NCEES-approved calculators for the PE exam (2026)

Last updated: June 2026. NCEES updates its calculator policy periodically — always confirm against the official NCEES calculator policy for your exam year before you buy or test.

NCEES allows only a short list of calculator models in the exam room, and "close enough" does not count: if your exact model isn't on the list, it isn't allowed. Here's the current list, which approved model to pick, the rules that trip people up, and how to use it to save time on a closed-book, timed exam.

The approved models (2026)

NCEES currently permits these families:

Brand	Approved models
Casio	All fx-115 and fx-991 models
Hewlett Packard	HP 33s and HP 35s (only these two)
Texas Instruments	All TI-30X and TI-36X models

(A few additional Casio models are permitted at some non-U.S. test centers — check the policy if that applies to you.)

Which approved calculator should you pick?

All allowed models will get you through the exam — but they're not identical. Popular choices and why:

• Casio fx-115ES PLUS — the most common PE pick. Natural "textbook" display, a built-in equation solver, numeric integration, and complex numbers — handy for the messy arithmetic the exam throws at you.
• Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro — multi-line display, solver, and good for engineers who already use TI; very similar capability to the fx-115.
• HP 35s — favored by RPN users and those who want a programmable-feeling workflow within the rules; steeper learning curve, so only if you already think in RPN.

The real rule: pick one and master it. Speed comes from keystroke familiarity, not features — whichever model you practice with for months is the right one.

The rules that catch people out

• One calculator in the room, and it must be an exact listed model. A newer or similar-looking version that isn't explicitly named is not allowed — don't assume.
• It must be a standalone, non-programmable scientific calculator. No graphing calculators, no devices with communication ability, no stored text/formulas.
• No cases or manuals in the room (the case goes in your locker).
• Bring a backup of an approved model and fresh batteries — there's no loaner, and a dead calculator mid-exam is a disaster.

How to use it for free points

• Let the Handbook do the conversions. The on-screen NCEES Reference Handbook has conversion and property tables — reach for those before keying a long conversion by hand. (How to use the Mechanical Handbook.)
• Know your high-frequency keystrokes cold — the equation solver, unit work, switching degree/radian, complex numbers, memory store/recall.
• Use memory store for constants you reuse across a problem instead of re-keying them.
• Clear between problems. Press AC/CLEAR before each new problem — especially after solver, matrix, or complex-number work — so a leftover value doesn't quietly wreck an answer.
• Practice the way you'll test: every practice problem with your approved calculator and the Handbook open. That combined workflow is the muscle memory the exam actually rewards.

Common mistakes

• Buying a model "like" an approved one (e.g., a graphing TI) and discovering at the door it's banned.
• Showing up with a brand-new calculator you haven't drilled with — fumbling keystrokes under the clock.
• Leaving degree/radian mode set wrong and not noticing until answers are off.
• No backup or batteries.