Scan&Score

"Bubble Sheet" Scanning

Overview

ITC provides Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scanning through ITC Quality Assurance at Carruthers Hall on Emmet Street. Faculty must bring their bubble sheets and keys to the Quality Assurance Window (exception: School of Medicine faculty take theirs to the Office of Medical Education (OME)).

At the ITC Quality Assurance Window:

  • Complete the scanning request form.
  • The bubble sheets will usually be scanned within one business day of drop-off. The exam owner will receive an email notification when their exam has been scored.
  • The scanned data will be available to you through the new (as of May 2008) secure online Scan&Score application. Test owners are able to modify the answer key, view student grades, create result subsets and view exam statistics. Scan&Score users must log in through the NetBadge interface.
  • The scanned bubble sheets must be retrieved within 10 business days of when they were left for scanning or they are recycled.

Bubble Sheets

Where to get them

Blank bubble sheets may be picked up by faculty, including School of Medicine professors, teaching assistants and staff at either the ITC Help Desk (2015 Ivy Road) or the Carruthers Hall Quality Assurance Window, Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM (University holidays excepted).

Parking for pick-up at the ITC Help Desk is available in visitor spots adjacent to the building. Parking for pick-up at Carruthers is available in the visitor's lot (south side of the building) or those with green or blue parking tags can park in the Carruthers' employee parking lots adjacent to the north side of the building.

Purple is now the standard

The UVa standard "purple" bubble sheets provide space for up to 200 questions. All sheets allow up to 5 choices for each question. Green sheets will still be accepted until the supply runs out. Blue bubble sheets are no longer accepted.

Space is included on the form for:

  1. ID number—9-digit University ID number or a unique identifier assigned to the student by the professor.
  2. Form (or key) number (used when more than one version of a test is administered to a class).
  3. For any special test scanning requests other than the UVa purple sheets, you will need to send an email to scan&score@virginia.edu for further information.

Proper form marking and handling

To assure forms are processed properly, please observe the following:

  • Use a No. 2 pencil. The scanner reads graphite markings. Other numbered pencils and pens may not have enough graphite to be read properly. The scanner may fail to record a mark if it is so light that the numeral can still be seen within the circle. Instructors should tell students they may lose credit for correct answers if they are too light.
  • Fill in all bubbles completely. Checks, Xs, or incomplete circles may not be read by the scanner.
  • Do not make multiple marks (more than one filled-in bubble per item). The scanner will pick up only one response per item. If questions are of the form "fill in all that apply", etc., the key will need to be modified via the Scan&Score application once the sheets have been scanned.
  • Do not fold, bend, tear, or otherwise crinkle the bubble sheets. In order to run, the sheets must be flat. This includes sheets that may have been spilled on and dried (coffee, water, etc.). Forms that are too wrinkled to run will need to be recopied. Photocopies of forms cannot be processed.
  • It is not necessary to sort student bubble sheets before submission to test scoring. Please do not use paper clips or staples on forms. Forms must all be face up and aligned in the same direction.

Answer keys

  • Instructors must submit a form (answer key) showing correct responses. Use an opscan sheet, marking responses as though taking the test but leaving the ID area blank. Do not put Xs or lines through the blank answer choices on the key and warn students not to do so as well. A valid answer key is critical to the proper scanning and scoring of student exams.
  • Each question on the answer key can only have one answer bubbled in. To accept more than one answer for a question you can use the Scan&Score application to modify the answer key.

Dropping off exams for scoring

Completed bubble sheets must be dropped off by most faculty, teaching assistants and staff at the Carruthers Hall Quality Assurance Window, Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM (University holidays excepted). Do not drop off sheets to be scanned at the ITC Help Desk. School of Medicine professors and course directors should email Patti Reynard and/or Lucille Bland in the Office of Medical Education (OME) to arrange a time to drop off their exams to be scanned.

Scanned sheets should be picked up from the location where they were dropped off. Bubble sheets are not accepted for scanning nor returned after scanning via Messenger Mail. Bubble sheets not retrieved within 10 business days will be recycled.

Scanning Results

Please note that results are only posted for faculty viewing. In order for students to view their scores, faculty must post the results to the Instructional Toolkit.

Exam scores remain available through the Scan&Score application for two years. Exam scores will be archived for 7 years. Archived exams are available upon request.

For more information or for questions, call the ITC Help Desk at 924-3731.

© 2008 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

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