Menus3 min read

Stop re-typing. Use VARS and Ans like a pro.

Every previously-calculated value, every regression coefficient, and every function is stored somewhere you can pull back. Here's the map.

The calculator stores a lot of hidden state. If you only use the home screen's last-answer key, you're leaving the rest of the memory on the table.

Ans — the last computed value

The key 2nd + (-) (right above the zero) inserts Ans, which holds whatever was on the last result line.

You can chain calculations:

5 + 3              → 8
Ans * 2            → 16
Ans - 7            → 9

If you start a new line with an operator, the calculator automatically prepends Ans. Typing + 2 on a fresh line is equivalent to Ans + 2.

The VARS menu — your named-variable toolbox

Press vars. You'll see a two-tab menu:

VARS (default tab) — bucket categories: Window, Zoom, GDB, Picture, Statistics, Table, String, Equation.
Y-VARS — all your stored functions (Y1–Y9, X₁T/Y₁T, parametric, polar, etc.).

The useful ones

vars → 5:Statistics… → XY gives you every descriptive-statistics value from the most recent 1-Var Stats or 2-Var Stats run: mean (x̄), population SD (σx), sum (Σx), Σx², min, max, quartiles. You don't have to re-run stats — just recall x̄ as vars → 5 → XY → 2.

vars → 5:Statistics… → EQ gives you every coefficient from the most recent regression: a, b, c, d, e, r, r². So after LinReg, you can type a + b*15 on the home screen to predict y at x=15 — no retyping of coefficients.

vars → Y-VARS → 1:Function… → Y1 inserts the literal Y1 into whatever expression you're writing. Powerful for function composition and for regressions stored directly into Y1.

Assigning your own

Any letter can hold a value. On the home screen:

42 → X

(→ is the sto→ key just above on.) Later, X + 1 returns 43.

For multi-letter names you need to go through the 2nd + A-LOCK dance, so most people stick with single letters. Pro tip: use A–Z for intermediate values in a multi-step problem and the whole workflow stays inside one home-screen session.

Clearing variable memory

If you inherit weird behavior (Solver returning wrong roots, functions evaluating strangely), there's probably stale variable state. Wipe it: 2nd + mem → 2:Mem Management/Delete… → Reals… → delete the ones you don't want.

Or nuke everything: 2nd + mem → 7:Reset… → 1:All RAM… → 2:Reset. You'll lose programs and stored data too, so only do this when starting fresh.

Gotcha

Ans only holds the last result displayed on the home screen. If you ran a regression from the STAT menu, Ans isn't the regression — it's whatever home-screen answer preceded STAT. Pull regression coefficients from vars → 5:Statistics… → EQ instead.