A scientific calculator is different than a traditional calculator. Scientific calculators are designed to perform complex operations that are not common to everyday math use (i.e. add, multiply, divide and subtract). In your daily life, when was the last time you needed to calculate the reciprocal of a sum of numbers? You need a scientific calculator to able to perform such operations.

Candidates sitting for the CTS-D Exam are provided with a software-based version of the TI-30XS Multiview calculator. If possible, use the same calculator when studying for the exam. That way, when you go to take the exam, you won't have to spend time familiarizing yourself with the calculator's layout.