Taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, offered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), is the first step to professional licensure for a recent or soon-to-be graduate of an ABET-accredited engineering program. One of the most important tools that a prospective examinee will consider before taking the FE is their calculator. Becoming familiar with the calculator that will be used during the exam is crucial. It is recommended that all examinees acquire their calculator early and use it exclusively when studying for the exam. Although all of the calculators on this list perform the same essential functions, the physical interface, how these functions are accessed, and even the default conventions vary. Before the exam, examinees should be confident performing the following operations on their calculator:

1.     Vector operations

2.     Matrix operations

3.     Using complex numbers

4.     Solving logarithms

5.     Solving permutations

6.     Solving integrals and derivatives

7.     Storing and recalling variables

8.     Converting between polar and rectangular numbers

9.     Switching between degrees and radians

10.  Solving systems of linear equations

11.  Time value of money

NCEES Calculator Policy

For computer-based examinations, the NCEES does offer a digital calculator. The digital calculator is modelled after the TI-30X IIS Scientific Calculator and can be accessed on the same computer that the exam is taken. This tool can be invaluable in emergency situations, but will ultimately be slower than a handheld calculator and require the examinee to tab between the exam and the calculator, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. Avoid this by ensuring your calculator is charged and ready to go the night before the exam.

The NCEES maintains a list of approved calculator models, which it reviews annually [1]. Following are all NCEES approved calculator models for use on exams through 2022:

Casio

The NCEES approves all fx-115 and fx-991 models for use on its exams. Their policy states that “any Casio calculator must have ‘fx-115 ‘ or ‘fx-991’ in its model name.”

List of approved models:

1.     Casio fx-115ES PLUS Engineering/Scientific Calculator

2.     Casio fx-991EX Engineering/Scientific Calculator

Hewlett Packard

The NCEES approves the use of only two HP calculator models on its exams.

List of approved models:

1.     HP 33s Scientific Calculator

2.     HP 35s Scientific Calculator

Texas Instruments

The NCEES approves all TI-30X and TI-36X models for use on its exams. Their policy states that “any Texas Instruments calculator must have ‘TI-30X’ or ‘TI-36X’ in its model name.”

List of approved models:

1.     TI-30X IIS Scientific Calculator (Available digitally on the exam).

2.     TI-36X Pro Scientific Calculator (Most popular).

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References

[1]	"National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying," January 2022. [Online]. Available: https://ncees.org/exams/calculator/. [Accessed 7th January 2022].