PRC's official list of allowed calculators, why the Casio fx-991ES Plus and fx-570ES Plus are banned, and the rules on exam day, as of November 2026.
Mariano Luiz King
Published November 9, 2026
You can bring one non-programmable calculator to a PRC board exam, and it has to be a model on PRC's official list. The list comes from PRC Resolution No. 1809 (s. 2024). The calculator most students already own, the Casio fx-991ES Plus, is banned. This post has the full list, the banned models, and the exam-day rules, as of November 2026.
After reading this, you can check whether your calculator is allowed, or pick one that is, before you file for your exam.
Everything here comes from PRC's own pages: Resolution No. 1809 (s. 2024), PRC's posted copy of the list, its September 18, 2026 advisory on calculators, and the 2026 exam programs for the boards I cover. I checked them on November 9, 2026.
PRC banned the fx-991ES and fx-991ES Plus in 2018 through Memorandum Circular No. 01 (s. 2018). The 2026 psychology exam program still describes them as "programmable calculators with embedded functions."
Resolution No. 1809 adds the fx-570ES Plus. It says that model "has been repeatedly discovered to have been used for cheating," including being modified to send and receive data.
So if your college calculator is one of these three, buy a different one before your exam.
This catches people. PRC's September 18, 2026 advisory says the list is exclusive:
Here's an example. The fx-991W and fx-991S are on the list. The fx-991ES Plus is banned. The newer fx-991EX (ClassWiz) isn't on the list at all, so under the advisory, it's not allowed either.
One more wrinkle: Resolution No. 1809 also says calculators from PRC's older 2009 list "that are still available in the market" may be used. The 2026 advisory is stricter. To be safe, pick a model that's on the current list below.
This is PRC's posted list under Resolution No. 1809 (s. 2024), copied as PRC wrote it.
| Brand | Allowed models |
|---|---|
| Casio | fx-82ES Plus, fx-82EX, fx-85MS, fx-85W, fx-95MS, fx-100D, fx-100MS, fx-100S, fx-100W, fx-115MS, fx-115S, fx-115WA, fx-122S, fx-220, fx-250HC, fx-260, fx-300W, fx-350D, fx-350ES Plus, fx-350EX, fx-350HA, fx-350MS, fx-350TL, fx-570AD, fx-570MS, fx-570S, fx-570W, fx-901, fx-911W, fx-991S, fx-991W |
| Canon | F-502, F-502G, F-604, F-710, F-718S, F-718SA, F-718SG, F-718SGA, F-720, F-720i, F-760S, F-789SGA (with transparent casing) |
| Sharp | EL-500W, EL-501V, EL-501W, EL-501X, EL-506P, EL-506V, EL-506W, EL-509D, EL-509R, EL-509V, EL-509W, EL-509X, EL-510R, EL-520G, EL-520VA, EL-520W, EL-520X, EL-531VH, EL-531W, EL-531XH, EL-546L, EL-546VA, EL-556G, EL-W531TH-WH (with transparent casing) |
| HP | HP 9S, HP 10S, HP 30S, HP Smartcalc 300S |
| Citizen | SR-135N, SR-260N, SR-270N, SR-270X, SR-281N |
| Aurora | AX-501, AX-528BL, AX-595TV, AX-597W, AX-600S |
| Olympia | LCD 8110, LCD 9210, ES-570MS, ES-570ES Plus (with transparent casing) |
| Texas Instruments | TI-30XA, TI-30XIIS, TI-30XS, TI-34, TI-36X Pro |
| Other brands | Karce KC-S991, Karce KC-S3500, Porpo YH-105, Porpo YH-106, Taksun TS-98MS, Taksun TS-2000 |
Read the model number on your calculator exactly. "fx-570MS" is allowed. "fx-570ES Plus" is banned. One or two letters make the difference.
Resolution No. 1809 lets each Professional Regulatory Board keep or issue its own calculator list, or ban calculators completely. If it does, PRC says the exam program will state it. For example, PRC has posted a separate list for the Civil Engineering exam.
For the 10 board exams I cover, here's what their 2026 programs say:
| Exam | Calculator rule in the 2026 program |
|---|---|
| CPA | One non-programmable calculator from PRC's list. Basic calculators are also allowed |
| Mechanical Engineering (ME) | One from PRC's list. The program names the fx-991ES and fx-991ES Plus as prohibited |
| Electrical Engineering (REE), Electronics Engineering (ECE), Chemical Engineering (ChE), Architecture (ALE) | One non-programmable calculator from PRC's list |
| Medical Technology (MTLE), Nutrition and Dietetics (NDLE) | One non-programmable calculator from PRC's list |
| Psychometrician (RPm), Psychologist (RPsy) | One non-programmable calculator under Resolution No. 1809. It's inspected and must be reset before the exam |
Your own exam program is the final word. It's posted on PRC's site before each exam.
From the resolution and the 2026 advisory:
If you're buying one now, I'd pick a model that's on the list and close to what you practiced with. Learning a new calculator's buttons the week before the exam wastes time you don't have. Then I'd switch to it for all practice for at least a month before the exam.
If you used the fx-991ES Plus in college, look at the allowed Casio models with similar functions, like the fx-570MS or fx-991W, and check what your exam actually needs. Engineering exams lean on it heavily. Psychology and MedTech exams need much less.
Check the exact model number against PRC's list, not the brand or the look. The fx-991ES Plus is still the most common college calculator, and it's still banned. Sorting this out early is one less thing to worry about on exam day.
No. PRC has banned the fx-991ES and fx-991ES Plus since 2018. The 2026 exam programs still list them as prohibited.
No. Resolution No. 1809 (s. 2024) excludes it because it was repeatedly modified for cheating.
It's not on PRC's list. PRC's September 2026 advisory says only models expressly on the list are allowed, and newer versions aren't automatically included.
No. Only one calculator per examinee is allowed inside the exam room.
Yes. The September 2026 program allows one non-programmable calculator under Resolution No. 1809. It's inspected and reset before the exam.
Getting ready for exam day? The full timeline is in the PRC board exam schedule, and you can practice with the free board exam reviewers.
