SOA-Approved Calculators for Actuarial Exams: Full List + Best Pick for P and FM

Get the TI-30XS MultiView for Exam P and the BA II Plus for Exam FM, and if you can, carry both. They're two of the six Texas Instruments calculators the SOA and CAS allow on the preliminary exams, and nothing else is permitted. I'm an FSA, and that's the pairing I passed the SOA exams with.

The SOA and CAS calculator list

For the preliminary exams (Exam P, FM, FAM, SRM, PA, ALTAM, ASTAM, and the CAS MAS-I and MAS-II), you can use only these models:

Texas Instruments BA-35 (discontinued, but still permitted if you have one)
BA II Plus
BA II Plus Professional
TI-30Xa
TI-30X II (the IIS solar or IIB battery version)
TI-30X MultiView (the XS solar or XB battery version)

Bringing a calculator that isn't on this list disqualifies your exam, so check the exact model name and suffix against the current SOA policy before you sit.

Which one for P and FM

Exam P: TI-30XS MultiView

Exam P is probability and statistics, and the TI-30XS MultiView suits that work. Its two-line display shows the full expression you entered, so you can check and edit it before you hit enter, which cuts down on entry mistakes under time pressure. It handles fractions, exponents and combinations (nCr) cleanly, and it's under 20 dollars. You won't miss the BA II Plus's financial functions on Exam P, because they aren't what the exam tests.

Exam FM: BA II Plus

Exam FM is financial mathematics: annuities, bond pricing, loan amortization and yield rates, which is what the BA II Plus is built for. The time value of money row (N, I/Y, PV, PMT, FV) handles annuity and loan problems directly, the cash flow worksheet computes NPV and IRR on uneven cash flows, and the amortization worksheet does loan schedules. The TI-30XS has none of these, so on FM it leaves you doing by hand what the BA II Plus does in a few keystrokes.

Carrying both

Both models are on the list, both are cheap, and you're allowed to bring both into the exam. The common setup is the TI-30XS MultiView as your main calculator for the probability-heavy exams and the BA II Plus for the financial-math exams, each backing up the other if a battery dies.

On exam day

When you enter the room, the exam supervisor clears the memory of the models that have programmable memory (the TI-30X II, TI-30X MultiView, BA II Plus and BA II Plus Professional). You also can't bring calculator instructions or keystroke guides into the exam, so the sequences you'll use (combinations on the TI-30XS, TVM and cash flows on the BA II Plus) need to be automatic before you walk in. I built FreeFellow's actuarial practice so candidates can drill those keystrokes on real problems, and the Exam P and Exam FM banks are free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which calculators can you use on the SOA and CAS actuarial exams?

The Texas Instruments BA-35, BA II Plus, BA II Plus Professional, TI-30Xa, TI-30X II (the IIS solar or IIB battery version) or the TI-30X MultiView (the XS solar or XB battery version). Using a calculator that isn't on this list disqualifies the exam.

What is the best calculator for Exam P?

The TI-30XS MultiView. Its two-line display lets you see and edit the full expression, and it handles fractions and combinations cleanly, which suits the probability and statistics on Exam P. It's on the SOA and CAS list.

What is the best calculator for Exam FM?

The BA II Plus. Exam FM is financial mathematics, so its time value of money row, its cash flow worksheet for NPV and IRR, and its amortization functions save real time. The TI-30XS doesn't have these financial functions.

Do I need to buy two calculators for the actuarial exams?

It isn't required, but many candidates do. The TI-30XS MultiView is the better fit for Exam P and the BA II Plus is the better fit for Exam FM. Both are on the list, both are inexpensive, and you're allowed to bring both into the exam.

Are there any calculator restrictions on exam day?

Yes. For the models with programmable memory (the TI-30X II, the TI-30X MultiView, the BA II Plus and the BA II Plus Professional), the exam supervisor clears the memory when you enter. You also can't bring calculator instructions into the room.

What SOA candidates are saying

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Long N.

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