SecQual

An Approved Calculators List for External Assessments
S2011/027 - 05 Jul 2011

An Approved Calculators List for External Assessments

NZQA intends to produce an “Approved Calculators” list for use in NCEA and Scholarship external assessments. Only calculators on this list will be permitted in external assessments.

An approved list of calculator models will make examination supervision simpler, and make it easier for schools to ensure students adhere to NZQA examination policy. Publication of an approved list will also simplify, for parents, students and teachers, the identification of models that are suitable to purchase for use in external assessments.

There are two possible scenarios for the introduction of the list, and teacher feedback is sought on which is preferable and why.

1. The list is published in term 4, 2011 for implementation in the 2012 external examinations.
   
   Or
   
   
2. Implementation of the approved list does not occur until 2014, so that current Year 11 students will not be affected by the proposed changes.

Teachers and calculator manufacturers and suppliers are invited to nominate other models of calculators to be considered for inclusion in the approved list by 31 August 2011. The list of approved calculators will be notified by circular in term 4 of the year prior to its implementation.

The approved list will contain graphing calculators and scientific calculators. It will be necessary for teachers to advise students which type of calculator is suitable for the standards they will be attempting.

The approved list will initially include the following calculators

Level 3 Statistics and Modelling, Scholarship Statistics and Modelling, and Scholarship Mathematics with Calculus

In addition to calculators from the above list, candidates entering level 3 Statistics and Modelling, Scholarship Statistics and Modelling, and Scholarship Mathematics with Calculus examinations may use approved CAS-capable calculators. CAS calculators which are approved for these subjects are:

Approving calculators for inclusion in the list

The list will be updated and republished each year.

The specifications for an approved calculator are that it:

• must be silent, hand-held, non-printing, and contain its own power source
• must not be able to transmit or receive information to/from other calculators or external sources
• must not be able to be used as a dictionary or translator, or store and retrieve information that cannot be cleared prior to the examination
• must not be capable of high level algebraic manipulation or have computer algebraic system (CAS) capability, including any with the ability to install software that enables them to operate as a symbolic manipulator (exceptions are the calculator requirements for level 3 Statistics and Modelling, Scholarship Statistics and Modelling, and Scholarship Mathematics with Calculus). All models need to be able to be reset either by the screen display or by pressing a reset button to remove all additional files/applets not in the machine’s initial setting.

New models introduced each year need to be submitted to NZQA by 31 August for possible approval and inclusion in the following year’s list.

Background

Currently, NZQA maintains a “prohibited” list of specified models whose use is not permitted in external assessments. These calculators are prohibited on the grounds that they have advanced computer algebraic capability that offers too much assistance to candidates in some subjects, or have features that contravene NZQA examination rules.

The weakness of a prohibited calculators list is that new models which are not tested do not appear on the list but may contravene the examination rules. Another problem is that examination supervisors have to cope with a large number of different models, each potentially with a different procedure for clearing the memory.

Feedback and Enquiries

Please refer any feedback on the timing of the introduction of the approved list, the makeup of the list, and any enquiries relating to this circular by 31 August, to: