When I was in high school in Germany in the 2000's, IIRC there were 3 different mathematics curricula taught simultaneously in my state.

This would depend on the school, but sometimes also on the specific class (major vs. minor).

I just looked it up and it still seems to be valid:

- 1) Standard scientific calculators: Calculators without any graphing or persistent memory. Algebra exams would test your written calculation steps (e.g. getting to the derivative of a function), and how well you are able to translate functions to graphs.

Example question: "We are building an Autobahn that is defined by the function X. Please give the function of the tangent that merges into it smoothly at point Y. Make a graph of both."

- 2) Graphing calculators, but not programmable and not able to do derivatives. Tests were mostly about complex derivatives.

Example question: "Here’s function X. Please give derivates I and II if this function."

- 3) Programmable graphing calculators. More exotic theoretical and conceptual stuff where the actual calculation was the easy part.

Example question: "Here’s a complex body with some sides defined by functions. Calculate the volume. How would it change if function X was swapped for function Y?"

(Caveat: example questions are from the best of my memory at different grades in school, so things might be more similar in reality)

I was lucky to experience all three streams.

It wasn’t that one was objectively harder than the other, but more that the challenges were different.

The best thing about the programmable calculators was, though, that you could put Breakout or Space Invaders on them.