GMAT Calculator: What Does it Look Like and When Can it Be Used?

One of the questions we hear most frequently from students who are beginning their GMAT prep is, “Are calculators allowed on the GMAT?”

In this article, we’ll answer all of your burning questions about using a calculator on the GMAT.

Let’s start with the most important question of all:

Can You Use a Calculator on the GMAT

The GMAT includes an on-screen calculator during the Integrated Reasoning section only. There is no GMAT calculator allowed during the Quantitative section. Instead, at the beginning of your exam, you will be provided with a dry-erase pad and marker that you can use at any point during your exam. All of your calculations will be performed with the pen and pad. We’ll mention those again a little bit later.

KEY FACT:

The GMAT includes an on-screen calculator during the Integrated Reasoning section only. There is no GMAT calculator allowed during the Quant section.

Before you start to hyperventilate, we’ve got some good news for you: You don’t need a calculator for GMAT Quant.

Let’s discuss why.

The GMAT Tests Logic, Not Complex Math

At its core, the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GMAT is a logic test. Sure, you’ll need to be able to perform basic calculations, such as multiplication and long division, during the Quant section. That’s when your trusty dry-erase pad will come in handy.

The makers of the GMAT–and, more importantly, the folks in admissions at business schools–aren’t trying to determine your skill level at performing calculations on a calculator. They want to know how effective you are at using knowledge and logic to reason your way through problems. So, a question that looks, on the surface, as if it involves complex math is in fact testing you on your ability to a) analyze what is going on in the problem and b) apply your knowledge of math concepts and principles to eliminate answer choices and arrive at the correct answer.

TTP PRO TIP:

The makers of the GMAT aren’t trying to determine your skill level at performing calculations on a calculator. They want to know how effective you are at using knowledge and logic to reason your way through problems.

Take the following example:

20² + 21² + 22² + 23² + 24² + 25² =

1. 3,055
2. 3,060
3. 3,066
4. 3,704
5. 3,077

Instead of going through the long and tedious (time-wasting) process of finding the sum of the equation above, if we’ve studied the key math rules tested on the GMAT, we can quickly recognize that this question is actually testing us on units digits, and we can simply find the units digit of the sum. We use the units digits of each square to determine the units digit of the sum.

• The units digit of 202 must be 0, since 0^2 = 0.
• The units digit of 212 must be 1, since 1^2 = 1.
• The units digit of 222 must be 4, since 2^2 = 4.
• The units digit of 232 must be 9, since 3^2 = 9.
• The units digit of 242 must be 6, since 4^2 = 16.
• The units digit of 252 must be 5, since 5^2 = 25.

With this, we can sum the units digits: 0 + 1 + 4 + 9 + 6 + 5 = 25. Thus, the units digit is 5 and the correct answer is A.

Now that you know you can’t use–and actually don’t need–a calculator for the Quant section of the GMAT, you may be wondering, what does the GMAT calculator for the Integrated Reasoning section look like?

What Does the GMAT Calculator for the Integrated Reasoning Section Look Like?

During the Integrated Reasoning section of your GMAT, there will be a button labeled “Calculator” in the top left-hand corner of the computer screen. To reiterate, this button will not be present during any other section of the exam. When you click on the Calculator button, a calculator will appear in the middle of your screen.

Like any standard calculator, the IR calculator features a number pad in the middle. Buttons for clearing the last digit you typed (Backspace); the last line of numbers you entered (CE); and all previous operations, including the current entry (C), sit in a row above the number pad.

The right side of the IR calculator features the standard column of four buttons to perform basic arithmetic (division, multiplication, subtraction, addition) as well as a column to the right of that containing buttons for the following functions:

sqrt: Calculates the square root of the number you just entered.
%: Increases or decreases a number by a certain percentage (for example, 35 – 15%).
1/x: Calculates the reciprocal of the number you just entered.

The left side of the calculator has a column of memory functions. These buttons, from top to bottom, are:

MC (Memory Clear): As you might expect, this button clears the memory.
MR (Memory Recall): Displays the number currently stored in the memory.
MS (Memory Store): This is what you press to store a number for later use.
M+ (Memory Addition): Adds the number currently displayed on the calculator to the number currently stored in the memory.

Keep in mind that while the memory functions may be useful when you’re performing calculations that require several steps, these functions also have the potential to cause confusion or, even worse, mistakes that you don’t notice. Imagine, for instance, that you forget to clear the memory after you finish a question, and then you add numbers to the memory that are related to a different question? For test-takers who don’t have much experience using memory functions on a calculator, writing important numbers on the provided dry-erase pad may be a safer bet. Remember, the IR section tests a lot of the same skills you’ll use in the Quant section, where you won’t have access to a calculator. So, in general, relying heavily on the calculator during IR is probably not a great strategy.

TTP PRO TIP:

The IR section tests a lot of the same skills you’ll use in the Quant section, where you won’t have access to a calculator. So, using your dry-erase pad may be a better strategy than relying heavily on the calculator during IR.