HOW TO READ EXAM ANSWER SHEETS

(VERSION 14-FEB-2008)

This is^* /physics/doc/physics/grading/grek_unix/gread.txt

Mohan Kalelkar kalelkarphysics.rutgers.edu

Our opscan reader scans exam answer sheets at a rate of 25 sheets per minute. It is located in Room 383. When you go to this room, BE SURE TO BRING A PENCIL WITH AN ERASER.

The Sun workstation in Room 383 should be displaying a login window. But instead of entering your userid, click the button marked "Options" which will open a submenu. Click on "Command Line Login." A window will open, and you should press the "Return" button on the keyboard, which will enable you to log into your Sun account.

Once you have logged into your Sun account, cd to the directory in which you wish to write the output file from the opscan reader.

1. There are two gray buttons: press the one on the left to turn the power on.
2. Put exam sheets in the tray and press the lever marked "Press to load". The sheets should be oriented so that the black timing marks are towards the front of the machine.
3. Type "gread" to start the program to read answer sheets. (But instead type "greadf" if you are using answer sheets that allow numerical answers). The program will prompt you for a file name; type something like: exam1.ms
4. When the prompt "?>" is displayed, press the right gray button on the reader, which will cause one sheet to be read.
5. Type "c" followed by carriage return, and the remaining sheets will read in. (If your exam allows multiple answers to a question, type "m" instead of "c").
6. The machine will stop if it detects a mistake, most commonly when a student fills two circles on a single column in the identification field. Take out the flawed sheet, fix the error by using the pencil and eraser, put the sheet back the input tray, and type "c" to continue.
7. When the program first detects a missing name or missing exam code, it will announce the anomaly and offer three options. I recommend that you enter "c" which will reject the sheet and continue scanning. You would then remove the sheet, fix it if possible, and read it in again.
8. After all sheets have read in, WAIT for the prompt, then type "s" to close the file and exit the program. Type "exit" to log out of your account.