Which Calculators Are Approved for the 2027 HSC Exams?

Your calculator works perfectly in class, but that doesn’t automatically mean you can use it in the HSC exam. NESA approves specific calculator models, not entire brands or calculator families. You also need to check whether your particular HSC exam permits one.

For the 2027 NSW HSC, you must use a model on NESA’s 2027 approved-calculator list. As at 9 November 2026, examples of approved models include the Casio fx-8200AU II, Casio fx-82AU PLUS II (1st or 2nd Edition), and Texas Instruments TI-30X Plus MathPrint.

These are examples, not the complete list. The safest approach is to check your calculator’s exact model number against NESA’s current list before buying or taking it into an exam.

01How to check whether your calculator is approved

There are two separate things to check:

1. Is your exact calculator model approved by NESA for your HSC year?
2. Does your particular HSC exam allow an approved calculator?

Both conditions must be satisfied.

Step 1: Find the approved list for your HSC year

Start with NESA’s official approved-calculator list.

Make sure you’re looking at the correct examination year.

This matters because NESA reviews calculator submissions annually and publishes its approved list for the following year’s HSC. NESA states that the list published in 2026 applies to the 2027 HSC.

For example:

• Sitting the 2027 HSC? Check the 2027 approved-calculator list.
• Sitting a later HSC? Check the list published for that examination year when it becomes available.

Don’t rely on an old school handout, an outdated calculator guide, or a retailer’s claim that a model is HSC-approved.

Step 2: Match the exact model number

This is where students can make an avoidable mistake.

A calculator’s brand isn’t enough. Even two calculators from the same product family might have different approval status.

Find the model number printed on your calculator. It is usually displayed on the front or back of the device.

Then compare it with the model names on NESA’s list.

For example, the following model identifiers appear on the 2027 approved list:

Notice how specific the descriptions are.

NESA doesn’t simply approve every Casio fx-series calculator. It identifies individual models and, where relevant, particular editions.

If your calculator has a different suffix, edition, or model number, don’t assume it’s covered just because it looks almost identical to an approved one.

Step 3: Check your subject’s exam equipment requirements

Even if your calculator is on NESA’s approved list, you can only use it in an HSC exam where calculators are permitted.

Check the NESA HSC exam equipment list.

For the 2027 HSC, a NESA-approved calculator is listed as required equipment for the following subjects:

Physics also lists a pair of compasses, a protractor, and set squares as required equipment.

The important distinction is that calculator approval and permission to use a calculator in a particular exam are separate requirements.

An approved calculator isn’t automatically permitted in every HSC examination.

02What makes a calculator acceptable for the HSC?

You might be wondering why NESA approves some scientific calculators but excludes others.

After all, a calculator is just a calculator, isn’t it?

Not quite. Different calculators can perform very different operations.

A standard scientific calculator can handle the numerical calculations required across many HSC subjects. More advanced models may also graph functions, store programs, or manipulate algebra symbolically.

NESA restricts certain advanced capabilities to maintain fairness in examinations.

Features allowed on approved scientific calculators

NESA-approved scientific calculators can typically perform operations such as:

• Scientific notation.
• Powers, roots, and reciprocals.
• Logarithms and exponentials.
• Trigonometric and inverse trigonometric calculations.
• Permutations and combinations.
• Conversions between polar and Cartesian coordinates.
• Basic statistical calculations, including standard deviation.
• Linear regression.

These are useful functions for HSC Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

For example, in Physics, you might need to evaluate an expression involving scientific notation and trigonometry. An approved scientific calculator can handle these numerical operations.

In Mathematics, you might use logarithms, combinations, or statistical functions.

Features that NESA prohibits

An approved HSC calculator cannot have the following capabilities:

A common misconception is that switching off a calculator’s graphing mode makes it acceptable.

It doesn’t.

NESA prohibits calculators with graphing capability. The restriction concerns what the calculator can do, not simply which functions you intend to use during the examination.

Likewise, deleting stored programs doesn’t turn a programmable calculator into an approved model.

The practical rule is simple: don’t try to determine approval from the calculator’s features alone. Check its exact model against NESA’s list.

03Worked examples: Checking calculator approval

04What if you need an accessible calculator?

NESA also maintains a separate list of approved accessible scientific calculators for students with low vision or vision impairment.

The current list includes:

There are additional conditions for certain features.

