Electrician Exam Approved Calculators: What Your Exam Allows
Approved calculators for electrician exams depend on the exact program—not just the testing company; some programs allow a qualifying personal calculator and others provide one. Find your exam below, then confirm with your own bulletin before test day.
Selected U.S. test-center programs: 18 calculator-rule entries, plus two official-program routes. Calculator rules checked September 29, 2026; this is not a nationwide model-approval list.
Calculator rules by exam program
Bring your own calculator, within the listed limits
| Exam | Can I bring my own? | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas electrician exams (TDLR, run by PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Non-programmable, silent, battery-operated, no paper-tape printing, no alphabet keyboard. | TDLR Electrician bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 4 |
| Washington electrical certification (L&I, PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Non-programmable, silent, battery-operated, no paper-tape printing, no alphabet keyboard. If staff question your calculator, you'll be asked to use one provided at the site instead. | L&I electrical bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 3 |
| Georgia electrical contractor exams (PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Silent, non-programmable calculators without alpha keys or printing. | Georgia Electrical Contractors handbook, Security Procedures, p. 4 |
| Connecticut electrical licenses (DCP, PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Non-programmable, silent, battery-operated, no paper-tape printing, no alphabet keyboard. | Connecticut electrical bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 3 |
| Nevada C-2 electrical contractor (NSCB, PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Non-programmable, silent, battery-operated, no paper-tape printing, no alphabet keyboard. | Nevada C classification bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 5 |
| Massachusetts electricians (Board of State Examiners, PSI) | Yes, within the limits | Non-programmable, non-printing, silent, battery-operated, no alphabet keys. | Massachusetts electricians bulletin, Items allowed, p. 6 |
Bring your own, with basic-function limits
Read the actual function limit, not just the label: the three Prov entries say simple four-function calculators; ICC expressly also permits square roots and percentages.
| Exam | Can I bring my own? | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama electrical exams (AECB, Prov) | Yes, four-function only | Only simple four-function calculators are permitted. Phones, tablets and other special calculators are not permitted. | AECB candidate bulletin, Approved Items, p. 7 |
| Kentucky electrical exams (DHBC, Prov) | Yes, four-function only | Only simple four-function calculators are permitted. Phones, tablets and other special calculators are not permitted. | Kentucky electrical bulletin, Approved Items, p. 7 |
| Florida city/county electrical exams administered by Prov | Yes, four-function only | Only simple four-function calculators are permitted. Phones, tablets and other special calculators are not permitted. This is not the state DBPR/Pearson program. | Prov Florida contractor bulletin, Approved Items, p. 11 |
| ICC open-book electrical Contractor/Trades exams (Pearson test centers) | Yes, basic functions only | Battery-operated, limited to add, subtract, multiply, divide, square root and percent. It must be non-programmable, unable to store exam information and unable to print. Calculators that store formulas, including construction calculators, are prohibited. | ICC administrative rules, Exam Resources/Materials |
ICC exams are accepted by some jurisdictions and not others. Make sure the ICC exam code is the one your licensing authority actually requires. ICC Contractor/Trades program
Use the calculator provided
| Exam | Can I bring my own? | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| California General and Residential Electrician certification (DIR, CPS HR Consulting / Pearson VUE) | No | Calculators are on the list of items not to bring. You'll have access to an online calculator. This is DIR electrician certification, not a California contractor-license exam. | Electrician certification bulletin, Personal Items |
| Ohio electrical contractor exam (OCILB, PSI) | No | An online calculator is provided, and it is the only calculator you may use. | OCILB bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 3 |
| Utah electrical theory/code exams (DOPL, Prov) | No | Only Prov's on-screen calculator is permitted for the theory or code examinations. No other calculators are permitted. | Utah electrical bulletin, Permitted Items, pp. 8–9 |
| Minnesota electrical license exams (DLI, run by the state) | No | The department provides all reference materials and a desk calculator with add, subtract, multiply, divide, square root and percent. No other electronic devices are allowed. | DLI license examination guide, General, p. 4 |
For California DIR certification, use the current Pearson program page and its linked bulletin rather than transferring a rule from another California examination or testing program.
