Can You Use a Calculator on the ACT? (2026 Digital Rules)
Yes, but only on the Math section. On the 2026 digital ACT you get a built-in on-screen Desmos graphing calculator, and you can use your own permitted calculator instead. Calculators are not allowed on English, Reading, Science, or the Writing essay, and every Math question is designed to be solvable without one.
The short answer
- Math only. Calculators are permitted on the ACT Math section and nowhere else.
- Digital test: an on-screen Desmos graphing calculator is built into the testing platform.
- You may bring your own permitted 4-function, scientific, or graphing calculator and use it instead of the on-screen one.
- You never need one. Every Math problem can be solved without a calculator; it is a time-saver, not a requirement.
Based on ACT's official calculator policy (act.org). Always confirm the current policy and your exact model before test day.
What the digital ACT gives you
Students taking the ACT online have a Desmos graphing calculator embedded in the Math section. It graphs functions, evaluates expressions, and handles the algebra and trig the test covers. Because it is on-screen, you do not have to bring anything to use it, but it is worth practicing with the free Desmos calculator beforehand so the layout is not new to you on test day.
Can you bring your own calculator?
Yes. Whether you test on paper or online, you may bring your own calculator to the test center. ACT's rule is that you may use any four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator as long as it is not on ACT's prohibited list and it is modified first if it needs to be. Most students bring the calculator they already know, because familiarity beats features under time pressure.
The middle column below is the one people get wrong. A calculator that beeps, prints, or has a power cord is not banned. It is allowed once you fix that one thing, so there is no reason to leave it at home.
| Allowed | Allowed after you modify it | Never allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Four-function calculators | Holds programs or documents → remove every CAS program, and remove all documents | Any calculator with a built-in or downloaded computer algebra system (CAS) |
| Scientific calculators | Makes noise → turn the sound off | Calculators with QWERTY-format letter keys |
| Graphing calculators that are not on the banned list | Has paper tape → remove the tape | Handheld, tablet, or laptop computers |
| TI-Nspire (the non-CAS version) | Has an infrared data port → cover it completely with opaque tape | Calculators built into a phone or any other communication device |
| Letter keys that are not in QWERTY order | Has a power cord → remove the cord | Electronic writing pads or pen-input devices |
The models ACT specifically bans
Most banned calculators are banned for one reason: they have a computer algebra system, which does symbolic algebra for you. ACT names those models directly.
| Brand | Prohibited models |
|---|---|
| Texas Instruments | Every model number starting with TI-89 or TI-92. The TI-Nspire CAS is out; the non-CAS TI-Nspire is fine. |
| Hewlett-Packard | HP Prime, HP 48GII, and every model number starting with HP 40G, HP 49G, or HP 50G |
| Casio | fx-CP400 (ClassPad 400), ClassPad 300, ClassPad 330, Algebra fx 2.0, and every model number starting with CFX-9970G |
Two exceptions worth knowing. A calculator with an infrared data port is allowed once the port is completely covered with heavy opaque tape; ACT gives the Hewlett-Packard HP 38G series, HP 39G series and HP 48G as examples of calculators this applies to. Electronic writing pads are banned as a category, except the Sharp EL 9600.
Disabling is not the same as removing. ACT is explicit that putting a calculator into Press-to-Test mode does not satisfy the policy: programs with CAS functionality have to be removed, not switched off. ACT also requires that all documents be removed, whatever they contain.
Do not stop at the CAS question. A tablet, a calculator built into a phone and a calculator with QWERTY letter keys are all banned whether or not they do symbolic algebra, so your model has to clear every row of the "Never allowed" column as well as this table. Clear both and it is permitted. The TI-84 family, the TI-30 series and the Casio fx-9750 are not on ACT's prohibited list, and ACT names the non-CAS TI-Nspire as permitted outright. Check your own model against ACT's official calculator policy before test day, because the list is ACT's to change.
Sourced from ACT's official Calculator Policy (act.org), the version dated June 1, 2026, ACT's Terms and Conditions for Examinees (version 20260609), and ACT's CAS Calculator FAQ. All checked 10 September 2026. Breaking the calculator policy is treated as prohibited behavior: ACT states examinees may be dismissed and their tests voided.
Do you even need a calculator?
No. The ACT writes every Math question so it can be solved by hand, and many are faster without a calculator at all. Reaching for the calculator on a one-step arithmetic problem wastes the few seconds you have per question. Since there is no formula sheet on the ACT, your time is better spent memorizing key formulas than leaning on the calculator. With about 67 seconds per Math question, the calculator is for the heavy lifting (big arithmetic, graphing, systems), not for everything.
Calculator strategy for test day
- Use the one you know. Test day is not the time for a new calculator.
- Bring fresh batteries or a backup; no one will lend you one, since sharing is prohibited.
- Set up before you compute. Write the problem out on paper first, then calculate, so you do not punch numbers into the wrong setup.
- Backsolve when stuck. Because ACT Math is multiple choice, you can plug the answer choices back in, and the calculator makes that fast.
FAQ
Can you use a calculator on the entire ACT?
No. Calculators are allowed only on the ACT Math section. They are not permitted on English, Reading, Science, or the optional Writing essay.
Does the digital ACT have a built-in calculator?
Yes. Students taking the ACT online have an on-screen Desmos graphing calculator built into the Math section, and you may use your own permitted calculator instead.
What calculators are not allowed on the ACT?
Anything with a computer algebra system is banned, which covers the TI-89 and TI-92 families, the TI-Nspire CAS, the HP Prime, the HP 48GII, the HP 40G, 49G and 50G series, and the Casio fx-CP400, ClassPad 300, ClassPad 330, Algebra fx 2.0 and CFX-9970G series. Also banned: phones, tablets, laptops, calculators built into a communication device, calculators with QWERTY-format letter keys, and electronic writing pads other than the Sharp EL 9600.
What calculators are approved for the ACT?
ACT does not publish a list of approved models. It publishes a prohibited list, and any four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator that is not on it is permitted, modified first if it needs to be. That makes almost every ordinary school calculator eligible, including the TI-84 family, the TI-30 series, the non-CAS TI-Nspire, and the Casio fx-9750 and fx-115.
Is the TI-84 allowed on the ACT?
Yes. No TI-84 model appears on ACT's prohibited list, and the TI-84 has no computer algebra system. Only the TI-89 and TI-92 families and the TI-Nspire CAS are banned. If your TI-84 holds programs, remove any with CAS functionality before test day. Putting it into Press-to-Test mode is not enough, because ACT requires removal rather than disabling.
Are digital watches allowed on the ACT?
Yes, a plain digital watch is allowed for pacing, as long as it is not a smartwatch and its alarm is off. One rule catches almost everyone out: you may not wear it. ACT's examinee terms list wearing a watch during test administration as prohibited behavior, and require that all watches, timers and timing devices be removed and placed on the desk so they stay visible to staff. Letting an alarm sound in the test room is separately prohibited. Smartwatches, smart glasses and fitness bands are banned outright and must be off and out of sight. See the ACT test-day checklist for everything else you can and cannot bring.
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