HiSet Calculator Guidance
NUMBERED MEMO CC22-048
TO: College and Career Readiness Directors, HSE Chief Examiners
FROM: Gilda Rubio-Festa, Associate Vice President, College and Career Readiness
SUBJECT: HiSet Calculator Guidance
DATE: October 3, 2022
PSI, the company that owns and distributes the HiSET exam, permits each state’s High School
Equivalency office the option to set its own policy regarding calculator use on the Math portion
of the exam.
Per the PSI HiSET Program Manual:
“The HiSET Mathematics Test is calculator neutral. A calculator is not required for paper-based
testing, but if a test taker requests a calculator, the test center is required to provide either a
basic 4-function or scientific calculator. Which calculator to provide is determined by the state
you are testing in. Note: For computer-based testing, an on-screen calculator is included with
the test, but if a test taker prefers to use a handheld calculator the test center may provide one
but is not required to.”
In North Carolina, HiSET testing centers are permitted to provide either 4-function or scientific
calculators to testers upon request. Per the HiSET manual, testers may only use calculators that
are provided by the testing center; they may not bring their own calculators, and they may not
use a calculator application on a mobile device. At the end of each testing session, each tester’s
calculator must be cleared of its memory using the procedure described in the HiSET manual.
cc: Dr. Kimberly Gold
Dr. Levy Brown
Jenifer Bean
