Quick start guide

MM-991ES
Advanced
Scientific

Equations, calculus, statistics, matrices, vectors and complex numbers for Year 11 onwards. Every step shows the keys to press and what should be on the screen.

NZQA approved

01 — Start here

Set up in 60 seconds

Do this once, when you take the calculator out of the box. It puts every setting back to how it left the factory, so what you see matches this guide.

Take it out of the case and turn it on

Slide the hard case down and off, then clip it onto the back of the calculator while you work.
ON
Turns it on. It runs on light (the solar panel) with an LR44 button battery as backup.
SHIFTACOFF
Turns it off.

Reset everything

SHIFT9CLR
Opens the clear menu: 1 Setup, 2 Memory, 3 All.
3All
Choose All. It asks you to confirm.
=Yes→AC
= means yes. You're back in COMP mode with every setting at its default.
D Math

D means degrees and Math means answers are shown the way your textbook writes them.

Check this firstIf you ever get a strange answer, look for D and Math at the top of the screen before anything else.

Degrees or radians

SHIFTMODESETUP
Opens the setup menu.
1:MthIO  2:LineIO
3:Deg    4:Rad
5:Gra    6:Fix
7:Sci    8:Norm
The first page of the setup menu.
3Deg
Degrees. Press 4 instead for radians: an R shows at the top. Use radians for calculus with trig functions.

Textbook-style answers (Math display)

SHIFTMODE1MthIO1MathO
On after a reset. Use this if fractions and roots have started showing on one line.

Screen contrast

SHIFTMODE▼6CONT
Use ◀ and ▶, then AC.
1:ab/c   2:d/c
3:CMPLX  4:STAT
5:Disp   6:◀CONT▶
The second page: press ▼ from the first.

02 — The basics

The eight modes

Press MODE and a number to change mode. Everyday work, calculus and SOLVE all happen in COMP.

MODE
The mode menu.
1:COMP   2:CMPLX
3:STAT   4:BASE-N
5:EQN    6:MATRIX
7:TABLE  8:VECTOR

1COMPEveryday calculations, calculus, SOLVE

2CMPLXComplex numbers (a + bi)

3STATStatistics, regression, standard normal

4BASE-NBinary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal

5EQNSimultaneous, quadratic and cubic equations

6MATRIXMatrices up to 3×3

7TABLEA table of values from f(x)

8VECTORVectors in 2 or 3 dimensions

What the setup menu changes

Setup menu: SHIFT MODE
Press	What it does
1 MthIO 2 LineIO	Textbook-style display, or everything on one line
3 Deg 4 Rad	Angles in degrees or radians
6 Fix 7 Sci 8 Norm	Round to decimal places, to significant figures, or back to normal
▼ 1 ▼ 2	Fraction answers as mixed or improper
▼ 3 CMPLX	Complex answers as a + bi or r∠θ
▼ 4 STAT	Adds a FREQ column to the statistics editor
▼ 6 CONT	Screen contrast

03 — Reference

Everyday keys

Yellow labels are reached with SHIFT and red labels with ALPHA. Purple labels only work in CMPLX mode and green labels only in BASE-N mode.

The shortcuts you'll use most
What you want	Press
Fraction · mixed number	· SHIFT
Fraction ↔ decimal · improper ↔ mixed	S⇔D · SHIFT S⇔D
Square · cube	x² · SHIFT x²
Square root · cube root	√ · SHIFT √
Any power · any root	x · SHIFT x
log to any base · e^x · 10^x	log_▫▫ · SHIFT ln · SHIFT log
π · e	SHIFT ×10^x · ALPHA ×10^x
Negative number	(−) (not the − key)
Percent	SHIFT (
The letter X (for equations, SOLVE, calculus)	ALPHA )
An equals sign inside an equation	ALPHA CALC
SOLVE	SHIFT CALC
Integrate · differentiate · sum (Σ)	∫ · SHIFT ∫ · SHIFT log_▫▫
Absolute value	SHIFT hyp Abs
Comma	SHIFT )
Menus for STAT · CMPLX · MATRIX · VECTOR	SHIFT 1 · SHIFT 2 · SHIFT 4 · SHIFT 5
Scientific constants · unit conversions	SHIFT 7 · SHIFT 8
Use the last answer · delete · clear	Ans · DEL · AC

04 — Number

Fractions, trig & rounding

With Math display on, answers stay exact where they can: fractions, surds and π.

2▼3▶+1▼2=
Type the top, ▼ to the bottom, ▶ to step out.
D Math
23+12
76
S⇔D
Switches between the fraction and the decimal.
D Math
23+12
1.166666667
15×cos40)=
Trig works the same way. Check for D first.
D Math
15×cos(40)
11.49066665
SHIFTsin7▼12▶)=
Inverse sine of 712.
D Math
sin⁻¹(712)
35.68533471

Rounding every answer

SHIFT MODE 6 Fix then 0 to 9 rounds to that many decimal places. SHIFT MODE 7 Sci then 0 to 9 gives significant figures. SHIFT MODE 8 Norm 1 puts it back to normal.