Calculator provided; personal-device permission not established
| Exam | Can I bring my own? | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina electrical contractor exams (NCBEEC, PSI) | Personal-device permission not established | Calculators, scratch paper and pencils are provided at the test center. The cited instructions do not establish permission to use a personal calculator or specify the supplied calculator’s type or functions. | NCBEEC exam handbook, Books & Reference Materials, p. 3 |
| Colorado electrical exams (State Electrical Board, PSI) | Personal-device permission not established | An online calculator is provided. The checked security section limits candidates to approved items but does not affirmatively allow a personal handheld. Plan on the online calculator. | Colorado electrical bulletin, Security Procedures, p. 5 |
To rely on a personal handheld in Colorado or North Carolina, get a written answer from the program first (template below). A supplied-calculator statement alone is not a yes or a no about personal devices.
Personal calculators listed as not allowed
| Exam | Can I bring my own? | Official rule | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan electrical exams (LARA Bureau of Construction Codes, PSI) | No | The bulletin puts calculator on its list of electronic devices you must place in storage before entering. A straight edge rule without calculations is separately permitted in the electrical exam reference lists. | Michigan electrical bulletin, Security Procedures; electrical reference lists |
| Virginia tradesman electrician (DPOR, PSI) | No | Handheld calculators appear on the prohibited-items list. | Virginia tradesman bulletin, Prohibited Items, p. 15 |
The checked Michigan and Virginia instructions do not establish whether the testing software includes an on-screen calculator. Ask PSI before test day which calculation tools your exact examination provides; do not assume either availability or absence.
Louisiana and Florida DBPR: official program routes
This comparison does not give a personal-calculator ruling for these two programs. Their official routes are included so you can reach the correct instructions without borrowing a rule from a different exam.
| Exam | Official route |
|---|---|
| Louisiana LSLBC trade exams, including electrical (PSI) | LSLBC directs candidates to the PSI program portal: select the approved test, then open its Candidate Information Bulletin. Use that exam’s equipment instructions; another PSI program’s permission does not transfer. LSLBC testing and scheduling instructions |
| Florida state electrical contractor exams (DBPR, Pearson VUE) | Use DBPR’s Electrical Examinations page and its Candidate Information Booklets link. This state program uses Pearson VUE; the separate Florida city/county Prov rule above is not its calculator rule. DBPR Electrical Examinations |
My exam isn't listed
Start with your licensing board's exam page and follow its link to the exact examination bulletin. Use the four-step checklist below; do not borrow another program's rule because the testing company is the same.
Why this is not an approved-model list
The calculator clauses summarized above describe permitted features or supplied calculators rather than approve models by name. That is different from the separate NCEES engineering-exam process: its Examinee Guide, “What to Bring,” p. 8 directs candidates to an approved-calculator list. An engineering-exam approval does not establish permission for your electrician examination.
A calculator box or store listing that says “exam approved” is not permission from your electrician exam program.
Check your calculator in four steps
- Identify your exact exam. Note the state, full exam title or code, appointment date, and whether you're testing at a center or remotely. A rule for a different exam from the same testing company isn't your rule.
- Open your official bulletin. Use the one your board links. Look for "calculator," "Security Procedures," "Personal Items," "Permitted Items" or "Prohibited Items," and read the whole section around the word. Check the bulletin version and any notice that applies to your appointment date.
- Hold your calculator up to every condition. Use the full model name, including any suffix, and the manufacturer's manual. Ask:
- Does its keyboard meet your bulletin's alphabet or alpha-key restriction?
- Does it have programming or storage capabilities the rule excludes? Check these separately: a stored formula or built-in conversion is not, by itself, proof that the device is user-programmable. ICC separately prohibits stored-formula calculators.
- Does it print? Does it beep or make any sound? Compare those capabilities with your program's printing and silence requirements.
- Does its power source meet the rule? Do not assume that a different program's battery requirement applies to yours.
- Does it exceed the permitted functions? The Alabama, Kentucky and Florida local Prov entries specify simple four-function calculators; ICC's stated list also includes square root and percent.
- Is it a phone, smartwatch or tablet rather than an allowed calculator? Do not substitute a personal electronic device for permitted examination equipment.
- If anything is unclear, ask in writing before test day. Use the message below. Keep the reply with your admission paperwork.
The feature distinctions above follow the Texas security clause, Prov approved-items clause and ICC allowed/prohibited lists; they are not an approval of a particular device.
A manual tells you what a calculator does. Only your exam program can tell you whether its rule allows it.
