To check a PSLE calculator, match its exact brand and model number against SEAB’s official approved-calculator document. The name on a shop label or a similar-looking calculator is not enough. The current document includes both recommended models and previously approved models that remain usable.
SEAB-approved scientific calculators are allowed in PSLE Mathematics Paper 2 and Foundation Mathematics Paper 2, with no calculator use in Paper 1.
Punggol parents should verify the calculator already used in lessons before buying a replacement. Check the model, working condition and the child’s familiarity with it, then ask the school about any uncertainty. This guide explains how to make that check without turning it into a last-minute purchase.
Find your next step
Start with SEAB’s current document
Read the full model number
Check older calculators before replacing them
Prepare the device for the examination
Practise the familiar controls
CHAPTER 1 OF 5
Start with SEAB’s current document
Open the official approved-calculator page and download its linked document. At this check, the PDF is dated 9 September 2026; the download’s date can differ from the landing page’s update date.
The recommended scientific list includes models such as Casio FX 97SG CW and HP 10S+. These examples are not the complete list, and they are not a recommendation to replace a functioning approved device.
Use the document relevant to the child’s examination year. Recheck before purchase or an examination if the family has been relying on an older saved list.
CHAPTER 2 OF 5
Read the full model number
Look at the calculator itself and record every letter, number and suffix. Compare that complete identifier with the official entry; a familiar brand can manufacture both approved and unsuitable models.
Do not mistake the graphing-calculator table for the PSLE scientific-calculator list. The document restricts graphing calculators to the specified A-Level subjects.
If the label is worn or the model is unclear, ask the school to verify the device. A photograph of its front and identification label may help the enquiry.
CHAPTER 3 OF 5
Check older calculators before replacing them
Read the document’s section on previously approved calculators as well as its recommended list. SEAB says previously approved models remain usable unless approval is withdrawn under the stated conditions.
A year range beside a recommended model does not, by itself, settle whether an older device has become unusable. Check the notes and previously approved section.
For a hand-me-down calculator, confirm the exact model and condition first. Then let the child try the keys and display during normal practice before deciding whether it meets their practical needs.
CHAPTER 4 OF 5
Prepare the device for the examination
Read the calculator section of the current PSLE candidate rules before packing the device.
The rules make working condition the candidate’s responsibility, prohibit sharing calculators and permit more than one approved calculator. A backup is useful only if it also meets the rules and the child can operate it.
Check the power supply and display well before the examination. If repair or battery replacement is needed, allow time to test the device afterwards.
CHAPTER 5 OF 5
Practise the familiar controls
Ask the child to enter a short bracketed calculation and a fraction calculation, then explain the result. The purpose is to identify difficulty with the keys or display, rather than add a new revision test.
If a replacement is necessary, give the child time to learn its controls. Similar models can have different key sequences and answer displays.
Our school materials guide helps organise the wider kit. For calculator approval, the decisive check remains the exact device against SEAB’s current document.
Information checked on 11 October 2026. Follow the current official and school instructions for your child’s individual arrangements.
