University of Delaware

Test Scoring

(for multiple choice examinations)

Please Note: Do not use the "Student ID Number" Section for Social Security Numbers!

State and Federal laws and regulations govern the safeguarding of personal, non-public information (PNPI) such as Social Security Numbers (SSNs). If you use the computerized test scoring services offered by Information Technologies, you must not collect SSNs on the student test scoring forms.

On the brown student response form used with the Test Scoring program, the "Student ID Number" section should not be used for SSNs.

You have several options for using the "Student ID Number" section:

1) You can tell students to leave this section blank.

2) You can tell students to enter their UD ID number so that you can track their grades with a unique identifier. If they have a 5-digit number, they should right justify the number in the 9-digit field.

3) You can also track student grades with a unique identifier by asking students to enter their UDelNet ID on the forms. This information does not fit into the Student ID field, which is numeric. You'd need to instruct the students to enter their 2-8 letter UDelDetID in the Last name field, and tell them to enter the first 7 digits of their last name in the First name field. If you use MyCourses, you would also be able to generate an online file to import into MyCourses (which currently identifies students with UDelNet IDs).

4) If you want to post grades using the output the Test Scoring program provides, you would want to assign a randomly generated number for each student and tell them to enter that number in the Student ID Number field. OR, you could ask them to come up with their own "secret" number by using a convention such as, "Think of 2 important birthdays and use those numbers to create your secret identifier" (e.g., Mother's (07/31) and best friend's birthdates (12/21) would create the following number: 07311221.) And you could ask students NOT to use obvious dates like holidays, etc.

Each time you issue an exam, please announce to your students NOT to use the "Student ID Number" section for their SSNs.

If you have old brown response forms with SSN information in your office, you need to securely lock the forms in a desk or filing cabinet and then shred them when you no longer need them.

Also, if you have old electronic grade files with Student name and SSN information stored on your UNIX account or in Excel format on your PC, you need to delete the SSN information from these files. Sensitive data stored in electronic format on a personal computer is VERY vulnerable to theft and hacking. It is your responsibility to secure any PNPI data that you have access to and to manage its use properly (e.g., by encrypting it).


Printable version of the Test Scoring Document

Video Tips for UD Test Scoring

Index


Overview

The Test Scoring program processes brown scan forms used for multiple choice tests having 160 or fewer items with responses ranging from A-E. The program scores each student's test. In addition to test scores, the program produces a frequency distribution table of responses for each item, a list of test scores sorted by highest-to-lowest score, a list of test scores sorted alphabetically by last name, two histograms of response distribution, and summary statistics including mean and standard deviation. The program produces a printed listing, and you can request an optional computer file containing the actual responses from each form. The program can analyze a single set of forms or multiple sets analyzed independently or together.
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Layout of the forms

Each brown Student Response Form is divided into four fields: the Name field (alphabetic), the Student Number field (numeric), the Course and Section Number field (numeric), and the Response field of up to 160 items. For processing, each set of Response Forms must be preceded by a specially marked blue form called an Instructor Control Form. Both the brown and blue forms are available from Central Stores (brown: stock number UD 9080820; blue: stock number UD 9080825).

All forms must be filled in using a #2 pencil. The scanner can read only one pencil mark per response field. The Test Scoring program will record a blank for a line with multiple marks (oval bubbles filled in). Response lines that are not filled in will also be recorded as blank.

The black timing marks down the left side of the forms indicate the presence of data fields on the form. Stray pencil marks in this area will cause the scanner to reject the form. The timing-mark edge and the top edge are used to align the forms in the scanner; both edges must be intact for the forms to be read correctly.


Brown Student Response Form

Respondents fill in their answers in the Response field. They can also add labeling or identifying information in the Name, Student Number, Course and Section Number fields. You can select processing options that take information respondents mark in the various fields and transfer it to printed or computer file output.

Blue Instructor Control Form

The blue form is identical to the brown form, but adds another field, the For Instructor Use Only field (numeric). In this field, you specify processing options (e.g., question delete and computer file output). You can also use the Name, Student Number, and Course and Section Number fields to specify optional labeling information for printed output. In the Response Field, you fill in the answers the program will use for scoring. When multiple sets of response forms are analyzed in the same computer run, the first set must be preceded by an Instructor Control Form with the "First Section" bubble filled in. Each subsequent set must be preceded by an Instructor Control Form with the "Additional Section" bubble filled in.
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How to request a computer file containing the results of your test

The first scan form must be a blue Instructor Control Form. Two options on the form allow you to create a computer file containing the contents of the actual response forms. Both options produce a computer file with 80 columns per line. If you have several sets of response forms in a single run, their contents will all be copied into a single file. If you want to name the file, you must specify the file name information on the first Instructor Control Form. Requested files will appear directly in your home directory after the Test Scoring job is processed.

