Exam, test and assessment scanning

Multiple-choice exams, competency tests, course evaluations, school and parent surveys. The same Scantron equipment used for surveys also reads answer sheets, with optical mark recognition and operator checks for ambiguous marks.

Relevant experience: our work spans 6 education and assessment organisations since 2007, including tests scanned for several assessment providers across selective-entry and scholarship testing.

Organisation counts include identifiable end organisations where CDS performed the work through a research consultancy or other intermediary.

What you need from an assessment partner

Clear layouts for the people taking part. Professional graphic design and specialist form layout bring together age-appropriate presentation, clear numbering, instructions and answer areas, with your branding and supplied accessibility requirements. We can also prepare supporting instruction sheets and handouts using your content. You supply the assessment questions, instructions and answer key; our role is presentation, production and processing, not question writing. See form design and supporting artwork.

Marks read and checked. Answer sheets are set to Scantron specifications and read by optical mark recognition. Critical fields, blanks and multiple responses to single-select questions can be presented to an operator for visual confirmation before results are released.

Answers linked to the right candidate. The candidate ID can be printed on the sheet as digits and a barcode where you have the list in advance, or bubbled by the candidate and checked as a critical field where you do not. Cohort, campus, sitting and paper version can be pre-filled so less depends on handwriting. Results come back as one row per candidate, with each answer as given, scored against your supplied answer key, or both, and with a PDF image of every sheet linked from its row.

Bulk delivery and staff-managed returns. We deliver answer sheets and supporting materials in bulk to your organisation or nominated sites through Australia Post or other couriers. After the sitting, your staff can return completed forms to us in bulk for scanning and processing.

Peak-volume sittings. Sittings arrive all at once. Tell us the dates when you ask for a quote and the schedule is built around them.

How the loop applies

Send us the questions, or just the answer-sheet layout you need: number of items, options per item and ID fields. Include any brand, print or accessibility requirements and the text for supporting instructions. We develop the presentation and specialist layout, set it to Scantron specifications and proof it back to you. Sheets can be printed and personalised where you have the candidate list, then delivered in bulk for the sitting or mailed individually where required.

The return arrangements are agreed separately. Completed sheets can reach us in bulk from your organisation or participating sites, including delivery by your staff, or come directly to CDS by post where arranged. See distribution and returns for further combinations.

Completed sheets are scanned, checked and delivered as an Excel file with a linked image of every sheet. Sheets are held for three months, or another agreed period, then securely shredded or returned to you.

Instruments we typically run for education and assessment

• Multiple-choice exams and tests
• Competency and certification assessments
• Placement and diagnostic tests
• Course, unit and trainer evaluations
• School climate, student and parent surveys
• Staff surveys

Student and candidate data

We handle student and candidate data the same way as the rest of our work: in Australia, retained for a defined period and then destroyed or returned as agreed. Our privacy and data handling page explains the process in more detail. Privacy and data handling