Use this guide with a free ScanScore resource
- MCQ answer key templates — Keep the key and marks organised with printable tables and editable CSVs.
A wrong answer key quietly ruins a whole test: every sheet is marked correctly against a key that is not. The cure is boring and effective — write the key down once, check it, and only then enter it. The MCQ answer key templates give you blank 50, 100 and 200-question tables as printable PDFs and editable CSVs for exactly this.
Why keep a key outside the app
- You can proof-read it on paper before any sheet is marked.
- A second teacher can check it independently.
- It stays with your records for next year’s paper.
- It holds the marking rules (marks per question, penalty) in one place.
How to fill the template
- Choose the size nearest to your question count (50, 100 or 200).
- Write the correct option against each question number.
- Add the marks and penalty if they differ between sections.
- Have someone else check it against the question paper.
Entering it in ScanScore
ScanScore offers four ways to enter a key: tap the bubbles, paste a letter string, scan a filled key sheet, or read it from a photo. Pasting works well with a CSV: copy the answer column and paste. Details in how to set an OMR answer key, and the photo route in reading a key from a photo.
Several paper sets
With Set A, B, C and D papers, keep one key per set and a master key showing where each question moved. See multi-set question papers.
Mistakes a template prevents
- Shifted answers after a skipped question number.
- A key typed for the wrong set.
- Forgetting that marks differ between sections — see negative marking.
Pair it with the free OMR sheet PDFs and the mock-test planning pack.