Use this guide with a free ScanScore resource
- MCQ answer key templates — Keep the key and marks organised with printable tables and editable CSVs.
Many teachers receive answer keys as a printed page, a textbook table or handwritten notes — not as a file. Typing 100 answers is slow and a typo ruins a whole test. ScanScore can read the key from a photo, and you check it before it is saved.
How it works
- Open the exam’s answer key in ScanScore (or on the exam page in the browser).
- Photograph the key — up to six pages at a time.
- The answers land in the key grid, and the app tells you how many it found.
- Check and correct them, then save.
What it needs
Reading a key from a photo runs on AI, so it needs a Pro plan and uses credits. Scanning and marking sheets never use credits. For a free route, use one of the other ways below.
Four ways to set a key
| Way | Best when |
|---|---|
| Tap the bubbles | Short tests |
| Paste a letter string | You already have the key as text |
| Scan a filled key sheet | You can fill a sheet yourself |
| Read from a photo | The key is on paper or in a book |
See how to set an OMR answer key for all four.
Always check the result
- Compare the count it found with your number of questions.
- Spot-check the first, middle and last rows against the page.
- Pay attention to handwriting — letters like B and D can be confused.
- Keep a copy in the answer key template.
After saving
Once the key is complete you can scan. If you later find an error, change the key and ScanScore offers to re-mark saved sheets. See checking sheets fast and data privacy for OMR apps, which explains what leaves the phone when you use AI features.