For example, students wishing to use the speech output function on the Orion TI-30XS Multiview must apply through NESA’s HSC exam provisions. Headphones must be worn when using speech output.

What if none of the approved accessible calculators meets your needs?

NESA allows students who are unable to use the listed accessible calculators to apply for an appropriate alternative through its HSC exam provisions. This can include the Desmos Scientific Calculator App or an appropriate scientific calculator emulator.

Any device used under this arrangement must have flight mode enabled and Wi-Fi turned off.

This is an approval process, not general permission for students to bring calculator apps or tablets into examinations.

You can read about the requirements through NESA’s alternative calculator provision.

05What calculator rules apply on exam day?

Finding an approved calculator is only half the job. You also need to prepare it correctly.

NESA specifies several conditions for calculators brought into HSC examinations.

1. Switch off and reset your calculator

NESA requires calculators to be switched off and reset before entering the examination room.

Learn how to do this on your particular model before examination day.

2. Leave calculator lids and instructions at home

You cannot bring the following into the examination room:

• Calculator lids.
• Calculator instruction booklets.
• Calculator reference cards.
• Other written instructions explaining how to operate your calculator.

You are expected to know how your calculator works before the exam.

3. Make sure your calculator works properly

NESA may inspect the equipment you bring into an examination.

You cannot borrow equipment during the exam, and NESA states that misadventure applications arising from equipment failure will not be upheld.

Before examination day, check that:

• Your display works properly.
• All buttons respond correctly.
• Your batteries are in good condition.
• You can access the functions you regularly use.
• You understand how to change between degrees and radians where required.

Don’t leave it until the morning of your Mathematics Extension 2 examination to discover that your calculator has a flat battery.

For a broader preparation guide, see tutorgum’s HSC Exam Day Checklist: What to Pack and Check.

06Questions and solutions

Question 1

You are sitting the 2027 HSC Chemistry examination. Your calculator is a Texas Instruments TI-30X Plus MathPrint, and this exact model appears on NESA’s 2027 approved-calculator list.

Can you use it in the examination? Explain the two checks that establish your eligibility.

Solution 1

Yes, you can use it in the 2027 HSC Chemistry examination.

There are two requirements to satisfy.

First, the TI-30X Plus MathPrint appears by its exact model name on NESA’s 2027 approved-calculator list.

Second, the 2027 exam equipment list specifies a NESA-approved calculator for Chemistry.

Both conditions are satisfied.

You must still follow the examination conditions, including switching off and resetting your calculator before entering the examination room.

Question 2

NESA’s 2027 approved-calculator list includes the Casio fx-82AU PLUS II 1st or 2nd Edition.

Your calculator is labelled Casio fx-82AU PLUS II, but an online retailer advertises another calculator as an fx-82AU PLUS II-compatible model.

Your friend argues that both must be approved because they share the same model description.

Is your friend’s reasoning correct? Explain what you should check.

Solution 2

No. A compatibility claim does not establish NESA approval.

The approved-calculator list identifies particular calculator models and editions. It does not automatically extend approval to other products that claim to be compatible.

You should:

1. Identify the actual model number printed on the calculator itself.
2. Check its edition or version against NESA’s entry.
3. Confirm that the physical calculator you intend to bring is the model named on the list.

The distinction is between owning an approved calculator and owning something advertised as compatible with one.

A retailer’s product description cannot replace NESA’s approval.

Question 3

A student owns a scientific calculator that can perform trigonometric calculations, logarithms, and scientific notation.

However, the calculator also has a computer algebra system that can differentiate functions and solve equations symbolically. Its exact model does not appear on NESA’s approved-calculator list.

The student argues that it should be allowed because the calculator’s ordinary scientific functions are sufficient for the HSC.

Is this argument valid?

Solution 3

No. The calculator cannot be used simply because it performs the scientific calculations required by the HSC.

There are two separate problems.

First, the exact model does not appear on NESA’s approved-calculator list.

Second, its computer algebra system provides functionality that NESA explicitly prohibits, including symbolic differentiation and equation solving.

The student’s argument focuses on the functions they intend to use rather than the capabilities of the device.

NESA’s restrictions apply to the calculator itself. Choosing not to use its advanced features does not remove those capabilities.

An acceptable calculator must meet NESA’s approval requirements, not merely perform the calculations needed for a particular question.

