Assessments FAQ

Tests can disable various capabilities that shouldn’t be available in the testing environment. For example, you cannot import graphs, add images, log in, save or share, or link out to external resources.

In addition, testing calculators are generally updated annually, over the summer, for stability and continuity. So, any new capabilities that get added during the year on www.desmos.com will likely only be available the next year in testing.

No. Changes to the calculators on desmos.com do not automatically affect the testing calculators used for exams. For the most up-to-date version of the calculator you’ll see on your exam, visit desmos.com/testing to find practice testing calculators and PDFs showing how each calculator is configured.

Each year, test creators, administrators, and the state department of education collaborate to decide which features will be enabled or disabled for the next year’s assessment.

This generally happens in the summer in advance of the next school year, and the decisions remain for the course of the subsequent school year.

Go to desmos.com/testing to practice with the version of the calculator you’ll see on test day. Each exam has a corresponding testing PDF that highlights key differences between the testing calculators and standard calculators found on desmos.com.

The Desmos Graphing Calculator will be available as an option in the following exams:

• Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics 1: Algebra-Based, Physics 2: Algebra-Based, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Precalculus
• Desmos won't be available as an option for the AP Statistics Exam.

No. Desmos is available as an option in Bluebook, but both the SAT & AP exams also allow use of a wide variety of handheld calculators to be used instead or in addition.

See this full list of Acceptable Calculators for:

• The SAT Suite of Assessments
• The AP Exams

For the most up-to-date information on AP and SAT exam formats, visit the College Board’s announcement on digital AP exams and digital SAT exams. You can find their practice exams on the College Board’s website.

Yes. We’ve worked with the College Board to ensure the calculator provides sufficient precision for intermediate calculations.

For intersection points, we show 5 decimal places. For regression parameters, we show the lesser of 5 digits after the decimal place and 9 significant figures.

Desmos will not be included as an option on the AP Statistics exam in 2025. However, we're working hard on adding new statistics capabilities, and hope to be included in future years. If you’re interested in learning more or providing feedback, we'd love to hear from you at feedback@desmos.com.

Welcome to Desmos! Our Help Center offers resources to help you get started, including the Getting Started: Desmos Graphing Calculator article. We also have interactive scavenger hunts for both the Graphing and Scientific calculators. If you’re interested in Professional Learning options, check out our Professional Learning article and feel free to reach out to us at pd@desmos.com.

Students can use Desmos testing calculators securely via Kiosk Mode for Chromebooks or in conjunction with a Lockdown Browser or Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. For more questions, please reach out to support@desmos.com.