Narrow-Format File (80 columns)

You can select which of the fields to have transferred to the computer file. The number of responses you request may exceed the capacity of a line (also called a record) in the computer file. In that case, a second, or possibly third, record is written for each respondent. The layout of the records is determined by your choice of which fields to transfer and how many items there are. The specifics are given in Appendix A: Layout of the Narrow-Format File. The Narrow-Format computer file is always named tstscr80.data.bin#. The bin# part of the file name is assigned by the I/O staff.

Grade File (80 columns)

The File Identifier, Name, Student Number, Section Number, Raw Score and Score fields are transferred to one line (i.e., record) of the computer file. The specifics are given in Appendix B: Layout of the Grade File. In contrast to the Narrow-Format file, you may specify a unique name for the Grade file by marking columns 1-3 of the Extra Options field, as described below. The Grade File is named tscrnnn.data.bin#. The bin# part of the file name is assigned by the I/O staff.
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How to mark a Blue Instructor Control Form for one section

Name
Optional. You may mark your name in the first 16 columns of the Name field and the name of the department or college in the last four columns. This information will be used to label your results.

Course Number
Optional. You may mark the course number for identification.

Section Number
Optional. You may mark the section number for identification.

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"For Instructor Use Only" Area

In the box labeled "For Instructor Use Only" on the Instructor Control Form (see example below), specify the number of questions on the test, the processing options for your tests, whether you want to receive an optional computer file with the results, or indicate non-standard scoring such as deleted questions. Listed below in the Standard Options section are your choices and the results they will produce as well as the information you are required to provide.

Control and Key
Required. You must mark this field to indicate that this sheet is an Instructor Control Form.

First Section
Required. You must mark this field to indicate that this sheet is the first Instructor Control Form and that the first set of Response sheets follows.

Standard Scoring
Optional. Mark this position to request basic scoring with no Standard Options. You must still enter a value for the "Last Number Used" and the correct answers for scoring. If you mark the bubble for Standard Scoring, any options you choose in Standard Options will be ignored.

Last Number Used: Maximum item number.
Required. Mark the highest item number used on the response forms, from 1 to 160. If the number is a single digit such as 7, mark it as 007; if the number is a double digit such as 54, mark it as 054. If these columns are blank, the program will give you an error message that the number of questions is out of bounds.

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Response Area

Required. You must mark the correct answers (scoring key) in this field. The information you mark here depends upon whether you are giving a correct-answer test or an attitude survey and on whether you wish to exclude certain responses from the score. (See Standard Options 6 and 9)

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Standard Options

If you mark Standard Options for scoring your test, you change the processing of your test from Standard Scoring (no options) to one of several standard variations. Mark the Standard Options for your test on the Instructor Control Form. For a comparison of Standard Scoring and scoring with Standard Options, see Appendix C. The Standard Options are explained below.

Standard Option 1: Maximum response

Standard Option 2: Request penalty scoring

Standard Option 3: Request a narrow-format computer file

MarkSet Identifier FieldName FieldStudent Number Field Section Number Field Raw Score FieldScore FieldResponse Field
1YesYesYesYesYesYesNo
2YesNoYesYesYesYesNo
3YesNoYesNoYesNoYes
4YesNoYesNoYesNoYes
5YesYesYesNoYesNoYes

Standard Option 4: Request extra printed tables

MarkSet Identifier FieldName FieldStudent Number Field Section Number Field Raw Score FieldScore Field Response Field
1YesYesYesYesYesYesYes
2YesYesYesNoYesYesNo
3YesYesYesNoYesYesNo

Standard Option 5: Request a grade file

Standard Option 6: Request that questions be deleted

Standard Option 7: Identical or blank name field on Response Forms

Standard Option 8: Request section, class, or group scoring

Standard Option 9: Request an attitude test or survey

Standard Option 10: Request maximum score not equal to 100 or two-part scoring


     AUSTEN    JANE    RAW SCORE=  9   SCORE=  82.5   OMITS=   1     WRONG=  2
	    212151874      ABBCAABABC B
		TWO PART SCORING:  COMPUTER SCORE= 37.5   SCORE ADDED FROM EXTRA OPTIONS=   45

Standard Option 11: Request stacked control sheets

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How to mark a Blue Instructor Control Form for several sections

You may submit sets of scan sheets from several sections as one scanning job, even though the sections are to be scored separately. Fill in the Instructor Control Forms for additional sections as follows:

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"For Instructor Use Only" area

Fill in the "Instructor Use Only" area as shown on the example form below.