What calculator labels do and don't prove
Is any non-programmable scientific calculator allowed? Not automatically. A function limit can exclude a device even if you cannot program it. On the “bring your own, within limits” exams, a scientific model can qualify only if it meets every listed condition. Check every one. Texas rule · Prov rule · ICC rule
What about a construction or electrician's calculator? Check its capabilities against the exact rule. ICC expressly prohibits calculators that store formulas, including construction calculators; the cited Prov rules exclude other special calculators. Neither point turns every built-in function into user programmability or creates a vendor-wide PSI ban. Leave it in the truck unless your bulletin clearly allows it. ICC prohibited-items rule · Prov approved-items rule
Can I clear the memory or switch to an "exam mode" to make it acceptable? Don't count on it. Clearing existing content is not the same as meeting a restriction on what a calculator can do. Do not assume an exception unless your program permits it. Ask about your exact model if this matters to you. Texas capability restrictions · ICC capability restrictions
Can I use my phone's calculator? No—the cited test-center instructions do not allow that substitution. Follow your program's prohibited-belongings instructions rather than assuming storage is available: Minnesota's guide bars other electronic devices, including phones, from the building. Texas security rules · California personal-items rules · Minnesota General, item 6
Test day and remote testing
Staff check what you bring. In Washington, a calculator that staff question gets swapped for one provided at the site (L&I bulletin, p. 3). Michigan's bulletin warns that having a prohibited item in the exam room gets your results invalidated (Michigan bulletin, "Security Procedures").
Check the power and batteries of a permitted handheld before test day. Ask the program before bringing a spare calculator; permission for one device does not establish permission for a second.
Testing from home can change the answer. PSI's online-proctoring FAQ says to keep calculators off the desk unless the test sponsor allows them (PSI test-taker resources, workspace FAQ 7). Check the remote-testing section of your bulletin.
ICC's PRONTO service is used for certification examinations, while its delivery guidance identifies Pearson for Contractor/Trades. Do not assume an electrical Contractor/Trades exam can be taken through PRONTO; use the delivery route listed for your exact exam.
For disability-related equipment needs, use the program’s accommodation process in advance rather than assuming an exception at check-in. California program information · ICC accommodation rules
Practice on the calculator you'll actually use
Practice with the functions your examination permits. These five drills need only multiply and divide, and they show the keystroke order for working without a √3 key or parentheses. A supplied calculator is not necessarily limited to those functions. Utah's theory/code bulletin links Prov's practice calculator and asks candidates to practice with it before test day. Utah Permitted Items
Original practice drills, not official exam questions. The percentages are supplied arithmetic inputs, not instructions for sizing equipment or applying a code rule. These five exercises do not measure overall exam readiness.
For the balanced three-phase drills, VA is the total apparent power, V is line-to-line voltage, and I is line current. Use the supplied 1.732 approximation for √3 and keep intermediate digits until the final rounding. Formula and voltage definitions
Drill 1. A balanced three-phase load has a total apparent power of 30,000 VA at 208 V line-to-line. Using I = VA ÷ (V × 1.732), what is the line current, rounded to 0.01 A?
- A. 83.27 A
- B. 144.23 A
- C. 249.81 A
- D. 48.08 A
Show answer — Drill 1
Answer: A, 83.27 A. 30,000 ÷ 208 ÷ 1.732 = 83.27. B forgets √3 (30,000 ÷ 208 = 144.23). C multiplies by 1.732 instead of dividing. D uses 3 instead of √3.
Underlying formula: Schneider Electric Electrical Installation Guide, balanced three-phase current. The keystroke calculations use the supplied numbers.
Drill 2. Your calculator has no parentheses. Which keystroke order evaluates 30,000 ÷ (208 × 1.732), the current expression in Drill 1?
- A. 30,000 ÷ 208 × 1.732
- B. 30,000 ÷ 208 ÷ 1.732
- C. 208 × 1.732 ÷ 30,000
- D. 30,000 ÷ 208 ÷ 3
Show answer — Drill 2
Answer: B. Dividing by a product is the same as dividing by each factor in turn, so divide twice. A multiplies by 1.732 and gives 249.81 A. C flips the fraction and gives about 0.012, not the current. D divides by 3 instead of 1.732 and gives 48.08 A.
Underlying formula: Schneider Electric Electrical Installation Guide, balanced three-phase current. The keystroke calculations use the supplied numbers.
Drill 3. A balanced three-phase load has a total apparent power of 45,000 VA at 480 V line-to-line. Using I = VA ÷ (V × 1.732), what is the line current, rounded to 0.01 A?
