SNAMeLearning Center - PERC NCEES Test Policies

NCEES Policy on Calculators and Reference Materials in Exam Rooms

NCEES has a "Manual of Policy and Position Statements" and in its section on Examination Policies, EP 15 Materials Permitted in Examination Room, it states in the August 2002 manual as follows:

A. General
1. Devices or materials that might compromise the security of the examination or examination process are not permitted.
2. Non-communicating, battery-operated, silent, non-printing calculators are permitted.
3. Calculating and computing devices having a QWERTY keypad arrangement similar to a typewriter keyboard are not permitted. Such devices include but are not limited to palmtop, laptop, and desktop computers, calculators, databanks, data collectors, and organizers. Calculators with alphanumeric keypads are permitted.
4.. Communication devices such as pagers and cellular phones are not permitted. .
5. Each candidate will be required to sign a statement that he or she will neither copy nor divulge any examination problem or solution and that any violation thereof will be sufficient grounds for invalidating the candidate's examination.
3. Calculating and computing devices having a QWERTY keypad arrangement similar to a typewriter keyboard are not permitted. Such devices include but are not limited to palmtop, laptop, and desktop computers, calculators, databanks, data collectors, and organizers. Calculators with alphanumeric keypads are permitted.
4.. Communication devices such as pagers and cellular phones are not permitted. .

B. Open-Book Examinations
1. The following reference materials and aids may be brought into the examination room by the examinee for his or her personal use only:
a. Handbooks and textbooks
b. Bound reference materials, provided that the material be and remain contained (bound) in a cover during the entire examination: bound referring to:
(1) Material bound permanently, i.e., stitched or glued.
(2) Material fastened securely in its cover by fasteners that penetrate all papers, e.g., ring binders, spiral binders, plastic snap binders, brads, screw posts.
2. The examinees are not permitted to exchange any reference materials.
3. Writing tablets, unbound tables, unbound notes are not permitted in the examination room.

C. Closed-Book Examinations
Only NCEES-supplied reference materials are permitted in the examination room. Note that the NAME exam is Open-Book

The above was the stated policy as of August 2002, though discussions regarding measures to ensure examination security continue. I am not now aware of changes that have been agreed upon that alter the above. You should be mindful that each state board could take a position more restrictive or liberal than given in the NCEES policy and examinees should check with their state boards to determine their position. A major NCEES concern is to ensure examination security as they own the examination contents.

On the NCEES web site, there are specific restrictions identified for calculators that all should become aware of. These may be found at: http://www.ncees.org/exams/calculators/#approved . Also, information may be found on allowed reference materials at: http://www.els-examreg.org/#pe_reference .