What can you bring to the FE exam?

Bring one current physical photo ID and one NCEES-approved calculator. In the testing room you may keep that ID, the calculator without its cover, your locker key, eyeglasses without the case, and a light sweater or light non-outerwear jacket. After check-in, the proctor gives you 2 reusable booklets and 3 markers for scratch work. Phones, watches, pens, pencils, food, and beverages stay in a locker.

What ID you need for the FE exam

You need one current physical photo ID that shows an expiration date, your name, your date of birth, a photo, and your signature. NCEES accepts a government ID from the country where you test, a passport in Roman characters, or a U.S. military ID, and the first and last name on your appointment confirmation must match the name on that ID. Digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted.

Check-in includes a digital photo and a palm vein scan, both repeated each time you enter and leave the testing room, along with a pocket check, a self pat-down, and a security wand scan. Have the ID in your hand and keep phones, watches, and notes out of your pockets before that check starts.

What you can have in the testing room

At your seat you may have your ID, one NCEES-approved calculator without its cover, a locker key, the reusable booklets and markers Pearson supplies, eyeglasses without the case, a light sweater or light non-outerwear jacket, Pearson comfort aid items, and approved accommodation items.

Only one calculator goes into the room, so spare calculators and the cover stay with your stored belongings. For 2026 exams, NCEES allows only Casio models with fx-115 or fx-991 in the name, the HP 33s and HP 35s, and Texas Instruments models with TI-30X or TI-36X in the name.

Match the name printed on your calculator to that list, and read which calculators are allowed on the FE exam before you leave home.

What is not allowed in the testing room

These items are not allowed in the testing room: phones, computers, smartwatches and other wearables or electronics, watches, wallets, purses, hats and head coverings, bags, coats, books, notes, pens, pencils, erasers, food, and beverages. Religious apparel is the exception for head coverings, and everything else on that list goes in a locker.

During the scheduled break you may leave the building, though unused break time does not carry over. You may take an unscheduled break at any time, but the clock keeps running and you may not leave the building. What happens on FE exam day puts check-in, the room scans, and that break in order.

Split the bag the night before with an FE exam day checklist. During the week before the FE exam, confirm the calculator is on the 2026 list, take the cover off, and keep phones and watches with the locker items.

Comfort items and accommodations

Pearson comfort aid items and approved accommodation items are both allowed in the testing room. If you need items beyond that, follow how you get testing accommodations for the FE exam so the approval is already on file when you arrive. An item that is neither a Pearson comfort aid nor an approved accommodation stays in the locker.

Scratch booklets and markers

You do not bring your own paper or writing tools. The booklets and markers you receive at check-in appear on the testing-room list above, and they stand in for pens, pencils, and erasers, which are not allowed in the room. Packing your own supplies does not give you a backup.

Your printed appointment confirmation

NCEES suggests you bring a printed copy of the appointment confirmation and carry it to check-in. Papers you brought are not on the testing-room list, so once staff are done with it, put the confirmation in your locker with your bag.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wear a watch to the FE exam?

No. Watches, smartwatches, and other wearables or electronics are not allowed in the testing room, so leave them in your locker with your phone.

Can I bring food or water into the FE exam?

No. Food and beverages are not allowed in the testing room, so water stays in your locker. During the scheduled break you may leave the building, and unused time from that break does not carry over. An unscheduled break is allowed at any time, but the clock keeps running and you may not leave the building.

What ID do I need for the FE exam?

Bring one current physical photo ID with an expiration date, your name, your date of birth, a photo, and your signature, such as a government ID from the country where you test, a passport in Roman characters, or a U.S. military ID. Digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted, and the first and last name on your appointment confirmation must match the ID.

Are pencils allowed on the FE exam?

No. Pens, pencils, and erasers are not allowed in the testing room. After check-in, the proctor gives you 2 reusable booklets and 3 markers for scratch work, and those markers are what you write with.

Sources

1. NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
2. NCEES: Exams (calculator policy). Retrieved October 3, 2026.