BA II Plus Error 5

Error 5 is the machine’s way of saying “no solution for what you asked”. It is an input problem, not a broken calculator — work the checklist below.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Clear the error

    Press [CE/C]; the calculator keeps your registers.

    [CE/C]

  2. 2

    For IRR: check the sign change

    There must be at least one negative and one positive cash flow. Flows like 100, 100, 100 cannot have an IRR — mathematically, not mechanically.

  3. 3

    For TVM: check solvability

    Solving I/Y needs PV/PMT/FV on opposite sides (a loan you repay); solving N with PMT = 0 needs PV and FV of opposite signs; N ≤ 0 or absurd rates also trigger it.

  4. 4

    For P/Y and mode: recheck settings

    A wrong P/Y silently changes the periodic rate; a leftover BGN from the previous problem shifts every annuity. Clear TVM ([2ND] [CLR TVM]) and start fresh.

    [2ND][CLR TVM]

  5. 5

    Still stuck? Simplify

    Re-enter the problem as PMT = 0 (compound growth only). If that solves, the issue is in the annuity part — signs or P/Y.

Worked example (T15): a guaranteed Error 5

CF0 = 100, C01 = 100, C02 = 100, then [IRR] [CPT] → Error 5. Every flow is positive: no discount rate can zero the sum. Change CF0 to −100 and the same flows give a valid IRR.

[CF][2ND][CLR WORK]100[ENTER][↓]100[ENTER][↓][↓]100[ENTER][IRR][CPT]

Web practice cannot replace the physical calculator in a proctored exam — only calculators on the exam organizer’s current list are allowed.

Frequently asked questions

Is Error 5 ever a hardware problem?

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Practically never. It is a mathematical “no solution” code (the guidebook lists it as “no solution exists”). Inputs first, always.

What about Error 1, 4, 6, 7?

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Those flag overflow, out-of-range dates, storage full and similar. Error 5 is the one exam candidates actually meet — and the only one this practice tool emits.

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