1.4 Approved Calculators & Test-Day Logistics

Approved calculators — bring the right model

NCEES restricts FE candidates to a short, fixed list of approved calculator models. Anything outside this list — including graphing calculators, CAS (computer algebra system) calculators, and programmable calculators with QWERTY keyboards — will be refused at check-in, and you can lose your appointment and fee. The currently approved families are:

The rule of thumb NCEES uses: a Casio must have "fx-115" or "fx-991" in its model name, an HP must be the 33s or 35s exactly, and a TI must have "TI-30X" or "TI-36X" in its name. All variants and regional editions within an approved series are fine (for example, the Casio fx-115ES PLUS 2nd Edition or the TI-36X Pro). An on-screen scientific calculator is also available inside the exam, but it is slower for chained engineering calculations, so bring a physical approved model you have trained on for months.

NCEES updates this list periodically — re-confirm your exact model on the official NCEES calculator policy page before exam day, because this list has changed (the fx-991 series was a notable addition).

Build calculator muscle memory

Use your chosen approved calculator exclusively during practice. Late switching causes mode errors (degrees vs radians), parenthesis mistakes, and stored-value slips that have nothing to do with engineering knowledge. For FE Electrical and Computer specifically, drill complex-number arithmetic and rectangular ↔ polar conversions, because AC steady-state, impedance, and phasor problems lean on them constantly. The Casio fx-991/fx-115 and the TI-36X Pro handle complex arithmetic directly — learn the key sequences for entering a + jb, converting to magnitude/angle, and back, until they are automatic.

ID and check-in requirements

At the Pearson VUE center you must present a current, unexpired, government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license, or equivalent). The name on the ID must exactly match the name in your NCEES registration; a mismatch can forfeit your appointment and fee. Plan to:

• Arrive about 30 minutes early to allow time for check-in.
• Store all personal items — phone, smartwatch, bag, notes, food — in the provided locker. Nothing personal goes to your seat except the approved calculator and your ID.
• Pass a security check, which may include a palm-vein or signature scan, pocket inspection, and a check of your calculator and (often) eyeglasses.
• Accept the NDA on screen, then complete the 8-minute tutorial before the exam clock starts.

Scratch work at the test center

You will not receive loose paper. Pearson VUE provides a reusable booklet or laminated noteboard with a marker (an erasable whiteboard) for scratch work. Practice sketching circuits, phasor diagrams, and quick Karnaugh maps in a compact space, because you cannot spread out across multiple sheets. If you fill the noteboard, raise your hand and the proctor will exchange it for a fresh one.

Keep your work organized — a labeled scratch layout prevents transcription errors when you transfer a result into a fill-in-the-blank item, where a single digit copied wrong scores zero. A disciplined habit: write the variable, the value, and the unit together (for example, "Z = 5−30° Ω") so nothing is ambiguous when you re-read it under time pressure.

The scheduled break and re-entry

The 25-minute scheduled break becomes available after you have worked roughly the first half of the exam. When you take it, the exam clock pauses but the break has its own timer — going over your break time can cut into your testing. To leave and re-enter the testing room you typically repeat a quick security check (palm-vein scan, pocket inspection), so build a small buffer into your mental plan. Use the break deliberately: hydrate, eat a quick snack from your locker, reset your focus, and return ready for the back half.

Many candidates find their accuracy on the second half improves noticeably after a real break, so treat it as a performance tool rather than wasted time.

If something goes wrong with equipment

Bring fresh batteries or a known-good second approved calculator of the same model if your center allows it — a dying calculator mid-exam is a self-inflicted disaster on a calculation-heavy test. If your physical calculator fails entirely, the on-screen calculator is your fallback, which is one more reason to have practiced with it at least a little. For any test-center problem (frozen screen, environment issues), raise your hand for the proctor; do not try to fix software yourself, and report problems immediately so they can be documented.

A simple test-day checklist

Run through this list the night before. The exam is hard enough on its own merits; none of the avoidable failures — wrong calculator, mismatched ID, arriving late — should be what stops you.