Test 08F ('08 District 1)

[nsguy1350]

211-218, did 66, missed 16-17. The back page answer was cut off on this site, so I had to go in and plug every NC in with my 89, and check it to make sure I put it in correctly, since the 89 uses pretty print. I missed #65 AGAIN. For some reason, 65 is a question I almost always miss. The uncertainty is in #66, because I can't check whether I got that one right or not. I'd say I probably go it wrong, but I'm not sure.

Questions: 17,18,26,37,38,39,49,56,57,59,60. Thanks!

[007math]

I'm not sure what #65 is on this test, but what the test writer usually does to trick people is take advantage of your HP's weakness (i assume you are using RPN HP). Most of these calculators can only hold 5 numbers in its stack (whenever you click enter, it stores the number in a stack so later on when you do + or another operation, it takes the number from the most recent stack and does the operation). On #65 problems, the test writer sometimes makes it, when doing the problem left-to-right exactly as written, use more than 5 stacks so your first entry is gone and therefore you would never get the right answer. When you have a fraction or something simple and added/subtracted/etc. to a complex expression, you have to manipulate it so you can put in the complex thing first then incorporate the smaller/simpler expression. Hope that helps for #65s.

EDIT: Yup, for #65 input the expression as:

[unparseable or potentially dangerous latex formula]

I just wanted to practice my [unparseable or potentially dangerous latex formula] skills :D

[nsguy1350]

That is what I suspected, but I never paid close attention. Thanks. I won't whip out the TI, but instead go complex first then. That should raise my score up a bit.

[redhawk2015]

Do you use two different calculators? I see "HP" and "TI" in different scenarios but can't quite see why...

[nsguy1350]

Yes, the TI-89 -- HP32Sii combo is what I use. I think that's probably the best possible combination, so I don't have a calculator excuse.
The HP is mainly for Number crunchers, and I can finish in 9:00 or less, but sometimes a little before 10:00 now, just going straight through the NCs.
I then switch to the 89, and do geom/stated on the first 3 pages. I go to the fourth, see if anything is easy, then go on to the sixth, use the 89, and then while my calculator is solving, do the linear regression and maybe scaling on my HP. I then finish up the fifth and sixth, and try to do some of the fourth. I also try to do 66-68 if I can and have time.