FE Exam · Calculators

Calc Tips

NCEES restricts which calculators you may bring to the exam, and which modes/buttons matter most for FE Civil. Quick reference:

Approved calculator models (FE 2026)

• Casio: all fx-115 and fx-991 series.
• Hewlett Packard: HP 33s and HP 35s only.
• Texas Instruments: all TI-30X and TI-36X series.

Most-used buttons on the FE exam

• ENG / EE: jump between engineering exponents (×10³, ×10⁶, ×10⁹) — saves time on units.
• MODE / DRG: verify RAD vs DEG before any trig question; the exam expects both.
• STO / RCL (or x→M): store an intermediate result instead of re-typing long decimals.
• x⁻¹ and √: avoid mistyping reciprocals and square roots — both have dedicated keys.
• (–) vs −: the unary negative key (in parens) is different from subtraction. Mixing them up is a top FE error.

Pre-exam checklist

• Fresh batteries (or solar exposure for Casio/TI solar models).
• Reset to factory defaults the morning of — clears stored memory and stuck modes.
• Practice the same calculator you'll bring; muscle memory matters under pressure.

Approved-calculator policy can change. Confirm before exam day at ncees.org/exams/calculator.