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How to use this practice calculator
GATE is a computer-based test, and the only calculator allowed is the one on the exam screen, which you work with the mouse. The mock tests linked from the GATE 2026 website run on TCS iON's platform, and the same calculator page is public on tcsion.com. We replayed more than 3,000 recorded key sequences on that page and on this one, and the displays matched.
- Type a number, then press the function:
30thensingives 0.5 with Deg selected. - For a two-number key, type the first number, the key, the second number and
=:81 logᵧx 3 =gives 4. - Pick Deg or Rad before any trig. Deg is selected when the page opens, as in the exam.
- Turn on Exam mode to switch the keyboard off, hide the tips and run a countdown.
- The Drill panel sets numerical answer questions; the key sequence and working sit under each one.
| You want | Press | Display |
|---|---|---|
| x to the power y | 2 xʸ 10 = | 1024 |
| y-th root of x | 27 ʸ√x 3 = | 3 |
| Log of x to base y | 81 logᵧx 3 = | 4 |
| 2 × 10⁻³ | 2 Exp 3 +/- = | 0.002 |
| 20% of 50 | 20 % 50 = | 10 |
| A running total in memory | 5 MS 3 M+ MR | 8 |
Outside exam mode you can also type: digits, + - * /, ^ for xʸ, Enter, Backspace and Escape.
Share a key sequence
The address bar updates as you press keys, so the link reopens the same sequence. Link parameters:
| Parameter | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|
keys | keys=81,logy,3,eq | Presses the keys in order: numbers as written, other keys by name (add, sub, mul, div, pow, logy, exp, open, close, eq, neg, sin, ln). |
angle | angle=rad | Starts in Rad |
drill, seed | drill=ci&seed=42 | Opens one drill question. Topics: ci, logs, trig, cubic, decay, sci, comb. |
exam | exam=1 | Opens in exam mode |
How the GATE calculator differs from a handheld one
If you have practised on a Casio-style handheld, five habits need to change.
- No keyboard. Every digit is a mouse click, so long entries are slow. Store a result with MS and bring it back with MR instead of retyping it.
- Function after the number. A handheld takes sin, then 30. Here you type 30, then sin, and the key acts at once on the number shown.
- Two display lines. The top line shows the expression so far, such as
10000*(1+8/100)^5, and the bottom line shows the current number or the result. - Inverse keys sit under their parents. There is no SHIFT key: sin⁻¹ is below sin, and the inverse hyperbolic keys are below sinh, cosh and tanh.
- The display does not round. Whole numbers and short decimals look clean, but
1 / 3 =shows 0.3333333333333333. GATE questions say how to round, and the rounding is yours to do.
Two more limits: a number can have at most 9 characters, so use Exp for long values, and after Math Error or Infinity every key except C is locked.
Where each function lives
| Row | Function block (left) | Number block (right) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | mod, Deg / Rad | MC MR MS M+ M- |
| 2 | sinh cosh tanh Exp ( ) | ← C +/- √ |
| 3 | sinh⁻¹ cosh⁻¹ tanh⁻¹ log₂x ln log | 7 8 9 / % |
| 4 | π e n! logᵧx eˣ 10ˣ | 4 5 6 * 1/x |
| 5 | sin cos tan xʸ x³ x² | 1 2 3 − = |
| 6 | sin⁻¹ cos⁻¹ tan⁻¹ ʸ√x ∛ |x| | 0 . + (= spans rows 5 and 6) |
Worked key sequences for GATE numericals
1. Compound interest (General Aptitude)
₹10,000 is invested at 8% a year, compounded annually. What is it worth after 5 years? The formula is A = P(1 + r/100)ⁿ.
Keys: 10000 * ( 1 + 8 / 100 ) xʸ 5 =. After the closing bracket the display shows 1.08. Then 1.08⁵ = 1.4693280768, and the final display reads 14693.280768000006. Rounded off to two decimal places, A = ₹14,693.28, so the interest earned is ₹4,693.28.
2. Coulomb's law with the Exp key
Two charges of 2 µC and 3 µC are 5 cm apart. With k = 8.99 × 10⁹ N·m²/C², the force is F = k q₁ q₂ / r².
Keys: 8.99 Exp 9 * 2 Exp 6 +/- * 3 Exp 6 +/- / ( 5 Exp 2 +/- ) x² =. Exp means "times ten to the power", and +/- after the 6 makes that exponent negative. The bracket turns 5 × 10⁻² into 0.05, and x² gives 0.0025 before the division. The display reads 21.576, so F ≈ 21.58 N.
