You cannot bring your own calculator to the GRE, but ETS provides a built-in on-screen calculator during the Quantitative Reasoning section. This applies whether you take the test at a testing center or at home. The on-screen tool is a basic calculator with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square root functions.
How the On-Screen Calculator Works
The calculator appears on your screen during every Quantitative Reasoning question. You can click the buttons with your mouse or use your keyboard to enter numbers and operations. It handles basic arithmetic and square roots, but it does not have functions for exponents, logarithms, or trigonometry. You can transfer the result from the calculator directly into an answer field using a “Transfer Display” button, which helps avoid re-typing errors.
The calculator is intentionally basic. GRE math questions are designed to test reasoning and estimation skills, not raw computation ability. Many questions can be solved faster by estimating or simplifying than by punching every calculation into the tool. Heavy reliance on the calculator can actually slow you down, since clicking through multiple operations takes more time than doing simple mental math.
Personal Calculators Are Prohibited
You are not allowed to bring a handheld calculator, graphing calculator, phone, or any other computing device into the testing room. At a test center, proctors will enforce this during check-in. For the at-home version, your desk must be clear of all unapproved items, and a remote proctor monitors your workspace via webcam throughout the test. Cell phones, notes, and study materials are all banned from your testing area.
GRE Subject Tests Have Different Rules
If you are taking a GRE Subject Test rather than the General Test, the rules change. The GRE Mathematics Subject Test, for example, does not provide a calculator at all, and you are not allowed to bring one. You must solve all problems by hand. The Physics Subject Test includes a table of common constants and equations but similarly restricts calculator use. Check the specific instructions for your subject test, since policies vary.
Disability Accommodations
If you have a documented disability or health-related need that requires a physical calculator or other testing tool, you can request accommodations through ETS Disability Services. The process requires submitting a Testing Accommodations Request Form along with supporting documentation. Plan ahead: the documentation review takes approximately six weeks after ETS receives your complete paperwork, and if they request additional documentation, the clock resets for another six weeks. You must have your accommodations approved before you can register for a test date.
Tips for Practicing With the On-Screen Calculator
ETS offers free practice tests (PowerPrep) that include the same on-screen calculator you will see on test day. Practicing with it beforehand is worth the time, since the interface feels different from a physical calculator. A few things to get comfortable with:
- Keyboard shortcuts: Using the number keys and operators on your keyboard is significantly faster than clicking on-screen buttons with your mouse.
- Order of operations: The calculator does not follow standard order of operations automatically. If you type 2 + 3 × 4, it processes left to right (giving 20) rather than multiplying first (which would give 14). Use parentheses or break calculations into steps to get the right answer.
- Transfer Display: Practice using this feature to move a result directly into a numeric entry answer box, since it eliminates transcription mistakes.
- Mental math first: For simple calculations like multiplying two-digit numbers or estimating percentages, doing the math in your head or on scratch paper is often faster than navigating the calculator.
Getting familiar with the calculator’s quirks before test day removes one source of stress and lets you focus on the actual math. Even a single practice test using the tool will make a noticeable difference in your comfort level.