GRE calculator: try the on-screen calculator and learn when to use it
Yes, you get a calculator on the GRE, but only ETS's basic on-screen one, and only in Quantitative Reasoning. It adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides, takes square roots, follows order of operations, shows up to eight digits and can transfer its display into a Numeric Entry box. You can't bring your own.
The replica below works the way ETS describes the real one in its GRE on-screen calculator guidelines, with the same keys in the same places. Use it to get the feel of the order of operations, the memory keys and Transfer Display before test day. Everything here was checked against ETS on November 10, 2026.
Work out the question under the calculator, press Transfer Display to send the result to the answer box, then check it. Try 26.2÷3.75= first, and watch what happens to a transferred answer that needs rounding.
GRE on-screen calculator replica
Click the keys, or click the calculator once and type. Keyboard: digits, . + − * (or x) / ( ), Enter for =, R for √, N for ±, Esc for C, Backspace for CE.
Keys pressed
None yet
Last verified against ETS's GRE on-screen calculator guidelines, Quantitative Reasoning overview and 2026–27 GRE Information Bulletin: November 10, 2026. The layout and behaviour follow ETS's description; ETS doesn't publish keyboard shortcuts, so the shortcuts here are our own.
Practice GRE Quant with the calculator rules in mind GRE practice questions with explanations that show when the calculator helps and when it slows you down. Free to start.
Yes: ETS gives you an on-screen calculator during the Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE General Test, and that's the only calculator you can use. ETS's 2026–27 GRE Information Bulletin says personal calculators are not permitted in the testing room unless approved as an accommodation.
Quant only. There is no calculator in Verbal Reasoning or Analytical Writing. The GRE has two Quant sections: 12 questions in 21 minutes and 15 questions in 26 minutes, and the calculator is available in both.
Test center and at home. The bulletin's calculator rules cover the General Test wherever you take it. At home, your note-taking materials are a whiteboard with an erasable marker or one blank sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector.
Not on the Subject Tests. ETS says an on-screen calculator isn't available for the GRE Subject Tests.
If you need a physical calculator for a disability, apply to ETS for accommodations well before you book. For the rest of what you can bring, see our GRE test day checklist.
What keys does the GRE calculator have?
The GRE calculator has 25 keys plus a Transfer Display bar: the ten digits, a decimal point, the four operations, equals, square root, ±, two parentheses, three memory keys and two clear keys. That's the full set shown in ETS's guidelines; there's nothing hidden behind a second function.
The four operations, applied in order of operations
=
Finishes the calculation, closing any open parentheses
( )
Group a sum or difference so it's done before × or ÷
√
Square root of the number in the display, right away
±
Changes the sign of the number in the display
M+
First press stores the display in memory and shows an M; later presses add the display to memory
MR
Recalls the number in memory into the display
MC
Clears the memory; the M disappears
C
Clears the whole calculation (and ERROR)
CE
Clears the number you're entering
Transfer Display
Copies the display into a single Numeric Entry answer box
Does the GRE calculator follow order of operations?
Yes. ETS says the GRE calculator respects order of operations: parentheses first, then square roots, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right. So 1+2×4= gives 9. A basic pocket calculator that works in the order you type would give 12.
This catches people who learned on a phone calculator in portrait mode. Two cases matter most:
A sum divided by something. To find (8.4 + 9.3) ÷ 70, either use parentheses or press = after 9.3. Typing 8.4 + 9.3 ÷ 70 = divides only 9.3 by 70, which is ETS's own example of the error.
The square root key acts immediately. To find √(21² + 54²), enter 21 × 21 + 54 × 54, press =, then √. That gives 57.939624. If you press √ before =, the calculator takes the root of the last 54 only and computes 21² + 54√54.
Try it above: enter 8.4+9.3÷70= and you get 8.5328571. Press C, then (8.4+9.3)÷70= and you get 0.2528571. Same keys, different answer.
How many digits does the GRE calculator show?
Eight. A result greater than 99,999,999 shows ERROR, and a positive result smaller than 0.0000001 shows 0. Decimals that don't fit are rounded: 2 ÷ 3 shows 0.6666667 and √3357 shows 57.939624.
Division by zero and square roots of negatives show ERROR. So does 10,000,000 × 10.
Press C to clear ERROR. ETS says the clear button must be used. In our replica, CE and the other keys do nothing until you press C.
Eight digits is usually plenty. If you hit ERROR from overflow, check for a mis-keyed digit or a missing decimal point before anything else. GRE questions rarely need numbers that large.
Where does Transfer Display work?
Transfer Display works only on Numeric Entry questions with a single answer box, where it copies the calculator display into the box. Numeric Entry answers are entered either as an integer or decimal in one box or as a fraction in two boxes, numerator and denominator. The button doesn't fill fraction boxes, and it does nothing for multiple-choice or Quantitative Comparison questions.
ETS's advice is to check the transferred number has the right form. The two common fixes:
Rounding. If the question says "to the nearest 0.1", 6.9866667 must become 7.0. The demo under the calculator above is set up to show exactly that.
Percent vs decimal. If the box is labelled %, a display of 0.24 means you type 24.