05 — Algebra

Equations & SOLVE

EQN mode solves simultaneous equations with two or three unknowns, quadratics and cubics. You type the numbers in front of x, y and z, and it does the rest.

Worked example — simultaneous equationsSolve x + 2y = 3 and 2x + 3y = 4.

MODE5EQN
Choose the type of equation.
1:anX+bnY=cn
2:anX+bnY+cnZ=dn
3:aX²+bX+c=0
4:aX³+bX²+cX+d=0
1
Two unknowns. A grid appears for a, b and c on each row.
abc
1000
2000
1=2=3=2=3=4=
Type each number and press = after it. Use (−) for negatives.
abc
1123
2234
=
The first answer.
D Math
X=
−1
=
Press = again for y. Press = once more to go back to the grid.
D Math
Y=
2

Worked example — quadraticSolve 2x² + x − 3 = 0.

MODE53
Quadratic: aX² + bX + c = 0.
2=1=(−)3==
a = 2, b = 1, c = −3, then = to solve.
D Math
X1=
1
=
The second solution. Answers stay exact where they can.
D Math
X2=
−32

Three unknowns work the same way: MODE 5 2, then four numbers per row. For a cubic, use MODE 5 4. If there are complex solutions, they show with i.

SOLVE: any equation in COMP mode

SOLVE finds X in an equation you type, starting from a guess. It's useful for equations EQN can't do.

MODE1→ALPHA)Xx²−5ALPHACALC=0
Type X² − 5 = 0. The = inside the equation is ALPHA CALC.
D Math
X²−5=0
SHIFTCALCSOLVE
It asks for a starting guess.
D Math
Solve for X
0
2=
Start near 2. The answer appears with L−R, which is 0 when both sides match.
D  Math
X²−5=0
X=  2.236067977
L−R=  0

Good to knowSOLVE gives one solution, the one nearest your guess. To find another, run it again with a different guess. If it can't find one you'll see Can't Solve.

06 — Calculus

Calculus

Integration, differentiation at a point, and sums all work in COMP mode. Each key opens a template: type in the main box, then use the arrow keys to fill in the other boxes.

∫
Integrate. Type 2X + 1 in the main box, then move to the bottom and top limits and type 1 and 3. Press =.
D Math
∫₁³(2X+1)dx
10
SHIFT∫d/dx
Differentiate at a point. Type X³ − 2X, then the x value, 2. Press =.
D Math
^d⁄_dx(X³−2X)|_x=2
10
SHIFTlog_▫▫Σ
Sum. Type X + 1, then the first and last values of x, 1 and 5. Press =.
D Math
⁵Σ_x=1(X+1)
20

Watch outFor calculus with sin, cos or tan, switch to radians first: SHIFT MODE 4. Calculus can take a few seconds. If it gives up, you'll see Time Out.

07 — Statistics

Statistics

Type your data into the statistics editor, then ask for what you need from the STAT menu, SHIFT 1. Your data is deleted when you leave STAT mode.

Worked example — one list of dataQuiz scores: 12, 15, 15, 17, 18, 21.

MODE3STAT11-VAR
The editor opens with an X column.
1:1-VAR  2:A+BX
3:_+CX²  4:ln X
5:e^X    6:A·B^X
7:A·X^B  8:1/X
Press 1 for one list. 2 to 8 are lines and curves of best fit.
12=15=15=17=18=21=→AC
Type each value and press = after it, then AC to leave the editor.
X
518
621
7
SHIFT15Var2x̄=
The mean.
x̄
16.33333333
SHIFT153xσn=
Population standard deviation.
xσn
2.808716591
SHIFT154xσn−1=
Sample standard deviation.
xσn−1
3.076794869
SHIFT16MinMax
Then 1 for the smallest or 2 for the largest, and =.

Worked example — line of best fitHours of study (x) and test mark (y): (1, 52), (2, 58), (3, 61), (4, 70), (5, 74).

MODE32A+BX
Linear: y = A + Bx. Type the x values in the X column, then move to the top of the Y column with the arrow keys and type the y values.
AC→SHIFT17Reg1A=
Where the line crosses the y-axis.
A
46.2
SHIFT172B=
The gradient.
B
5.6
SHIFT173r=
The correlation coefficient.
r
0.9899494937
6SHIFT175ŷ=
Predicted mark for 6 hours.
6ŷ
79.8

Standard normal probabilities

With a one-list (1-VAR) data set open, SHIFT 1 7 Distr gives the standard normal functions: P( is the area to the left of z, Q( the area between 0 and z, and R( the area to the right of z. SHIFT 1 7 1 1.2 ) = gives P(1.2), about 0.885. ▶t turns a data value into a z-score using your data's mean and standard deviation.

Frequency tablesSwitch on the FREQ column before you type data: SHIFT MODE ▼ 4 STAT 1 ON.

