Are calculators permitted?
Calculators may be permitted only if a student has a documented disability and the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities has previously verified the documentation. In other situations, calculators are not available for most test questions. However, some items have a pop-up calculator to use when answering the question is based on knowledge of a formula. These items were written so that the use of a calculator will not help the student answer the question but rather will assist as a tool for the student to use. For example, if a student is asked to calculate the area of a rectangle, s/he must know the formula (length multiplied by width) for calculating the area. The calculator is available in this case as a tool for multiplying the length times the width. It will not help the student who does not know the formula.
When you take the MPA at Discover Loyola, you may use your own calculator but will be asked to delete all programs that have been stored on the calculator. If you do not bring a calculator to the test, you will be given a TI-83 or a scientific calculator to use during the test. When you take the MPA online, you may use any calculator with which you are comfortable. Calculators must be of the hand-held variety, and must not have a keyboard or a wireless connection. In particular, laptops are not permitted. The online test includes an on-screen scientific calculator that has only basic functionality. (The inverse trigonometric functions, for example, are not supported.) Consequently, most students will prefer to use their own calculators. In our introductory courses at Loyola, most students use a TI-83+ or TI-84+ graphing calculator. Some introductory courses may use mathematical software such as Maple or Mathematica, or more advanced calculators such as the TI-89 graphing calculator.