The bracket matters. x² acts on the number on the display, so without it x² squares the −2 you just typed, and the display ends at 0.0000010788.
3. Root of a cubic by trial
Find the real root of x³ + 2x − 5 = 0, correct to two decimal places. The calculator has no equation solver, so evaluate f(x) at trial values and look for a sign change. One trial, x = 1.3, is 1.3 x³ + 2 * 1.3 − 5 =, which gives −0.203.
| x | 1 | 2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.32 | 1.33 | 1.325 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| f(x) | −2 | 7 | −0.203 | 0.544 | −0.060032 | 0.012637 | −0.0238 |
The sign changes between 1.32 and 1.33, and f(1.325) is still negative, so the root lies between 1.325 and 1.33 and rounds to 1.33.
Common slips and the exam calculator's quirks
- Deg or Rad. With Rad selected,
30 singives −0.9880316240928618 instead of 0.5, because 30 is read as 30 radians. More in degrees vs radians on a calculator. - log or ln. log is base 10 and ln is base e:
100 loggives 2, while100 lngives 4.605170185988092. - Brackets around a denominator.
1 / 2 * 3 =gives 1.5. For 1/(2 × 3), type1 / ( 2 * 3 ) =, which gives 0.16666666666666666. - Negative numbers. Type the number, then +/-:
2 * 3 +/- =gives −6. Pressing − after * replaces the *, so2 * − 3 =gives −1. - No implied multiplication.
2 ( 3 + 4 ) =drops the 2 and shows 7. Press * before the bracket.
Four key orders come out differently from ordinary maths on the exam calculator. This page reproduces them on purpose and explains each one when it happens.
| Keys | Exam calculator shows | Ordinary maths | Safe way |
|---|---|---|---|
2 xʸ 3 xʸ 2 = | 64 (powers left to right) | 2⁹ = 512 | 2 xʸ ( 3 xʸ 2 ) = |
2 / 3 xʸ 2 * 4 = | 0.05555555555555555 | 0.8889 | 2 / 3 xʸ 2 = * 4 = |
8 / ( 2 ) / 2 = | 8 | 2 | 8 / ( 2 ) = / 2 = |
1.6 Exp 19 +/- =, then +/- | 0 | −1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ | 1.6 +/- Exp 19 +/- = |
The second row is the one that costs marks: after a /, a power or Exp, the next * is pulled into the divisor, so 2 / 3² × 4 becomes 2 / (9 × 4). The same happens with 1 / 2 Exp 3 * 5 =, which shows 0.0001 instead of 0.0025.
Finishing one step with = before starting the next costs one click and removes every grouping question.
Embed the GATE-Style Virtual Calculator on your website
Teachers, bloggers and course sites can add this tool to any web page for free. Paste the code below into an HTML or embed block (WordPress, Google Sites, Canvas, Moodle, Blogger, Wix). It loads the same tool you see above, without our menus or ads. Please keep the credit line under the frame. Sizes, a live preview and step-by-step guides for each platform are on the calculator widget page.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the calculator used in the GATE exam?
No. It is an independent practice version made by WideMath. GATE is conducted by the IITs and IISc, and the exam screen has its own calculator. This page copies that calculator's key order and behaviour so your practice carries over, but it is not the exam software and has no connection with GATE's organisers, TCS, Casio or Texas Instruments.
Can I use the keyboard in the GATE exam?
No. You work the calculator with the mouse. Turn on Exam mode here to switch the keyboard off; the drill's answer box then uses an on-screen number pad, the way past GATE question papers ask you to enter numerical answers.
How do I find log base 2 or a log to any base?
For base 2, type the number and press log₂x: 1024 log₂x gives 10. For any other base, type the number, press logᵧx, type the base and press =: 81 logᵧx 3 = gives 4.
How do I enter a number like 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹?
Type 1.6 Exp 19 +/-, then carry on with the next operator or =. The display shows 1.6000000000000002e-19, a rounding artefact you can ignore. Do not press +/- on such a tiny result afterwards, because it turns into 0; for −1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ type 1.6 +/- Exp 19 +/-.
What does mod do with negative numbers?
The answer takes the sign of the first number: −7 mod 3 gives −1 and 7 mod −3 gives 1.
Why does the display show so many digits?
The exam calculator does not round for you. 10000 * ( 1 + 8 / 100 ) xʸ 5 = shows 14693.280768000006, and if the question asks for two decimal places you enter 14693.28.