Can You Use a Calculator in the Selective Schools Test?

Can you use a calculator in the selective schools test? No. Calculators are on the prohibited list for both the NSW placement tests (Selective and Opportunity Class) and Victoria’s ACER selective entry exam. All maths is done mentally or on working paper. Students with an approved disability adjustment should follow the instructions that come with it.

NSW Selective and OC: the official rule

The NSW Department of Education lists calculators among the items students cannot bring, along with pens, rulers, note paper, dictionaries, phones and smart watches. Students may bring two 2B pencils, an eraser, a sharpener and a clear water bottle. The test is taken on computers at the test centre, and each student is given two A4 sheets for working out at the start, with more on request. See the Department’s placement test page for the full list.

Mathematical Reasoning runs for 40 minutes in both the Selective and OC tests. Mental arithmetic and tidy working on paper matter as much as knowing the concepts.

Victorian ACER selective entry

ACER’s exam-day rules for the VIC selective entry exam list calculators as prohibited, along with phones, smart watches, dictionaries and translation devices. Students bring two blue or black pens, proof of identity and their admission ticket. The Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning part (60 minutes) expects number sense, multi-step working and estimation within the Year 8 curriculum.

EduTest and scholarship sittings

EduTest sittings are run by each school, so rules can differ. Prepare calculator-free for the Numerical Reasoning and Mathematics sections, and read the candidate instructions for your sitting rather than assuming. See our EduTest scholarship guide.

How to prepare without a calculator

• Practise mental strategies for fractions, percentages, ratios and multi-step arithmetic.
• Use scrap paper only, as on test day. For NSW, that means working on paper while answering on screen (see our guide to the computer-based format).
• Time every maths section. Slow arithmetic usually costs more marks than unfamiliar topics.
• Look for shortcuts: estimating to rule out options is often faster than calculating exactly.

EduSpark’s maths and numerical reasoning papers are written to be done without a calculator, with an explanation for every question. For more on the skills, see our mathematics preparation guide.