Question 4

Your school allows students to use a particular graphing calculator in its Year 12 internal assessment tasks.

You own that calculator and have become very familiar with it. However, its exact model does not appear on NESA’s 2027 approved-calculator list.

You discover that another scientific calculator, which you also own, does appear on NESA’s list.

Your school has not specified which calculator you must use in its internal trial.

Explain whether you can use each calculator in the internal trial and in the external HSC examination.

Solution 4

The answer depends on whether you are sitting an internal school assessment or an external HSC examination.

For the internal trial, your school determines the permitted equipment under its assessment requirements. You should check with your teacher or assessment coordinator whether either calculator is allowed.

For the external HSC examination, NESA’s requirements apply.

Your graphing calculator is not on the approved list and has a prohibited graphing capability. Permission to use it in school assessments does not make it acceptable for the external examination.

Your other scientific calculator appears on NESA’s list. Provided its exact model is covered and the subject’s equipment list permits an approved calculator, you can use it in the external HSC examination.

The important distinction is that school assessment policies and NESA’s external examination requirements serve different purposes.

A school can determine what equipment it permits in its own assessments, but it cannot add a calculator to NESA’s approved list.

Question 5

A student sitting the 2027 HSC Physics examination has low vision.

The student can use the Orion TI-30XS Multiview, which appears on NESA’s approved accessible-calculator list, but needs its speech output function to operate the calculator effectively.

The student has not yet applied for permission to use speech output.

Their school has also provided a tablet with the Desmos Scientific Calculator App installed. A teacher suggests bringing the tablet as a backup in case the student has difficulty with the calculator.

The student argues that both devices should be permitted because the Physics examination allows NESA-approved calculators.

Explain which parts of this argument are correct, what additional approval is required, and why the tablet cannot automatically be used as a backup.

Solution 5

The Orion TI-30XS Multiview is an approved accessible calculator, but the student must obtain the appropriate NESA permission before using its speech output function. The tablet also requires a separate approval pathway and cannot automatically be brought into the examination.

There are three different requirements to consider.

First: The approved accessible calculator.

The Orion TI-30XS Multiview appears on NESA’s accessible-calculator list for students with low vision or vision impairment.

The student can therefore use this approved model, subject to the relevant examination requirements.

However, NESA specifies an additional condition for speech output. Students wishing to use this function must apply through NESA’s HSC exam provisions, and headphones must be worn while using it.

Being on the accessible-calculator list does not automatically authorise every additional feature.

Second: The tablet and Desmos app.

The Desmos Scientific Calculator App is identified by NESA as an example of an alternative that students may apply to use if they are unable to use the approved accessible calculators.

This is not general permission to bring a tablet into the examination.

The student would need to apply through NESA’s exam provisions and have the alternative arrangement approved.

If the device is authorised for use, it must be set to flight mode with Wi-Fi turned off.

Third: The difference between an approved calculator and an approved alternative arrangement.

The Physics equipment list permits NESA-approved calculators.

However, that general permission does not automatically extend to every calculator application or electronic device.

The student must follow the specific requirements for the accessible calculator and any alternative device separately.

The tempting argument is that both devices perform the same mathematical operations, so they should receive the same treatment.

But NESA distinguishes between an approved physical calculator, additional accessibility features, and alternative electronic devices. Each has its own approval requirements.

This is the key principle: approval of a calculator model does not automatically approve every feature, accessory, or alternative device associated with it.

07Final calculator check before your HSC

Before your first HSC examination, make sure you can answer these questions:

• [ ] Have I checked the approved-calculator list for my HSC year?
• [ ] Does my exact calculator model and edition appear on that list?
• [ ] Does my subject’s exam equipment list permit a NESA-approved calculator?
• [ ] Have I checked any additional approval requirements for accessible features?
• [ ] Do I know how to operate my calculator without instructions?
• [ ] Have I checked its batteries, display, and buttons?
• [ ] Can I switch it off and reset it before entering the examination room?
• [ ] Have I removed its lid and left instruction booklets and reference cards at home?

Getting your calculator sorted early means you can concentrate on using it effectively in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry rather than worrying about whether it will be accepted.

Once you’ve confirmed your calculator, the next useful step is to check the remaining equipment requirements for each examination. Your calculator is one part of being prepared; knowing exactly what you can bring into the examination room is the rest.