What to Bring to the CBT Exam

Bring This to the CBT Exam:

Appointment confirmation letter
Your ID
Your Calculator
A sweater or sweatshirt and/or eyeglasses (if needed)

For all CBT (Computer Based Test) exams, the testing center will provide pencils, papers, erasers and ear plugs. For more information, review each one of these items in detail:

1. Appointment Confirmation Letter

The first and last name on your appointment confirmation letter and your ID must match. To help speed up the process while checking in, bring a printed copy of your appointment confirmation letter.

2. Your ID:

You must present one of the following physical photo IDs upon arrival at the test center. Digital IDs will not be accepted.

An ID issued by a government entity in the country in which you are testing, or
An International travel passport in roman characters from your country of citizenship, or
An U.S. military ID

IDs must be current and include an expiration date, your name and date of birth, a recognizable photo, and your signature. Valid U.S. military IDs that do not include a signature will be accepted. Student IDs will NOT be accepted.

3. Calculator:

You are allowed to bring one NCEES-approved calculator, without its cover into the testing room. You may store spare calculators and covers with your personal belongings. The following calculator models are the only ones acceptable for use during the 2022 CBT exam:

Casio: All fx-115 and fx-991 models (Any Casio calculator must have “fx-115” or “fx-991” in its model name.)
Hewlett Packard: The HP 33s and HP 35s models, but no others
Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models (Any Texas Instruments calculator must have “TI-30X” or “TI-36X” in its model name.)

Check out this video here where we reviewed all of these calculators , to give you a better idea of what might work best for you. We will link to this video in the description of this video.

4. Warm Clothing and Eyeglasses

The temperature in the CBT exam room is unpredictable. Sometimes it’s hot, other times it’s cold. So, because of that it’s best to dress in layers. Sometimes they will not allow you to take your sweater off during the exam, and if you take it into the exam room, it has to stay on. If this is a concern for you, you could ask the proctor about their policy before entering the CBT exam room.

If you wear eyeglasses you are permitted to take them into the testing room without the case.

Items not permitted in the testing room include but are not limited to:

cell phones,
handheld computers/personal digital assistants (PDAs) or other electronic devices,
fitness trackers, pagers,
watches, wallets,
purses, hats and other head coverings (unless they qualify as religious apparel),
bags,
Coats,
books,
notes,
pens, pencils, erasers, food, and beverages.

You must store all belongings not permitted in the testing room in designated areas outside the testing room. Most test centers have small lockers. You must turn off all electronic devices before storing them in a locker. The test center is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced personal items.

This Episode Is Brought to You by PPI

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I hope you found this article helpful. In upcoming articles, I will solve some more PE exam practice problems and answer other questions from our subscribers. Pass the PE Exam videos will publish weekly, so be sure to click the subscribe button so you don’t miss something that could make a substantial difference in your exam result.

Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of this video, or on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.

I’ll see you next week… on Pass the PE Exam

Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success