Mark fill in the blank worksheets, near-misses included
evaleasy grades fill in the blank worksheets in two steps. Answers that match your key are marked in code, ignoring capital letters and surrounding punctuation, with numbers compared by value, so 12.0 matches 12 and 1/2 matches 0.5. Anything else goes to an AI model, which judges it under the strictness you chose: Lenient, Standard or Strict.
Updated
Which answers count as an exact match?
An answer is an exact match when it equals an answer your key accepts, once capital letters, extra spaces and the punctuation around it are set aside, or when it's the same number. Exact matches earn the mark under every strictness level. Everything else is a near-miss and goes to the model.
| Key says | Student writes | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | paris. | Match: capital letter and full stop ignored |
| 12 | 12.0 | Match: same value |
| 0.5 | 1/2 | Match: same value |
| 1000 | 1,000 | Match: same value |
| 12 | 12 m/s | Goes to the model: code only confirms the same number with the same unit, because a word after a number can change what it means |
| 12 m/s | 12 | Goes to the model: the key asks for a unit |
| 12 m/s | 12 metres per second | Goes to the model: the unit is written differently |
| 1.5 | 1 1/2 | Goes to the model: code doesn't read 1 1/2 as 1.5 |
| well-known | well known | Goes to the model: the hyphen is inside the answer |
How is a spelling mistake marked at each strictness level?
A misspelling goes to the model, which works under the policy for the strictness you chose. Here is what each policy asks for when a student writes "fotosynthesis" and the key says "photosynthesis".
| Setting | What the policy says | What that asks for here |
|---|---|---|
| Lenient | Ignore minor slips such as spelling, and give the benefit of the doubt | Overlook the slip |
| Standard | Minor slips that don't change whether the answer is right cost nothing | Let it pass as a slip that doesn't change the answer |
| Strict | Errors in terminology count where they're relevant, and ambiguous answers are wrong | Count it against the student where the term matters |
Can I set my own spelling rule?
Yes. Write it in your instructions, such as "Ignore spelling" or "Spelling must be exact", and your rule overrides the strictness setting where the two conflict. The settings describe what the model is asked to do, so evaleasy can't promise the outcome for any one word. At every level the model is told to reject a different answer however similar it looks, such as "meiosis" for "mitosis".
To take a variant out of the model's hands, add it to your key. "colour / color" accepts either spelling in code, on every paper. A near-miss is judged in two independent passes, with a third if they differ, and the majority decides.
How are several blanks in one question marked?
Each blank is an equal share of the question's marks. On a 3-mark question with three blanks, two right answers earn 2 marks. On a 2-mark question with three blanks, one right answer earns 0.67. If nothing else sets the marks, a question is worth 1 mark per blank.
Blanks are compared in order. With a key of "Tokyo, Rome", a student who writes "Rome, Tokyo" has neither answer in its place, so both go to the model. If any order is fine, say so in your instructions. In a key, a comma or semicolon separates blanks, and a slash or "or" gives alternatives for one blank. A typed "Tokyo and Rome" on one line counts as both blanks when the key has two.
An empty blank is wrong and never goes to the model. Negative marking applies to multiple choice and true or false only, so a wrong blank earns nothing and takes nothing away.
How is match-the-following marked?
Match-the-following is treated as blanks, with one blank per item, so each correct match is an equal share. Say what it is in your key and list the answers in item order, such as "Q5, match the following: c, a, d, b". Three of four right on a 4-mark question earns 3 marks. If students draw lines between columns instead of writing a letter beside each item, try a few papers first and check what the report says was read.
Common questions
- Will the same near-miss get the same mark on every paper?
- Not always. evaleasy judges a near-miss on each paper, so two students with the same slip could be treated differently. To make it consistent, add the variant to your key or write a spelling rule in your instructions.
- Can I see which blanks the model decided?
- The report shows what the student wrote, the key's answer and right or wrong for every blank. A question with any near-miss is labelled "Marked by the model", and one settled entirely against the key is labelled "Compared exactly".
- Do I need an answer key for worksheets?
- No, but it changes how they're marked. Without a key, the model works out each blank's answer and decides whether to accept the student's, and the report labels those answers "Worked out". With a key, exact matches are settled in code.
- Does an exact match need working to be shown?
- No. An exact match earns its marks without its working being looked at, even under Strict. If working must earn marks, say in your key that the question is a written answer and give the working you expect, so that the model marks it.
- Should I set the question type to Fill in the blanks?
- Yes, if the whole worksheet is blanks. The reader is told to record one entry per blank, and a question that plainly isn't a blank is still given the type it really is. For a mix of question types, leave it on Mixed or not sure.
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