How to Set BGN Mode on the BA II Plus
END (the default) assumes payments at period END — mortgages, bonds. BGN assumes the START — rent, leases, annuities-due. One worksheet, two keys.
Step by step
- 1
Open the mode worksheet
2ND + PMT (the BGN label) shows END or BGN.
[2ND][BGN]
- 2
Toggle with SET
2ND ENTER is SET: press it once to switch END → BGN (or back).
[2ND][SET]
- 3
Quit and verify
2ND QUIT. In BGN mode the display shows the BGN indicator — check it before trusting an annuity-due answer.
[2ND][QUIT]
- 4
Switch back when done
Most problems are END. Reset defaults after BGN problems so the next TVM answer is not silently scaled by (1+i).
Worked example (T4): the same annuity, two modes
5 annual payments of 1,000 at 8%: END gives PV = −3,992.71; in BGN mode PV = −4,312.13 — exactly one period of interest more (×1.08).
2ND[CLR TVM]5[N]8[I/Y]1000[PMT]0[FV][CPT][PV][2ND][BGN][2ND][SET][2ND][QUIT][CPT][PV]
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
Which problems need BGN?
+
Leases, rent, insurance premiums, tuition paid at the start of the period — any annuity-due. Ordinary annuities (mortgages, coupons) stay END.
Why exactly ×(1+i) different?
+
Moving every payment one period earlier multiplies the whole annuity by one factor of (1+i): 4,312.13 = 3,992.71 × 1.08.