Can You Use a Calculator on ALEKS? Placement Test Rules

Can you use a calculator on ALEKS? Only the one ALEKS gives you. On the ALEKS PPL placement assessment, a basic on-screen calculator appears on the problems that need one, and on every other problem you work by hand. Personal calculators, phone apps and other on-screen calculators are not allowed, and proctored colleges treat them as a rule violation. Bring pencil and scratch paper.

The official rule, in McGraw Hill’s words

McGraw Hill, the company behind ALEKS, explains the calculator in its ALEKS user’s guide for higher education math. The guide says “A basic calculator is part of ALEKS” and “A basic calculator should be used only when you are instructed to do so.” It adds that “ALEKS provides a calculator when appropriate; when the Calculator button is active, the use of the calculator is permitted.” The same guide says you “must have paper and pencil when taking an assessment” and that during an assessment “no help whatsoever is permitted.”

McGraw Hill’s public ALEKS PPL product page does not repeat the calculator rule, so most students meet it on their college’s placement page. Nearly every college uses the same sentence: “ALEKS will provide an on-screen calculator if you need one to complete a particular problem. Otherwise, you may not use a calculator.”

ALEKS calculator rules at a glance

Time limits and the number of questions also vary by college. They are covered in our guide How Long Is the ALEKS Placement Test?, so this post sticks to calculators and tools.

How colleges enforce the calculator rule

ALEKS is the same software everywhere, but each college sets its own testing conditions. Here is how a few published policies read:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham: “Do not use a calculator.” The assessment uses Respondus Monitor with a webcam and a Lockdown Browser, and you may use only a pen or pencil, blank paper and ALEKS resources.
• Southeastern Louisiana University: “You should not use your own calculator.” Only proctored scores count for math placement, and the math department reviews the videos; irregularities may invalidate your score.
• West Chester University: “ALL ALEKS PPL tests are proctored.” You may use the onscreen ALEKS calculator whenever it is shown, with no reference material or handheld calculator.
• Dallas College: the first assessment may be unproctored, later ones are taken at a testing center, and scratch paper is provided there. You may not bring a calculator.
• Florida Atlantic University: the proctored assessment asks you to re-verify your student ID and do a room scan.

Even when your college lets you take the first attempt at home without a proctor, the rule is the same. Some colleges, such as Lehigh, say they can require you to retest in a proctored setting, and a placement earned with outside help can put you in a course you are not ready for.

What this means for you

ALEKS decides when a calculator appears, and McGraw Hill does not publish a list of which problems include one. Plan as if most arithmetic will be by hand. In practice that means:

• Fractions, negative numbers, exponent rules and simple radicals need to be quick and accurate on paper.
• When the calculator does appear, it is a basic one. You still need to know which numbers to enter and in what order.
• ALEKS uses open-response answers, not multiple choice, so you cannot back-solve from answer choices. Your scratch work has to reach an exact answer.
• Practice with the ALEKS calculator inside the tutorial before the real test, so you are not learning the buttons on test day.

Worked examples: ALEKS-style problems without a calculator

These are the kinds of skills placement problems check. Each one is quick on paper once you know the steps.

1. Subtracting fractions

Find 3/4 − 5/6. The least common denominator is 12. 3/4 = 9/12 and 5/6 = 10/12, so 9/12 − 10/12 = −1/12.

2. A linear equation

Solve 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5. Distribute: 3x − 12 = 2x + 5. Subtract 2x: x − 12 = 5. Add 12: x = 17. Check: 3(17 − 4) = 39 and 2(17) + 5 = 39.

3. Exponent rules

Simplify (2x³)² · x⁻⁴. Square each factor: 4x⁶. Multiply by x⁻⁴ by adding exponents: 6 + (−4) = 2, so the answer is 4x².

4. Slope from two points

Find the slope through (−2, 5) and (4, −7). Slope = (−7 − 5) / (4 − (−2)) = −12 / 6 = −2. The sign mistakes happen in the subtraction, so write every step.

