Which calculator is allowed in IB Maths exams?
In IB Maths you use a GDC (graphic display calculator) on the papers that allow technology, in the exam mode your school sets. AA Paper 1 is the one paper with no calculator.
What the rules say
| Exam | Calculator rule |
|---|---|
| AA SL | Paper 1: no technology. Paper 2: technology allowed. Source: IB subject brief: Mathematics: analysis and approaches (PDF) |
| AA HL | Paper 1: no technology. Papers 2 and 3: technology allowed. Source: IB subject brief: Mathematics: analysis and approaches (PDF) |
| AI SL | Papers 1 and 2: technology allowed. Source: IB subject brief: Mathematics: applications and interpretation (PDF) |
| AI HL | Papers 1, 2 and 3: technology allowed. Source: IB subject brief: Mathematics: applications and interpretation (PDF) |
Casio says the fx-CG50 is permitted in IB Diploma exams in Examination Mode.
Source: Casio UK exam reference leaflet 2026 (PDF)
CAS calculators (TI-Nspire CX II CAS, Casio ClassPad) are not allowed. The IB sends schools a calculator guidance booklet each exam year: your IB coordinator has the current list and the exam-mode settings.
Is my calculator allowed? A one-minute check
- No CAS. If the name has CAS in it (TI-Nspire CX II CAS) or it is a Casio ClassPad, it can do symbolic algebra, and that is not allowed.
- No keyboard, no wireless. A QWERTY keyboard, or a way to talk to other devices, rules it out.
- Nothing stored. Notes, programs or formulas you can call up are not allowed: reset it or use exam mode, as your school says.
- Ask your exams officer if you are not sure. They check calculators against the board's current rules.
Steps 1 to 3 are the rules in the table above, in short. They apply only to papers that allow a calculator.
Questions
Is a calculator allowed in IB Maths AA Paper 1?
No. AA Paper 1 (SL and HL) is the no-technology paper. AA Papers 2 and 3 allow your GDC.
Which IB Maths papers allow a calculator?
Every AI paper (SL Papers 1 and 2, HL Papers 1, 2 and 3), and AA Papers 2 and 3. AA Paper 1 has no technology.
Can I use the fx-CG50 in IB exams?
Casio says the fx-CG50 is permitted in IB Diploma exams in Examination Mode.
More calculator help for exam day
What else is free here
- Every syllabus topicA page for each AA and AI sub-topic, with exam-style questions and mark schemes.
- GDC keystrokes by topicTI-Nspire and Casio fx-CG50 guides for the calculator papers.
- Casio fx-CG50 guideEvery menu you need for IB Maths and the exam traps, on one page.
- Free formula sheets (PDF)One page per course, marking which formulas are not in the IB booklet.
Save your scores and practise the questions that use thisA free account remembers the questions you have done and brings you back to this page.
Join freeAlready have an account? Sign in
Sources
Every keystroke on this page comes from the manufacturer's own guide for that model, and every exam rule from the exam board's own document; each section names its source. Where we could not find a step in one of those documents, we have left it out. IB Math Revision is independent and is not connected to Casio, Texas Instruments or any exam board.