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How to use the Alternate Key sheet

You may designate two correct answers for one question by using an Alternate Key sheet. (Two marks on one response line on the scoring key will not work.) To do this, mark a second Instructor Control Form in the "Alternate Key" position. Do not mark this sheet in the "Control and Key" position.

Use the Alternate Key sheet only if at least one of your test questions has two correct answers. Mark one of the correct answers in the appropriate response field of the Alternate Key sheet. Mark the other correct answer on the Instructor Control Form marked "Control and Key." Do not fill in anything on the Alternate Key sheet for questions with only one correct answer.

The Student Response Form must contain one of the two correct answers to receive credit for the question.

If you want to reuse the answers from the Alternate Key for additional sections in a test scoring job, you do not have to mark the answers again. Instead, use an Alternate Key sheet for the additional section and mark a 1 in Standard Options column 1, as shown in the sample below.

This sheet must follow a Blue Instructor Control Form marked in the "Control and Key" and the "Additional Section" positions.

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How to use the Weight sheet

You may indicate that correct answers to certain questions count more towards the final score than correct answers to other questions by using a Weight sheet. To do this, mark another Instructor Control Form in the "Weight" Position. Do not mark this sheet in the "Control and Key" position.

In the response area of the Weight sheet, mark the weight for each question. All of the questions must be assigned a weight between 1 and 5 (a=1...e=5). If you leave a response blank, the question will be assigned a weight of 0, and no points will be given for a correct answer to the question.

If you want to reuse the values from the Weight sheet for additional sections in your test scoring job, do not mark the weights again. Instead, use a Weight sheet for the additional section and mark a 1 in Standard Options column 1, as shown below.

This sheet must follow a Blue Instructor Control Form marked in the "Control and Key" and the "Additional Section" positions.

Note on using the Weight sheet: Using a weight sheet with certain Standard Options affects the calculation of the student's score and the type of printed information you will receive.

When you use a weight sheet, the raw score includes the weights for the questions that the student answered correctly. The score is the ratio (X/Y) of 100% where X is the sum of the assigned weights for the student's correct answers (that is, the "raw score"), and Y is the sum of the assigned weights for the entire test (as entered on the Weight sheet).

If you use Standard Options 10 (maximum score not equal to 100 or two-part scoring), the program calculates the score as (Z*X/Y) by multiplying the ratio (X/Y) by the maximum computer score (Z) you entered on the Control Form.

Note: if the weights add up to 100, it is not necessary to complete Standard Option 10. The raw score will reflect the weighted score and the value reported as "score" will still be based on 100%.

You cannot use a Weight sheet with the penalty scoring option (Standard Options 2 on the Control Form). If you indicate both scoring methods, the score includes the penalties and ignores the weights.

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Brown Student Response Form

Students use the Brown Response Form to record their answers to the test or survey.

Students may use Control Forms as answer sheets, but any marks students make in the area labeled "For Instructor Use Only" may cause incorrect processing of your test scoring job. Sheets used by the instructor as Control Forms should be identified by the word "Control" written next to the printed words "Course/Section" at the upper right of the form.

Students mark information on their sheets in the following fields:


Preparing the Test Scoring job for submission

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Order of scan forms

To submit a single set of response forms, arrange the forms in the following order: If you have additional forms that instruct the program to weight questions differently (Weight Form) or to accept alternate answers to questions (Alternate Key Form), place them in any order after the Instructor Control and Key Form. Place the Response Forms after these forms: To submit more than one set of response forms in a single run, fill out an Instructor Control Form for each section. Mark only the first Instructor Control Form in the "First Section" field. On the other Instructor Control Forms, mark the "Additional Section" field. Multiple sets follow the pattern shown below:
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Submitting the Test Scoring job for processing

  1. Obtain a Test Scoring Request Card at the I/O Counter in 004 Smith Hall. Fill in your UNIX user name or user number and the other requested information. Submit this card with your forms. The I/O clerk will give you a "bin slip" containing a unique number to identify your job.

    Your Test Scoring results will be ready in 24 hours unless there is a serious hardware malfunction. To check if your job is finished, you may call I/O services at 831-1152. You will need the "bin" number from your "bin slip" for the clerk to tell you if your job is ready for pickup.

  2. After your job is processed, your forms and printed results will be returned to the I/O counter. Turn in your "bin slip," and the I/O clerk will give you your job. If you chose options on the Instructor Control Form to create a computer file, the file is placed in your UNIX home directory.
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Appendix A: Layout of the Narrow-Format computer file

The layout of the narrow-format computer file depends upon the option you marked in Standard Options column 3 on the Instructor Control Form. Each line of the file is 80 columns wide; the file contains as many lines as necessary to display all the information in the Response field for each respondent (i.e., there may be two or three lines, each 80 columns wide, for each respondent).

