Mark multiple choice tests from a scan or a photo
evaleasy auto grades multiple choice tests from PDFs and phone photos, with no special answer sheet. It reads each paper twice to see which option the student chose, then compares that choice with your answer key in code, so the same answers on the same key always get the same marks. If the readings can't be settled, the question earns no marks, as it would from a teacher, or is flagged for you if you turn flags on.
Updated
Can I auto grade multiple choice tests without special answer sheets?
Yes. evaleasy reads ordinary printed question papers, plain answer sheets and handwritten answer columns, because it looks at the page itself and doesn't need a printed template.
Reading and marking are kept apart. The step that reads the paper is told the question numbers and option letters, but never the answers in your key, so the key can't lead it to the right option. Code then compares what the student marked with your key. A model is never asked whether B equals B.
If the whole paper is multiple choice, set the question type to Multiple choice, and the reader is told to look carefully for the marked option on each question.
Which marks can evaleasy read?
evaleasy reads the marks students normally make, listed below. A cross is the awkward one, because it can mean "this one" or "not this one". The reader decides from how that student marks their other questions, and the report shows what it saw, such as "crossed out A and ticked C".
- Circles, ticks, crosses, underlines and highlighter on an option
- Filled bubbles and boxes
- A letter written beside the question or in an answer column, such as "3. B"
- Changed answers: if one mark is struck out or erased and another made, the surviving mark counts
- Bold, underlined or highlighted options in a Word file
How is each answer marked against the key?
Only the exact right set of options earns the marks, so there are no part marks. Here is a 1-mark question.
| Key says | Student marked | Result |
|---|---|---|
| B | B | Correct: 1 mark |
| B | C | Wrong: 0 marks, or the deduction if you use negative marking |
| B | B and C | Wrong: two options on a one-answer question |
| A and C | C and A | Correct: the order doesn't matter |
| A and C | A only | Wrong: the set isn't complete |
| B | Nothing | Unanswered: 0 marks and never a deduction |
| True | T, yes, right or a tick | Correct: all of these count as True |
What happens when a mark is unclear?
If the two readings differ, evaleasy reads the paper a third time and goes with the majority. With no majority, the question earns no marks, nothing is taken off, and the report shows what else was read, such as "also read as C". The same goes when two options are marked and the reader can't tell which is final. Turn flags on and both cases are flagged for you instead: with no majority the mark comes from the first reading, and two options count as wrong on a question with one right answer.
What should my answer key look like?
A short list in plain words is enough, such as "1-B, 2-C, 3-A,D". evaleasy treats "(b)", "b.", "option b" and "B) Paris" as the same answer, and the option's text alone, "Paris", also counts when the options are known. Question numbers are just as forgiving: Q3, 3., (3) and Question 3 are all question 3, and 2(a) is the same as 2a.
If your key leaves out a question that's on the paper, the model works out that one answer and the report labels it "Worked out".
How does negative marking work?
Write the rule in your instructions, such as "-0.25 for each wrong answer", and it comes off wrong answers only, never blank ones. Take a 40-question test at 1 mark each. A student with 30 right, 6 wrong and 4 blank gets 30 minus 1.5, which is 28.5 out of 40, or 71.25 out of 100. Two options on a one-answer question count as wrong, so they take the deduction too. A paper's total can't go below zero.
What if I don't have an answer key?
evaleasy still marks the test, but the model works out the correct options and the report labels each one "Worked out". If the question itself isn't on the paper either, there's nothing to work out, so the answer is shown as not marked and left out of the total. Otherwise code still does the comparing: the model decides which option is right, and code decides whether the student chose it. A notice at the top of the report says no key was given.
Common questions
- How many marks is each question worth?
- Marks come from your key first, then what's printed on the paper, such as "[2]", then a rule in your instructions, such as "each question carries 2 marks". If none of those says, evaleasy gives each multiple choice question 1 mark.
- Can one paper mix multiple choice and written questions?
- Yes. Leave the question type on Mixed or not sure. With a key, evaleasy compares the multiple choice questions in code and sends the written ones to the model. The report labels each question "Compared exactly" or "Marked by the model".
- What does it cost to mark a multiple choice test?
- evaleasy charges 1 credit per page. A 2-page test for a class of 30 uses 60 credits, worth $3.00 at the Starter pack's $0.05 a page. Answer keys and question papers aren't charged, up to 40 pages.
- How can I tell whether the marks are right for my tests?
- Run evaleasy on tests a teacher has already marked and compare the two. evaleasy doesn't publish an accuracy figure, and each report shows the option it read beside the key's answer.
Your next stack of papers doesn't have to be your problem.
Signing up is free. Marking uses credits, at 1 credit per page.