GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS IN NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
- The calculators used in the national examinations should have the following minimum features:
(a) four arithmetic operations (+, −, ×, ÷) including the order of operations and use of brackets;
(b) fractional function which retains the fraction in the form ‘a/b’ and ‘a b/c’;
(c) square root ( ) and cube root ( 3 ) functions; and
(d) value of Pi (π). - The following guidelines are to be adhered to in the use of calculators in national examinations.
(a) The calculator must be silent, with a visual display only.
(b) The working condition of the calculator (including the power supply) is the responsibility of the
candidates and any fault in the calculator will not be considered as justification for special
consideration.
(c) Candidates are not allowed to share calculators during the examination.
(d) No calculators with an external storage function which can allow users to input and store data via
external storage media, e.g. cards, tapes, and plug-in modules, are allowed.
(e) No calculators with wireless communication capability with other machines, e.g. infra-red
communication capability, are allowed.
(f) Any enclosed instruction leaflets containing any mathematical formula, conversion table or
instructions are strictly prohibited, and must not be taken into the examination venue. Any such
information on the calculator that cannot be removed must be securely covered.
(g) The original model number and brand must be indicated clearly on the calculator for verification
purposes.
(h) No calculators with capabilities for storing and displaying verbal information are allowed.
(i) Information (including text or formulae) stored in the calculator’s memory must be cleared before
the examination.
Additional guidelines for scientific calculators
(j) No programmable calculators are allowed.
(k) No calculators with permanent features of a programmed kind are allowed,
e.g. calculators capable of numerical integration and/or numerical differentiation. - Graphing calculators are allowed for use ONLY in subjects examined at H1, H2 and H3 Levels of the GCE
A-Level Curriculum. Candidates are to note the following:
(a) It is the candidates’ responsibility to clear any information and/or programs stored in the graphing
calculators before the examination.
(b) No prepared programs may be taken into the examination room. Information (including text or
formulae) and/or programs stored in the calculator’s memory must be cleared before the
examination.
(c) No calculators with built-in symbolic algebra manipulations, symbolic differentiation or integration
are allowed. - The use of any calculator with unacceptable features or for retrieval of information/programs during the
examinations is an infringement of the regulations. - All previously approved calculators are allowed in the national examinations. The Singapore
Examinations and Assessment Board reserves the right to withdraw the approval for these calculators in
the examinations when there is a change in policy, syllabus or examination format. - The list of approved calculator models recommended for use in the national examinations is in Annex A.