitive setup and control features. The keyboard, although busy is nowhere near as busy or hard to remember as on the Sharp.

I do not use any calculator every single day anymore, but when I do, I don't want to have to reread the manual thoroughly in order to remember how to do some key mathematical operations. Simplicity should be and is the guiding principle on the Casio. Also, largely different mathematical operations are kept quite separate which I find useful, but some others may not. It too has a quite limited memory, but for what it has, it does most operations quite cleanly and quickly. It also has two large (multi-page fold-up) paper manuals (a explanatory user's guide and a separate appendix of example calculations) showing all of the numerous types of operations in more detail.

I also like very much how this calculator displays very useful information about both the conversion of physical units from one system to another as well as the values of the available physical constants (40 values are available for each of these options). On the Casio the operation being performed is explicitly stated with standard symbols given for the particular constant for example. On the Sharp 506 WBBK there are about a dozen more values available, but no information is given after the operation is performed so you may just have to look your code up again to check and/or remember the operation that you have performed.

Finally, I also like how it allows the user to keep a record on the screen of the integral or derivative that was just performed. To boot the screen adjusts its scaling for your viewing of the result depending on the level of detail of the final operation, which is quite a nice feature. It can also be adjusted to either have a standard decimal style output answer or an answer with explicit integer and fractional parts. It is this same display control that fully allows all parts of the integration process to be displayed or not as chosen by the user. In some cases, for example making a table of values of a function, it doesn't always do a good job of representing the number in the very small tabular view, but luckily it also gives a backup view of every tabular entry at the bottom of the table and in all cases these are clearly and easily read and always quite correct.

Finally, when it does comes time to change the battery there is only one to replace on the Casio, but two to change on the Sharp (all LR44's).

Now I am also awaiting the arrival of the FX-991ES PLUS (which is very close to that of the FX-115ES, but with a redesigned body shape with all plastic keys and a new snap-on cover) that was just released by Casio. The Plus version has 9 memories and can perform 417 functions which is much closer to the capabilities of the Sharp. It also has an integer random number generator capability, etc.

UPDATE: June 29, 2008:

The Sharp EL-W506 is now available from the UK and it is also a greatly improved product too (with Sharp's Write-view capability just like Casio's Natural display style VPAM). It still has a quite busy keyboard, but is so much improved over the EL-506WBBK that it deserves a careful examination compared to the Casio FX-115ES too. Probably both the Sharp EL-W506 and the Casio FX-115ES Plus (or FX-991ES Plus) will both be available for the US school market for the fall.

Casio has been making calculators since the abacus was replaced (even tho it is still being used in some places, like MIT) so it is not surprising that this device works very well and does what it is asked to do.

It's 5 bucks cheaper at Target, PLUS you don't have to pay for shipping, and it won't take 2+ weeks to get to you!!! It's an awesome calculator, tho I have trouble adjusting to the button placement, having always used TI calculators. Amazon took their sweet time getting it to me; by the time I got it, I didn't need it anymore. So much for getting it by the "expected arrival date" or whatever...

This one isn't as fancy as the graphing calculators but it has a lot of the other main functionalities for geometry and trig and pre-cal, and even some calculus.

It's really a pretty cool calculator, but I do have a couple of gripes. First, the "book" that comes with it is pretty crappy, although it does contain all of the information if you take the time to dig through it. I found that your better bet is to go online and find it. At least then I can zoom it so that I can actually read it.

Second, the default setting displays all answers as improper fractions, so if you enter 5/4 you get a result of 5/4. Gee thanks, that's helpful. After several minutes of jacking with it and digging through the book, I finally found a section buried way down in the middle that shows how to switch the display to decimal (the S<>D button). I'm sure that this might have been obvious for seasoned scientific calculator users, but not for first time buyers.

Now, once you get past some of the quirks, it is a pretty good calculator. I like the textbook display. And for $18 (at Target), you can't beat it.

I've used Casio scientific calculators for many years. They're very durable, and especially suits a user who needs a scientific calculator without graphical functions. The display is also very explicit.

clear screen
easy to use
allowed in FE and other exams
attractive model

King of affordable full featured sci calculators anyways. I bought this & the 115ms specifically for the NCEES FE/FS exams after heavy use of ti-86 thru most of undergrad school. The TI certainly is nice for graphing, full matrix capability, programming, etc., but in general, i wish i had used the Casios all along as they are so incredibly handy & much easier to lug along. It's really all you'll need, even thru calculus, physics, statistics & chemistry. The 2-line display on the 115es is handy, and the natural display is nice for seeing fractions displayed in a horizontal stack (as would appear on paper), for entering derivative or integration problems as would be in a textbook, and for the standard display of answers (i.e. exact answer vs. decimal answer). Otherwise, its easy enough to switch to the more common 'line' entry mode to get all answers in decimal(as some mental giants here have complained about), or simply hit the S-D key [standard to decimal].

Things i like about the 115ms specifically (compared to the 115es) is its clearer, crisper display, the keyboard is more intuitive, and also the solve feature is more flexible than the es. If you input an equation using multiple variables, with the ms, you just toggle between the variable inputs as you're entering the data to solve for the desired one. With the es, you have to specify at the end of your equation which variable you want to solve for, before you even get to the data input. A minor gripe.

Otherwise, the es is definitely more user-friendly in the various modes available, and with matrix, table, and vector capability, unit conversions and some scientific constants, much more advanced than the ms. Casio should combine the pros of the 2 platforms and they could call it the 115ts because it would be "the-sh#t! Also, they need to make a real operator manual - otherwise i would of given 5-stars for this full-featured gem.

First problem is that it does not simplify fractions.

A serious bug is when merely adding decimal (floating point)numbers, for some reason it converts the result into a fraction. For example 2.5 + 3.9 becomes 32/5 instead of 6.4.

I bought this calculator for a college-level Intermediate Algebra class. It was recommended that we get graphing calculators, but this was cheaper and I liked the idea of being able to see square root symbols and fractions as they appear on the page instead of in text notation. This has turned out to be a fantastic purchase. It is very powerful and even beats the graphing calculator I borrowed for comparison in ease of use. The large, "natural" display is my favorite feature and makes inputting equations much more simple. Highly recommended from a calculator-shy college student.

I've cleared it, set the mode to "math" and when I add 2.2 + 2.2 I get 22/5 instead of 4.4. Am I missing something here?

I haven't been disappointed by a casio calculator purchase yet. I'm glad I bought it.

I previously had an HP33s Scientific Calculator for high school but because it didn't have a hard case, the screen smashed from being carried around in my school bag. It was more expensive to have repaired than buy a new one, so I had to throw it away. Bought the Casio mainly because it has a hard case and it has more than lived up to the punishment of being carted around school in my bag - plus the functionality has impressed me so much more than the HP33s. At a third of the price, I would say this is great value for money.

No question this is a pretty good calculator for the price.
One thing I do not like about this calculator is that it does not offer
3-digit punctuation marks, and it is very hard to see whether you are accurately typing in big numbers like "42356566732.1 + 456666666121.127 x 23344333333333)". Obviously, with punctuation marks (4,235,656,732.1 + 456,666,666,121.127 x 2,334,433,333,333), it will be much easier to see whether you are typing in correctly.

Another thing I do not like about the calculator is: To store a number, you have to press "Shift" key, which is a little inconvenience.

Lastly, I do not like the text color (blue) and background light-green-orange and text display. The text is not as sharply displayed as TI-30 series (which is less expensive than the Casio calculator).

I got this for my 16 yo who is about to take his PSAT's. He has been studying for the math section and this calculator is awesome. The equations are actually in equation format and he is kicking butt. Thank you