If the job has more than one section, the sections are separated by lines of asterisks (***).

See notes below for individual options.

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 3, option 1

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3Set Identifier field
4-7Section Number field
8Blank
9-28Student Name field
29 Blank
30-38Student ID Number field
39-42Raw Score
43-49Score

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 3, option 2

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3Set Identifier field
4-7Section Number field
8-19Blank
20-28Student ID Number field
29-32Raw Score
33-39Score

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 3, option 3

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3Set Identifier field
4-8Student ID Number field (first five digits only)
9-13Raw Score
14-15Blank
16-80Response field (up to 65 single-digit values a line)

If the maximum question number specified on the control sheet is greater than 65, the remaining responses are listed on additional lines, along with the same identification information as on the first line.

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 3, option 4

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3Set Identifier field
4-12Student ID Number field
13-15Sequence Number
16-20Raw Score
21-80Response field

This file is formatted to be used with the ITEMAL item analysis program. Each line of the file contains a sequence number in columns 13-15. If the test has more than 60 questions, the sequence number is incremented to show how many lines correspond to an individual response form. The additional lines contain the same identification information as the first line, but do not contain the raw score. The responses are continued beginning in column 21 of the file.

Extra lines that are required by ITEMAL and are included in the file are the parameter line, correct answer line(s), format line, -1 line, and two blank lines.

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 3, option 5

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3Set Identifier field
4Blank
5-13Student ID Number field
14-18Raw Score
19-20Blank
21-40Student Name field
41-80Response field

If the maximum question number specified on the control sheet is greater than 40, the remaining responses are listed on additional lines, starting in column 1. The identification information is not repeated on the additional lines.

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Appendix B: Layout of the Grade file

If you marked 1 in Standard Options column 5 on the Instructor Control, a narrow-format computer file will be placed in your UNIX account. Each line of the file is 80 columns wide and represents one student Response Form.

The file is called tscr000.data.bin# or tscrnnn.data.bin# if you marked the Extra Options field to give the file a unique name.

Following is an explanation of the information that appears in each column of the computer file you receive.

Instructor Control Form's "Standard Options" field, column 5, option 1

Computer file columnsInformation (from response form)
1-3File Identifier field
4-7Section Number field
8Blank
9-28Student Name field
29Blank
30-38Student ID Number field
39-42Raw Score
43-49Score

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Appendix C: Standard Scoring vs Standard Options

For your test scoring, you can either choose "Standard Scoring" to use the program defaults or use variations of the defaults by choosing "Standard Options." The table below compares the results you can get by selecting one or the other.

Option NumberStandard ScoringStandard Option
15 possible responses per question2-4 possible responses per question
2Score based on number of correct answers1/2 to 1/6 points deducted from the score for each wrong answer
3No computer file savedNarrow-format computer file saved
4Standard printed resultsExtra printed results or table sorted by student ID (spaced for distribution)
5No computer file savedGrade file saved
6Response expected for each questionResponse expected for selected questions
7Multiple scan sheets for same student not scoredNo checking for repeated names and blank names are allowed
8Each section scored separatelyStatistics produced for multiple-section classes
9Correct Answer testAttitude Survey
10Perfect score=100Perfect score other than 100 or two-part scoring
11Control sheet followed directly by response sheets Additional Control sheets stacked before response sheets

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Appendix D: Sample Blue Instructor Control Forms, Brown Response Form, and results

Attached to this document are a sample Instructor Control Form, an Alternate Key, and a Response Form followed by the results you would receive if you chose the options indicated on the Instructor Control Form. The assigned bin number for the sample was 210.

On the sample Instructor Control Form, the instructor indicated that the last number used on the response form was 25. In the Standard Options section, column 1-for indicating the number of possible answers-was left blank. Therefore, the program assumed the highest number of possible answers (5).

The instructor also requested:

The Alternate Key indicates that, for question 13, a response of "B" is acceptable as an alternative to the reposnse of "D" indicated on the first Instructor Control Form.

Notice that for item 18 on the Student Response Form, the respondent has marked two answers, and for item 7, the respondent has chosen no answer. In both cases, the Test Scoring program records the responses as blank. In addition, the respondent has marked the Name field incorrectly, resulting in truncation of his first name.

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For additional help

For help with filling out scan forms or submitting them, contact the Help Center through e-mail at consult@udel.edu or call 831-6000.
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Last updated: October 5, 2006
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