If your calculator stops working during a GCE secondary examination, raise your hand and tell the invigilator. If the paper permits a calculator and you brought an approved spare, follow the invigilator’s instructions for using it. SEAB’s 2026 GCE secondary rules allow more than one approved calculator to be brought into the examination venue and prohibit sharing one with another candidate during the exam.
The same rules say that calculator failure does not qualify as a reason for special consideration. Before your paper, check both devices against the approved list and make sure they work. Then practise with the spare so you can switch without having to learn the keys during a timed question.
- Match the exact model on both calculators to SEAB’s approved list.
- Confirm that your paper permits that type of calculator.
- Check the display, keys, power and required modes in advance.
- Follow the rules on stored material, markings and covers.
- Tell the invigilator if there is a problem during the examination.
CHAPTER 1 OF 4 · Back to contents
Check the paper before you check the device
SEAB publishes approved models, and a subject’s own examination instructions govern whether a calculator may be used for the particular paper. An approved model is appropriate only where the paper permits it. If you are preparing for another year or a different qualification, open the rules for that examination and the exact syllabus.
Check the full model number
Two devices from the same brand can look almost identical while carrying different model numbers. Compare the number printed on each calculator against the approved list. Keep the original model number visible for verification. Check the instructions on information printed or written on the calculator or its cover, and speak to examination staff in advance if there is an issue you cannot resolve.
Test the spare with questions you already know
Use a fraction, a negative number with brackets and a calculation with several operations. If your paper uses trigonometry or statistics, practise the relevant mode and how to switch back to normal calculation. Compare your answers with known results. A working spare is easier to use when its key sequence feels familiar.
CHAPTER 2 OF 4 · Back to contents
Worked example | The screen goes blank in the middle of a question
Leon is partway through a question when the screen stops displaying results. He raises his hand and explains the fault to the invigilator. His second calculator is an approved model that he brought and checked before the exam. He follows the instructions given and resumes his work.
Leon has already written the expression from the question on his answer script. He can re-enter it without reconstructing his steps from memory. Before moving on, he checks that the number has the right sign, looks reasonable and is given to the required accuracy.
If you have no working spare
Raise your hand and follow the invigilator’s instructions. Continue with work you can do while the situation is being handled, where permitted. You may be able to set up an equation, substitute values, simplify an exact expression or answer a different question. Use the paper’s instructions about rounding and working when you return to an unfinished calculation.
The person at the desk next to you may offer to lend a calculator, but the GCE secondary rules prohibit sharing during the exam. Address equipment questions to the invigilator.
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
CHAPTER 3 OF 4 · Back to contents
Pack the kit before exam day
Set out your approved calculator and spare alongside the other permitted items. Remove loose instruction sheets and check for stored material as required by the rules. A home test the night before is useful, and testing several days ahead gives you time to obtain a replacement if the display or keys are unreliable.
If you borrow a device before the exam, check the model and practise with it before relying on it. Record how to set the modes you need during revision, then leave any notes outside the exam venue as instructed. The aim is to make the familiar calculation easy to repeat under time pressure.
Contents · Previous chapter · Next chapter
CHAPTER 4 OF 4 · Back to contents
Frequently asked questions
Can I take two calculators into the exam?
SEAB’s 2026 GCE secondary rules permit more than one approved calculator to be brought in. Check the applicable paper instructions and use only a permitted device.
Will the exam centre provide a spare?
Ask the invigilator what arrangements apply if a fault occurs. Prepare your own working approved equipment in advance.
Can I use the calculator on my phone?
Follow the rules on unauthorised devices and the list of approved calculator models. A phone calculator does not take the place of approved examination equipment.
Where do I verify the rule?
See SEAB’s approved calculator list and section 3.18 of the 2026 GCE secondary rules and regulations. For SEC, PSLE or A-Level, consult the instructions for that qualification and paper.