Which calculator does your child need?
The maths department uses two calculators across MYP and DP — a scientific calculator from Year 7 onwards, and a graphing calculator introduced towards the end of Year 10 and used throughout DP. Buying the right one avoids upgrading mid-year.
TI-30X Plus MathPrint
Scientific calculator · MYP 1–5
A basic two-line scientific calculator. Required from Year 7 onwards and used throughout MYP. Handles fractions, powers, roots, basic statistics, and trigonometry — everything an MYP student needs.
The slightly older TI-30 XS MultiView is also accepted; if it is already in the family, there is no need to buy a new one.
- Where
- Available from the school bookroom — also at Manor, Payot, or online (Amazon, Galaxus).
TI-Nspire CX II
Non-CAS onlyGraphing calculator · DP (AA and AI)
A full graphing calculator. Introduced towards the end of Year 10 and required throughout DP — used for IA work, in-class teaching, and the external IB exams.
The CAS (Computer Algebra System) version is not permitted in IB external assessments. If your child already has one it is not a problem — we disable CAS for exams as a matter of routine — but buying one gains nothing and adds a step that can go wrong. Buy the non-CAS model. Both come in a range of colours, and the colour makes no difference.
We strongly recommend buying it in Year 11, so students have time to familiarise themselves with menus, graphing, and exam mode before DP starts.
- Where
- Available from the school bookroom (recommended — the bookroom stocks the non-CAS model). Also at Manor.
Buying in Switzerland
Swiss shops list the graphing calculator as the TI-Nspire CX II-T. The "-T" is simply the European version and is the right one. What matters is avoiding any listing whose name contains CAS — those are sold alongside it and are usually the first result.
The scientific calculator is the TI-30X Plus MathPrint. Note there is also a TI-30X Pro MathPrint: a different, dearer model that the department does not use.
Both are widely stocked — Manor, Brack, Galaxus, Coop City and the campus store. As a rough guide the scientific calculator is around CHF 30 and the graphing calculator around CHF 150 to 200; the campus store is usually the simplest option if you would rather not compare.
When you actually need them
The scientific calculator is needed from Year 7. The graphing calculator (Nspire) is not used until towards the end of Year 10, so there is no need to buy one early.
If in doubt, both models are stocked in the campus store, so you can buy either at any point in the year without hunting for the right version.
Have an old calculator your child has outgrown? Donate it to the annual end-of-year recycling drive — a DP1 CAS project that passes recycled calculators on to incoming families through the school bookroom.
Calculator etiquette and exam rules
- Calculator cases must be removed before any formal assessment.
- For IB DP final exams: memory must be reset by the invigilator immediately before the exam.
- No phone calculators in any assessment.
- Programmable calculators (other than the approved Nspire models) are not allowed.