Do You Get a Calculator for the CSCS Exam?
Oct 08, 2025If you’re preparing for the NSCA CSCS exam, you're probably wondering: What do you actually get during the exam and how can you make the most of it.
A lot of students in our CSCS Study Group ask this, so let’s break it down.
The Tools Provided During the CSCS Exam
When you sit for the computer-based CSCS exam at a testing center, you’ll have access to:
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A whiteboard (or laminated sheet) and marker – used to take notes, work through calculations, or jot down reference formulas.
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An on-screen calculator – built directly into the testing software for quick math problems.
You won’t be allowed to bring your own scratch paper, pens, or physical calculators. So getting familiar with this digital setup ahead of time can make test day smoother and less stressful.
Up until 2025, no calculator was allowed, but that has changed and students consistently report that they are being provided a calculator on the exam:
✍️ What to Write on Your Whiteboard
As soon as your exam starts, before diving into any questions, a lot of students like to to use a minute or two to jot down key reference information they’ve memorized during study sessions.
Here are the most common formulas and tables successful candidates write down right away:
💪 1RM Estimation Table
A quick guide for maximal allowable repetitions when programming resistance training. This comes from table 17.7 in the 4th edition book. It's easy to memorize since the numbers go up by 2 reps and down by 5% each time.
You’ll use this for eliminating answer choices that provide more than the max allowable repetitions. That would not be appropriate to program. We discuss this more in our full CSCS Study Course if you're interested in learning more.
⚙️ Basic Physics Formulas
Many performance questions use simple mechanical relationships that you should know:
🧮 Cunningham Equation (for Aerobic Metabolic Calculations)
Used for estimating resting metabolic rate:
🍗 Protein Recommendations
These show up in nutrition and recovery sections:
For athletes gaining weight, 1.5-2.0g/kg is recommended.
Good to have these on hand when answering nutrition questions.
⏱️ Work-to-Rest Ratios
Essential for designing conditioning intervals and understanding energy systems:
These numbers come up often with conditioning programming.
💡 Exam Tip
Think of your whiteboard as your quick-reference hub a place to brain-dump the essentials so you can focus on problem-solving. You can erase and rewrite during the exam if needed, so don’t be afraid to use it actively..
🏋️♂️ Final Thoughts
Most students have adequate time to finish the exam. Only about 30% of students in our study group said they felt rushed during the exam.
You're allowed roughly 1 minute per question, so that's a good pace to practice with when you're doing practice tests or CSCS Pocket prep questions.
Make sure to join our free CSCS Study Group to learn more, ask questions, and get the most current exam information.
Lastly, if you'd like the best CSCS study material out there, check out The Movement System CSCS Study Course. It includes in depth study videos for each chapter, over 300 CSCS Exercise Technique Videos, and over 400 CSCS Practice Questions and has helped hundreds of students pass the exam with confidence.
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