For a fraction answer, don't convert to a decimal on the calculator at all. ETS's guidelines warn against introducing decimals when you're asked for a fraction. More on the format in our GRE Numeric Entry guide.
What can't the GRE calculator do?
The GRE calculator has no exponent, percent, fraction, pi or memory-subtract key, and it holds only one number in memory. Each gap has a quick workaround:
Keys from ETS's guidelines; workarounds are ours.
You need
No key for it, so
x² or x³
Multiply it out: 1.05 × 1.05 × 1.05 for three years of 5% growth
Percent of a number
Multiply by the decimal: 3.5% of 1,840 is 1,840 × 0.035
Fractions
Do fraction arithmetic by hand and give the answer as a fraction
π
Keep π as a symbol when the answer choices do, and use 3.14 only to estimate
Subtract from memory
Use ± first, then M+: the display is added as a negative number
Two stored numbers
Write one subtotal on your scratch paper or whiteboard
When should you use the calculator on the GRE?
Use it for tedious arithmetic: long division, square roots, and adding, subtracting or multiplying numbers with several digits. Skip it for anything you can do in a few seconds in your head. That's ETS's own guidance, which lists 10 − 490, 4 × 70, 4,300 ÷ 10, √25 and 30² as things to do mentally.
You have 21 minutes for 12 questions and 26 minutes for 15, so about 1 minute 45 seconds per question. Opening the calculator, keying a calculation and checking it can easily take 20 to 30 seconds (our estimate), so it has to save more time than that. Our rule of thumb:
Reach for it for decimals beyond one place, three-digit by two-digit multiplication, division that doesn't come out clean, square roots of non-perfect squares, and long sums such as averages of five data points.
Stay in your head for multiplying by 10s, perfect squares, simple fractions, and any Quantitative Comparison you can settle by reasoning. ETS's own tip for Quantitative Comparison is to avoid unnecessary computations.
Estimate first, always. ETS recommends estimating before you calculate so you can tell if the calculator's answer is in the ballpark. It's the cheapest way to catch a mis-keyed digit.
Calculator or mental math? Six practice questions
For each question, decide whether you'd use the calculator, then answer. The feedback shows the faster approach and why. Use the calculator above for the ones where it helps.
6 questions. Answers are checked one at a time.
Common GRE calculator mistakes
Assuming left-to-right. The GRE calculator follows order of operations. Press = before dividing a sum.
Pressing √ too early. √ applies to the number in the display at that moment, not the whole expression.
Transferring an unrounded or unconverted number. Transfer Display copies exactly what's shown.
Turning a fraction answer into a decimal. 0.3333333 is not 1/3 in a fraction box.
Forgetting the memory. The M stays on screen until you press MC. A value left over from an earlier question gets added to your next M+, so press MC before you start a new memory calculation.
Using it for everything. The calculator is slow for easy arithmetic and useless for reasoning. Time spent keying 18 × 18 is time not spent on the hard question.
Can you type into the GRE calculator? Hotkeys and keyboard use
ETS's guidelines say you can operate the calculator with the mouse or the keyboard, and warn you not to mis-key a number or operation either way. ETS doesn't publish a list of keyboard shortcuts, so don't plan on hotkeys for √ or memory; clicking those keys is safest.
On the replica above, click the calculator once and type digits, +-*/() and Enter. We added R for √, N for ±, Esc for C and Backspace for CE; those four are our own. The "keys pressed" strip next to the calculator shows your sequence, which is handy for spotting where a wrong answer came from.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but only the one ETS provides. You get a basic on-screen calculator during the Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE General Test. Personal calculators are not permitted in the testing room unless ETS approves one as an accommodation, and there is no calculator in the Verbal Reasoning or Analytical Writing sections.
Yes. The at-home GRE General Test uses the same on-screen calculator in the Quantitative Reasoning sections. You can't use a physical calculator at home either; ETS's bulletin lists personal calculators as not permitted unless approved as an accommodation.
Yes. ETS says the on-screen calculator respects order of operations, so entering 1 + 2 × 4 gives 9, not 12. Square roots are applied before multiplication and division, which in turn come before addition and subtraction. Press = or use parentheses when you need a sum or difference done first.
No. The keys are the digits, decimal point, +, −, ×, ÷, =, square root, ±, parentheses, MR, MC, M+, C, CE and Transfer Display. To square a number, multiply it by itself; to find a percent, multiply by the decimal (for example × 0.035 for 3.5%).
Up to eight. If a result is greater than 99,999,999 the display shows ERROR, and a positive result smaller than 0.0000001 shows as 0. Longer decimals are rounded to fit, so 2 ÷ 3 shows 0.6666667.
It copies the number in the calculator display into the answer box of a Numeric Entry question that has a single answer box. It doesn't work for fraction answers, which use two boxes, or for multiple-choice and Quantitative Comparison questions. Always check the transferred number has the form the question asks for, such as rounded or as a percent.
C clears everything in the current calculation and is the only key that clears an ERROR. CE clears just the number you're entering, so you can retype it without starting over. Use MC to clear the memory.