What should be on your FE exam day checklist?
Bring a current physical photo ID, one NCEES-approved calculator without its cover, and a printed confirmation whose first and last name match the ID. Arrive at the Pearson test center 30 minutes before your appointment. Phones, watches, notes, pens, and food stay out of the testing room, and any spare calculator or cover stays with your stored belongings. At check-in you receive scratch booklets and markers, and you leave with a verification-of-testing letter.
What to prepare the night before and the morning of
The night before, set out your ID, your calculator, and a printed confirmation together. The ID must be current and physical, with an expiration date, your name, your date of birth, a photo, and a signature. A government ID from the country where you test, a passport in roman characters, or a U.S. military ID satisfies this requirement, but digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted. NCEES recommends the printed confirmation so you can check that the first and last name on your appointment matches the name on your ID.
On exam morning, be at the Pearson test center 30 minutes before your appointment to complete check-in. What happens on FE exam day walks through the order of events once you arrive. Before you walk in, remove the calculator cover; any spare calculator and its cover stay with your stored belongings rather than coming in with you. If you are still deciding on a jacket, glasses, or a comfort aid, check what you can bring to the FE exam.
What stops you at check-in
Check-in includes a digital photo and a palm vein scan, repeated each time you enter or leave the testing room, along with a pocket check, a self pat-down, and a security wand scan. A phone, watch, or note still on you turns up in that check.
The first and last name on your appointment confirmation must match your physical ID. If they do not, you do not meet the name rule NCEES sets for that appointment, so bring the physical ID itself rather than relying on a digital copy.
Only one NCEES-approved calculator may come into the testing room. In 2026, the allowed calculators are Casio models whose names include fx-115 or fx-991, the HP 33s and the HP 35s, and Texas Instruments models whose names include TI-30X or TI-36X. Match your calculator to that list on which calculators are allowed on the FE exam before you leave home.
What you can take into the testing room
You may take in your ID, your NCEES-approved calculator without its cover, a locker key, eyeglasses without their case, and a light sweater or light non-outerwear jacket. Pearson comfort aid items and approved accommodation items are allowed too. If you need an accommodation, start with how you get testing accommodations for the FE exam.
Anything else stays with your stored belongings. Phones and computers cannot enter, and neither can watches, smartwatches, or other wearables and electronics. Wallets and purses stay out. So do hats and head coverings, unless the item is religious apparel. Bags and coats remain outside, as do books, notes, and writing tools such as pens, pencils, and erasers. Food and drinks are excluded from the room as well.
After check-in, the proctor gives you 2 reusable booklets and 3 markers for scratch work. Use those booklets and markers for your written work during the exam.
A TI-30XS calculator is also available on screen during the exam. You search the references with the search box on the left, and Ctrl + F does not work there. References are usually best viewed at 100% zoom. Practice that search on the FE Reference Handbook before exam day.
What you get when you finish
You receive a verification-of-testing letter before you leave the test center. Keep the letter with your confirmation; it is your proof from the center that you tested.
Results for computer-based exams are typically available 7 to 10 days after the exam. NCEES sends an email notice, and the result appears in MyNCEES. That posting is also covered on when FE exam results come out.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my ID name does not match?
The first and last name on your appointment confirmation must match your ID. If they do not, you do not meet the name rule NCEES sets for that appointment. The ID has to be current and physical, with an expiration date, your name, date of birth, photo, and signature. Digital IDs and student IDs are not accepted.
What if I bring my phone?
Phones are not allowed in the testing room. Check-in includes a pocket check, a self pat-down, and a security wand scan, and you repeat a digital photo and a palm vein scan each time you enter or leave. Store the phone with your belongings and take the locker key into the room. Watches, smartwatches, and other wearables or electronics are excluded as well.
When do I get my FE results?
Results for computer-based exams are typically available 7 to 10 days after the exam. NCEES sends an email notice, and the result also appears in MyNCEES. Before you leave the center you receive a verification-of-testing letter. That letter is issued the day you test, and the result follows by email and in MyNCEES.
Sources
- NCEES Examinee Guide, May 2026 (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2026.
- NCEES: Exams (calculator policy). Retrieved October 3, 2026.