Texas BA-II Plus Professional Calculator

It’s the one that is allowed for CFA exams, so it’s more of must buy.. couldn’t find the other one they allow. very practical and sturdy. Original product

I recently purchased this calculator for my CFA preparations. Like many other candidates, I too was confused whether to buy the Non-PRO version or PRO one. But then I eventually purchased this PRO version owing to its additional features and looks.I know there is a huge price difference between non-Pro and Pro version, but considering that I eventually would have to use the additional functions in Level 3, so why not get familiar with and get used to the Pro version from the very beginning.Now let me clarify a few common queries:-1.BUTTONS: Many people complaint that the PRO version has hard keys. Well not exactly. The keys have a tactile feedback, but they are in no way hard. I am sure these are designed in this way to let the user actually know whether he/she has pressed a particular button or not.This comes really handy when you need to solve a complex problem which involves use of multiple brackets. Because of it being a single line display the brackets don't appear on the screen, so you have to remember it.And for that you have to be dead sure that you have opened and closed each bracket, otherwise it would result in an error. Hence the tactile buttons are there.2.CASE: No there is no leather case provided with this calculator anymore.I contacted Texas Instruments and they told me that post 2018, the new packaging does not include a leather case.Nowhere on the package does it state an inclusion of leather case anymore.Is that a deal breaker? No not really. As you can see in my pics there is a case. I went with a piece of rexine (30cm X 40cm) to a tailor and got a case stitched for ₹20 with a double inner padding. More over the dimensions of the calculator are similar to iPhone 6s plus so you can order a sleeve or pouch. Problem solved.3.BODY: No the body isn't completely made of metal. Only the panel around the buttons is metal and rest is plastic body, just like the Non-PRO model. But on the brighter side, the body is more slim and looks so good in person than the Non-PRO model. Moreover the battery door is easy to slide open and replace the battery unlike the Non-PRO model which requires a screwdriver and pry tool and lots of scratches and marks to open and replace battery.My ADVICE: Yes definitely buy the Professional model (if your budget allows). You will familiarise yourself with it for level 3 as well as save some time due to the additional functions.A word of PRECAUTION: Please do take care of your calculator by buying a good case.Prevent it from drops. It's an expensive piece of equipment and you wouldn't want to break it. Never ever touch the screen or press it.I have seen lots of reviews on other websites which state that there has been screen bleeding issue because of pressing the screen.Why would you want to press you screen anyhow!!Rest assured, it's a Computing Beast. You'll fall in love with it once you get the hang of it.

very helpful and good quality

worth money

A very helpful calculating machine especially for students and professionals

Nice

The keys might feel hard to press but they give feedback, tactile feel this helps is recognizing the keys are pressed but in the BA II Plus the keys are flimsy and don't give feedback when pressed.And faster processing too.

I used this calculator (BA II Plus) during my CFA Level 1 exam, and it worked fine back then. But now, just one year later, it has become completely unreliable and incredibly frustrating.Several keys don't respond unless I press them multiple times with a lot of force — and even then, they sometimes fail to register the correct value. I am preparing for CFA Level 2 now, and instead of focusing on studying, I’m busy fighting with my calculator. It slows me down, disrupts my flow, and kills my focus.A financial calculator should be precise, durable, and responsive — especially when it's officially approved for CFA exams. Sadly, this one feels cheaply made and fails at its most basic purpose.I bought it trusting the CFA endorsement, but this device didn't even last through one exam cycle. If you're a CFA candidate, think twice. You deserve a tool you can trust during high-pressure exam conditions — this isn't it.