How to Change Decimal Places on a BA II Plus – A Clear Guide

When it comes to financial calculators, BA II rules. It is very popular and easy to use. Most of the basic functions are right there. You will be able to understand them easily and start using the calculator with ease.

However, we have noticed that many people face a problem when it comes to changing decimal places on a BA II Plus. We understand this particular function might be difficult, and that is why we have come up with a detailed guide for you. Please keep reading.

How to change decimal places on a BA II Plus

1. If your calculator is OFF, please switch it ON. Notice that most buttons have a second function written above them. Our job is to activate these functions.
2. Press the button that reads 2ND. This button is called the second function. When you press it, the functions above every button will now get activated. This means that whenever you CPT, for example, the QUIT function works and not CPT itself.
3. Now, search for the. button and press it. It will be in the bottom right in the middle of its row. Notice that it says FORMAT on top. Because the second function is active, the FORMAT function starts working.
4. The screen display should read DEC = 2.00 at this time. DEC is short for decimal. 2 shows how many decimal places the calculator is displaying. (2 is the default even though every calculator calculates up to 13 decimal places.)
5. Now, choose any number from 0 to 8 depending on how many decimal places you want the calculator to display. If you press 6, for instance, you will see results up to 6 decimal places.
6. There’s another option that not many know about. It is the number 9. What happens when you press this? You get a floating decimal format. If you choose this, the calculator will display the number of decimal places relevant to the calculation or the number actually needed. It is not going to be consistent for every value.
7. Once you choose the button (number) you prefer, press ENTER to secure the change in the setting.

Before you wrap it up, make sure you check the settings once by following the steps above. When you come to the DEC step, you should see the number you chose instead of the default value (2). If it doesn’t, maybe you missed a step or forgot to save it. Go back and repeat the process from the top.

After successfully saving the settings, you can use the financial calculator as usual without any troubles.

Using a financial calculator and changing its settings can feel difficult, but in practice, it is quite easy. Try it yourself!