- A. 54.13 A
- B. 93.75 A
- C. 162.38 A
- D. 31.25 A
Show answer — Drill 3
Answer: A, 54.13 A. 45,000 ÷ 480 ÷ 1.732 = 54.13. B skips √3, C multiplies by it, and D divides by 3 instead of 1.732.
Underlying formula: Schneider Electric Electrical Installation Guide, balanced three-phase current. The keystroke calculations use the supplied numbers.
Drill 4. What is 125% of 28 A?
- A. 35 A
- B. 22.4 A
- C. 29.25 A
- D. 3.5 A
Show answer — Drill 4
Answer: A, 35 A. 28 × 1.25 = 35. B is 80% (28 × 0.8). C adds 1.25 instead of multiplying. D divides 28 by 8. Multiplying by 1.25 avoids relying on a % key.
Drill 5. What is 3% of 240 V?
- A. 7.2 V
- B. 72 V
- C. 0.72 V
- D. 80 V
Show answer — Drill 5
Answer: A, 7.2 V. 240 × 0.03 = 7.2. B and C are decimal-place slips, and D divides by 3 instead of taking 3%.
For code-based calculation practice, try our electrician math practice test, load calculation practice problems and motor calculation questions.
Ask your exam program about your exact model
Fill in the brackets and send this to the contact listed in your bulletin or on your board's exam page.
Subject: Calculator question — [state, full exam title or code, exam date]
I'm scheduled for [full exam title and code] on [date] through [testing company], at [test center / remote].
Your instructions at [bulletin link, version and section] say: [the calculator rule].
May I use a [manufacturer and full model name, including suffix]? The manual is at [link]. It has [functions, memory, programming or other features you're unsure about].
If I may not, will a calculator be provided, and what functions will it have? Is there a demo I can practice on before test day?
Thank you.
Sources and how we checked
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Last verified: September 29, 2026, for the 18 calculator-rule entries and the two separately labeled official-program routes.
On September 29, 2026, we read the official written calculator clauses cited in the rule tables and inspected their relevant PDF page images where applicable. The Louisiana and Florida DBPR entries identify official program routes only; they do not establish calculator permission. We did not visit test centers, test calculators, or contact exam programs.
AI tools assisted with drafting, source comparison and arithmetic checking. This is not a credentialed subject-matter review or a model-by-model approval list. See our editorial standards.
The source links beside each rule open the relevant official document. Page numbers refer to the printed page labels; the named section remains the best locator when a document is revised.
- TDLR Electrician bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 4
- L&I electrical bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 3
- Georgia Electrical Contractors handbook · Security Procedures, p. 4
- Connecticut electrical bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 3
- Nevada C classification bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 5
- Massachusetts electricians bulletin · Items allowed, p. 6
- AECB candidate bulletin · Approved Items, p. 7
- Kentucky electrical bulletin · Approved Items, p. 7
- Prov Florida contractor bulletin · Approved Items, p. 11
- ICC administrative rules · Exam Resources/Materials
- Electrician certification bulletin · Personal Items
- OCILB bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 3
- Utah electrical bulletin · Permitted Items, pp. 8–9
- DLI license examination guide · General, p. 4
- NCBEEC exam handbook · Books & Reference Materials, p. 3
- Colorado electrical bulletin · Security Procedures, p. 5
- Michigan electrical bulletin · Security Procedures; electrical reference lists
- Virginia tradesman bulletin · Prohibited Items, p. 15
- LSLBC testing and scheduling instructions — program route only · Testing Registration and Scheduling
- DBPR Electrical Examinations — program route only · Scheduling a Computer-Based Examination; Preparing for the Examination
- TDLR examination page · current Texas program and bulletin route
- California Pearson program page · administration contacts and linked certification bulletin
- ICC Contractor/Trades program · jurisdiction-specific bulletins
- ICC exam delivery guidance · Contractor/Trades versus PRONTO certification delivery
- PSI test-taker resources · online-proctoring workspace FAQ 7
- NCEES Examinee Guide · “What to Bring,” p. 8; engineering-exam contrast only
- Schneider Electric Electrical Installation Guide · balanced three-phase current and voltage definitions
Bulletins change. If your bulletin says something different from this page, follow your bulletin, and please let us know so we can fix it.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by any state licensing board or agency named here, PSI Services, Prov, Pearson VUE, CPS HR Consulting, the International Code Council, or NCEES. Exam and credential names are used only to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. The practice drills on this page are original and unofficial.