08 — Algebra

Matrices & vectors

Store up to three matrices (MatA, MatB, MatC) up to 3×3, and three vectors in 2 or 3 dimensions.

Worked example — determinant and inverseA = [[2, 1], [1, 1]]. Find det A and A⁻¹.

MODE6MATRIX
Choose which matrix to fill in.
Matrix?
1:MatA 2:MatB
3:MatC
1MatA
Choose its size.
MatA(m×n) m×n?
1:3×3  2:3×2
3:3×1  4:2×3
5:2×2  6:2×1
52×2→2=1=1=1=
Type each number, row by row, pressing = after each one.
AC→SHIFT47detSHIFT43MatA=
The determinant.
det(MatA)
1
SHIFT43MatAx⁻¹=
The inverse. Use x⁻¹ (not the power key).
Ans
12
11−1
2−12

To add or multiply matrices, type them like numbers: SHIFT 4 3 × SHIFT 4 4 = gives MatA × MatB. If the sizes don't fit together, you'll see Dimension ERROR.

Vectors

MODE8VECTOR1VctA22D
Choose VctA and 2 dimensions.
1=2=
VctA = (1, 2).
SHIFT51Dim2VctB2→3=4=
VctB = (3, 4).
AC→SHIFT53VctASHIFT57DotSHIFT54VctB=
The dot product. Use × between two vectors for the cross product (3D).
VctA·VctB
11

09 — Algebra

Complex numbers

Complex numbers work in CMPLX mode. The ENG key becomes i.

MODE2CMPLX
CMPLX shows at the top.
(1+3ENGi)÷(2ENGi)=
(1 + 3i) ÷ 2i.
CMPLX D Math
(1+3i)÷(2i)
32−12i

For the modulus use SHIFT hyp Abs, and for the argument SHIFT 2 CMPLX 1 arg. To show answers in polar form r∠θ, use SHIFT MODE ▼ 3 2.

10 — Extras

Tables, constants & conversions

Table of values

MODE 7 TABLE, type the rule using ALPHA ) for X, press =, then answer Start?, End? and Step?, pressing = after each. Up to 30 rows.

Scientific constants

SHIFT7CONST28=
There are 40 constants, each with a two-digit number. 28 is the speed of light.
D Math
C₀
299792458

Other useful ones: 35 is g (standard gravity), 24 is Avogadro's number and 25 is Boltzmann's constant.

Unit conversions

100SHIFT8CONV19=
Conversion 19 is km/h to m/s.
D Math
100km/h▶m/s
27.77777778

There are 40 conversions, including cm↔in (01, 02), kg↔lb (24, 23), °F↔°C (37, 38) and J↔cal (39, 40). The full list is in the manual in the box.

11 — Exams

Before an exam

NZQAThe MM-991ES is on NZQA's list of approved calculators, so you can use it in NCEA exams. Clear its memory before an exam, as below.

Clearing it

SHIFT9CLR2Memory=Yes
Clears stored numbers, matrices and vectors, and the last answer. Settings stay.
SHIFT9CLR3All=Yes→AC
Clears everything and resets every setting.

In the first minute of the exam

Check for D (degrees) or R (radians) at the top, to match the paper.
Check for Math at the top, and that FIX or SCI isn't showing.
Press MODE 1 so you start in COMP mode.

12 — Troubleshooting

Error messages & batteries

When an error shows, press ◀ or ▶ to jump to the problem, fix it and press = again. Or press AC to clear it.

Error messages
Message	What it means	What to do
Syntax ERROR	Something is typed in a way the calculator can't read.	Press ◀ and fix it.
Math ERROR	The answer can't be worked out, or a number is out of range (like dividing by zero).	Check the numbers you typed.
Stack ERROR	The calculation is too long or complicated.	Split it into parts.
Dimension ERROR	A matrix or vector has no size set, or the sizes don't work together.	Set the size, or check the sizes match.
Variable ERROR	SOLVE can't find the letter to solve for.	Use X in the equation.
Can't Solve	SOLVE couldn't find an answer.	Try a guess closer to the answer.
Time Out	A calculus calculation didn't finish.	Try again, or split the range.
Insufficient MEM	Not enough memory, for example a table over 30 rows.	Make the range smaller.

Still not right?

Check you're in the right mode.
Press ON. It runs a quick self-check.
Reset the settings: SHIFT 9 1 Setup =.
Still stuck? Email us. The MM-991ES has a 12-month warranty.

Batteries

It runs on solar power with an LR44 button battery as backup. If the screen stays faint after you adjust the contrast, replace the battery: turn it off with SHIFT AC, undo the back cover, swap the battery (+ side the right way up), put the cover back, then reset it with ON SHIFT 9 3 =. Don't skip the reset.

Mana Mātauranga — calculators made for New Zealand classrooms. This guide is based on the manufacturer's manual that comes in the box, which has the full details. Questions about the MM-991ES? Email info@manamatauranga.com or call 021 088 34176.