Can You Use a Calculator On the GRE?

October 20, 2008

No, you can't use a calculator on the GRE.

This is a blessing and a curse. If you're studying hard for the Quantitative portion of the exam, you're probably focused on the "curse" part. I'm sure there have been plenty of times you've wanted to avoid the arithmetic (or, heaven forbid, long division) and reach for a calculator. That impulse may never go away, but I hope it will become less frequent.

No Calculator = No Serious Calculations

Of course, the makers of the GRE know full well that you can't use a calculator on the test. They also know you have a very limited amount of time to answer the given math questions.

The GRE math sections aren't designed to test your arithmetic ability. (If you have extremely poor arithmetic skills, that's a problem, but it's something you can improve with practice.) The GRE aims to measure your mathematical reasoning skills. That involves numbers, of course, but it's more about relationships--concepts like percents, fractions, rates, ratios, and averages.

Because of the test's aim and its time constraints, GRE questions tend to give you numbers you can work with quickly and without too much calculation. If you were allowed to use a calculator on the exam, I would encourage you to use it as little as possible.

Practice the Basics and Some Mental Math

To work around your lack of a calculator, make sure your arithmetic basics are rock solid. If you have a problem multiplying by 12 or carrying when subtracting three-digit numbers, that's something you need to practice. Those skills alone won't get you a great GRE math score, but if you don't have them, you've got no chance.

Once the basics are down, you can shift your focus to mental math. I have an entire chapter devoted to mental math in Total GRE Math, plus several free articles here and at my GMAT site. (Most of the mental math techniques that apply to the GMAT are relevant to the GRE, as well.)

Most of all, remember that complicated calculations aren't what the GRE is about. If you find yourself mired in something like that, it's probably not because the testmaker is sadistic, it's because you haven't figured out an easier, more elegant way of solving the problem.

Jeff Sackmann is a test-prep tutor based in New York City and the author of Total GRE Math, among other GRE and GMAT resources.

Need a better Quant score? Check out Total GRE Math.