GED Calculator and Formula Sheet
Updated October 27, 2026
On the GED Math test you get a formula sheet, and an on-screen TI-30XS calculator is available for most questions. The Social Studies and Science tests also have the on-screen calculator. Knowing how to use both saves real time on test day.
The calculator
- The on-screen calculator is a TI-30XS MultiView.
- At a test center, you may bring your own TI-30XS. Online testers use only the on-screen one.
- A few Math questions don’t allow the calculator, so you still need basic arithmetic.
Useful TI-30XS features: the fraction key (n/d) for fractions, the square and square root keys, the exponent key (^), and the toggle key that switches an answer between a fraction and a decimal.
The formula sheet
The formula sheet gives you formulas such as:
- Area and perimeter of common shapes, and the circumference and area of a circle
- Surface area and volume of prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones and spheres
- The slope of a line and slope-intercept form
- The Pythagorean theorem and the quadratic formula
You don’t have to memorize these, but you do have to know which formula a question needs and how to plug the numbers in.
Practice
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Which GED tests include the on-screen calculator?Answer: BThe on-screen TI-30XS is available on Math (for most questions), Social Studies and Science.
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What is the volume of a cylinder with radius 3 inches and height 10 inches? (V = πr²h, use π ≈ 3.14)Answer: CV = 3.14 × 3² × 10 = 3.14 × 9 × 10 = 282.6 cubic inches.
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A right triangle has a hypotenuse of 10 and one leg of 6. How long is the other leg?Answer: CUsing a² + b² = c²: 6² + b² = 10², so b² = 100 − 36 = 64 and b = 8.
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What is the slope of the line through (2, 3) and (6, 11)?Answer: BSlope = (11 − 3) ÷ (6 − 2) = 8 ÷ 4 = 2.
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If you take the GED online at home, which calculator can you use?Answer: COnline testers use only the on-screen TI-30XS. At a test center, you may bring your own TI-30XS.
Pass the GED test, one subject at a time
- All 171 questions across Math, Language Arts, Social Studies and Science
- An explanation for every answer, with the working shown for math
- Unlimited practice tests for each of the four subjects