Can I Use a Calculator for CA Foundation Exam?3 min read

If you are determined to pursue your career as a Chartered Accountant, then gear yourself up for tedious calculations.  You have to qualify for almost 21 papers including financial accounting, cost accounting, budgeting and taxation, auditing, etc.

All of these subjects involve technical computations. Doing them manually consumes most of the time, and in order to score high you must have a good portable calculator.

Students are always anxious to know either calculator is allowed or not while taking CA exams.  Well, the answer is YES! The use of certain types of calculators is permitted in the examination center.

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What types of calculators are allowed in CA foundation exams?

Before buying a calculator for CA exams you must consider these features.  

Primarily to ensure transparency across the board indispensable measures are taken by the exam authorities. Before purchasing any gadget you must briefly go through the policies of the institute you are enrolled in.

Secondly, it is considered a standard for CA exams that a calculator must not support any electrical functions.

Any calculator having scientific or advanced functions and having more than two memory storage capacities shall not be taken inside the exam hall.

Calculator Policy for CA Exams

The calculator you are using for the exam must comply with the exam policies of the institute.

Before investing your money in any product, carefully read the exam instructions of the institute you are enrolled in.

Be aware if your calculator does not match the criteria, and you are using a device other than the recommended one, it will be tantamount to the adoption of unfair means.

It shall not have any built-in functions.

The product you are using for the CA exam must not have any pre-installed functions in it.  It shall only be capable of performing basic functions. It shall only perform plus, minus, multiply, divide, grand total, and two memory spaces.

Battery-Powered or Solar-Powered.

In CA exams you will be dealing with long calculations. So keep in mind the product you are choosing for the exams must have durable batteries. It is even better if it is backed by dual power sources. 

However, relying on the solar source is a risky option. Instead, you must have an extra pair of batteries to meet any accidental failure of power.

It must not have a keypad other than a numerical one.

The alphanumeric keypad is designed for a scientific calculator. It is already mentioned above that having a scientific calculator in the examination is prohibited. A calculator with only a numeric pad is allowed.

The gadgets that can share or transfer data are not allowed.

 The device must not have the ability to come in contact with any other device via WI FI and Bluetooth.

It must have two memory spaces.

In CA some values are used time and again. To save time during the exam your calculator must have two memory spaces, but not more than two.

The calculator must have a visible display.

You must consider a unit with a well-readable screen. The unit must have a sharp brightened screen.

So you need not put extra pressure on your eyes to view it. Moreover, it is better if the brightness of the gadget can be adjusted as per day and night light.

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