Updated 15 May 2026Independent calculator policy reference
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§ FE · NCEES calculator guide

Best Calculator for the FE Exam (2026)

Our pick is the TI-36X Pro: its record lists equation, statistics, and matrix tools, with no graphing or CAS. Prefer Casio? Choose the fx-991CW, or the fx-115ES Plus for the fx-115 family. Prefer RPN? Choose the HP 35s. Do not bring a TI-84, TI-Nspire, HP Prime, or fx-CG50 to the FE unless NCEES changes the whitelist.

Last verified 2026·05·20Authority NCEES
Instant check

Check your exact FE calculator before you buy or pack it.

The FE is a whitelist exam, so the exact model family matters. Search or pick a model to open its official-source verdict.

Popular checks
The 6 NCEES-approved picks

Approved FE calculators in the current data set.

6 approved models
CodeModelStatusLast verified
ti-36x-pro
Texas Instruments TI-36X ProScientific · Dual Power · not programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15casio-fx-991cw
Casio fx-991CWScientific · Dual Power · not programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15casio-fx-991ex
Casio fx-991EXScientific · Dual Power · not programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15casio-fx-115es-plus
Casio fx-115ES PlusScientific · Dual Power · not programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15ti-30xs-multiview
Texas Instruments TI-30XS MultiViewScientific · Dual Power · not programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15hp-35s
HP 35sScientific · Battery · programmable · no CAS
ApprovedLast verified 2026·05·15
How to choose

Pick by workflow, not by brand alone.

Best overall

Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro is our FE pick because its calculator record lists equation, statistics, and matrix tools, with no graphing or CAS feature.

Best Casio

Casio fx-991CW is the ClassWiz choice in this guide. Casio fx-115ES Plus is also approved if you prefer the fx-115 family.

RPN users

HP 35s is the RPN-capable HP pick in the data and one of the HP models explicitly listed in the NCEES FE calculator whitelist.

These are editorial picks from approved verdicts, not NCEES endorsements. NCEES approves calculator families and models; it does not rank what you should buy.

The expensive mistake

Do NOT bring these: popular calculators banned on the FE.

FE is whitelist-based, not a broad graphing-calculator policy. The TI-84 family, TI-Nspire models, HP Prime, and Casio fx-CG50 are not allowed in the stored FE verdicts. SAT/ACT familiarity is not enough: a model can pass another exam policy and still fail FE. Is a TI-84 Plus allowed on the FE exam? No.

CodeModelStatusLast verified
ti-84-plus-ce
Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CEGraphing · Battery · programmable · no CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20ti-84-plus
Texas Instruments TI-84 PlusGraphing · Battery · programmable · no CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20ti-83-plus
Texas Instruments TI-83 PlusGraphing · Battery · programmable · no CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20ti-nspire-cx-ii
Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX IIGraphing · Battery · programmable · no CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20ti-nspire-cx-cas
Texas Instruments TI-Nspire CX CASCas Graphing · Battery · programmable · CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20hp-prime
HP PrimeCas Graphing · Battery · programmable · CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20casio-fx-cg50
Casio fx-CG50Graphing · Battery · programmable · no CAS
BannedLast verified 2026·05·20
NCEES whitelist logic

Match the printed family name before exam day.

The NCEES FE calculator policy uses a strict whitelist and allows only listed calculator families, including Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, HP 33s and 35s, and TI-30X or TI-36X models. Before you buy, borrow, or pack a calculator, match the printed model family: Casio fx-115 or fx-991, Texas Instruments TI-30X or TI-36X, or HP 33s or HP 35s.

Official source: NCEES calculator policy.

Official source · 01NCEES Calculator Policy

Based on the cited NCEES whitelist quote, the relevant evidence is the named calculator family or model. The Texas Instruments TI-36X Pro is matched to the Texas Instruments TI-36X family using the stored calculator model data. This evidence note does not treat every scientific calculator as allowed; it only explains why this exact printed model name fits the whitelist language currently recorded for the FE exam.

“Only the calculators listed below may be used during the FE exam: Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, Hewlett Packard HP 33s and HP 35s, Texas Instruments TI-30X and TI-36X models.”

NCEESAccessed 2026·05·15
Frequently asked

FE calculator buying questions, answered.

Q.01Is the TI-84 Plus allowed on the FE exam?

No. The FE policy is a strict NCEES whitelist, and TI-84 models are outside the approved TI-30X and TI-36X Texas Instruments families. Open the TI-84 Plus FE verdict.

Q.02Can I use a TI-36X Pro on the FE?

Yes. The TI-36X Pro is approved for the FE exam because the stored NCEES verdict matches it to the Texas Instruments TI-36X family. Open the TI-36X Pro FE verdict.

Q.03What calculators are accepted for the FE exam?

The recorded NCEES whitelist accepts Casio fx-115 and fx-991 models, Texas Instruments TI-30X and TI-36X models, and HP 33s and HP 35s models. The approved verdicts in this guide cover Casio fx-991CW, Casio fx-991EX, Casio fx-115ES Plus, TI-36X Pro, TI-30XS MultiView, and HP 35s.

Q.04Should I get the fx-991CW or fx-115ES Plus?

Both are approved FE choices in the stored verdicts. Choose the fx-991CW if you want the ClassWiz model recorded with equation and matrix tools; choose the fx-115ES Plus if you specifically want the fx-115 family with natural display. Both records say no graphing or CAS feature.

Keep exploring

See the full FE approved calculators list, or report a rule that has changed.

FE calculator policy →