5. A percent, with or without the calculator

Find 18% of 245. If ALEKS shows the calculator, enter 0.18 × 245. If not, split it: 10% of 245 is 24.5 and 8% is 19.6 (because 1% is 2.45, times 8). Then 24.5 + 19.6 = 44.1.

6. Simplifying a square root

Simplify √72. Find the largest perfect square factor: 72 = 36 × 2, so √72 = 6√2. A calculator would give a decimal (about 8.485), but ALEKS usually wants the exact form.

Common mistakes and myths

• “I can use my graphing calculator because it is a math test.” No. The college pages listed above all bar personal calculators.
• “An unproctored attempt means anything goes.” The ALEKS rules still apply, and a placement above your real level can lead to a course you struggle in. Some colleges, such as Southeastern Louisiana and Dallas College, also use only proctored scores for placement.
• “The calculator will be there for the hard problems.” It appears only where ALEKS decides it is needed, so do not count on it for algebra steps.
• “Decimals are fine.” Open-response items often expect exact fractions or radicals, such as 6√2 rather than 8.485.
• Forgetting scratch paper. Unless your testing center provides it, bring blank paper and a pencil. It is the one tool every college allows.

How to prepare for ALEKS without a calculator

1. Start with the free ALEKS math diagnostic to see which topics are weak.
2. Read what is on the ALEKS math placement test and list the topics you need.
3. Work full practice tests on the ALEKS practice test hub with only pencil and paper, and keep the phone in another room.
4. Rebuild weak skills with The Ultimate ALEKS Math Course, focusing on fractions, exponents and linear equations.
5. After the test, check what counts as a good ALEKS score at your school and use the Prep and Learning Module before any retake.

ALEKS calculator rules practice quiz: 10 questions

Test yourself with 10 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Frequently asked questions

Does ALEKS give you a calculator?

Yes. McGraw Hill's ALEKS guide says a basic calculator is part of ALEKS and is available when appropriate. On the placement assessment it appears only on problems that need it, and you may use it whenever it is shown. On every other problem you work with pencil and paper, so practice arithmetic, fractions and algebra by hand before test day.

Can I use a TI-84 or a phone calculator on the ALEKS placement test?

No. College placement pages, including FAU, UAB, Southeastern Louisiana, West Chester and Dallas College, do not allow personal calculators, and Dallas College also bans opening any other on-screen calculator. In proctored sessions using a webcam or a testing center, a personal calculator can be flagged as an irregularity and may invalidate your score.

What can I use during the ALEKS test?

Colleges such as UAB, Lehigh and Cal State Fullerton allow a pen or pencil, blank paper and the resources inside ALEKS, which include the calculator when it is shown and a graphing tool on some items. Notes, textbooks, websites and help from other people are not allowed. Some testing centers provide the scratch paper, so check your college's page.

Why doesn't the calculator show up on every ALEKS question?

McGraw Hill does not publish a list of which problems include it. Its guide says only that a basic calculator "will be available when appropriate" and should be used only when you are instructed to do so. Colleges use ALEKS to check the skills a first math course expects, many of which, like fraction and exponent work, are done by hand.

Can I use a calculator in the ALEKS Prep and Learning Module?

The same rule applies. McGraw Hill's guide says that in Learning Mode the calculator may be used when the Calculator button is active. Help from others is allowed in Learning Mode, unlike in assessments. Practicing there without a calculator is still the best way to get ready for the next placement attempt.

Sources

• McGraw Hill ALEKS User's Guide for Higher Education Mathematics (checked November 2026)
• McGraw Hill ALEKS Instructor's Manual, Higher Education Mathematics (checked November 2026)
• McGraw Hill: ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (checked November 2026)
• Florida Atlantic University: ALEKS PPL What to Expect (checked November 2026)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham: Math Placement Information (checked November 2026)
• Southeastern Louisiana University: Taking the Placement Assessment (checked November 2026)
• West Chester University: Mathematics FAQs (checked November 2026)
• Dallas College: ALEKS PPL (checked November 2026)
• Lehigh University: ALEKS FAQ 2026 (checked November 2026)
• Cal State Fullerton: ALEKS (checked November 2026)