Guidelines to OMR test invigilator

OMR or Optical Mark Recognition software helps to evaluate answer sheets quickly and accurately. However, to ensure that there are no mistakes made during the evaluation, certain instructions have to be followed during and after the examination. It is important to mark the bubbles properly as well as handle the sheets without damaging them. Hence, the responsibility of taking care of the sheets not only rests on the students but also on the invigilators or the examination staff.

While the instructions for the students about filling and handling the OMR sheet are given on the answer sheet, guidelines to OMR test invigilator are often ignored. This leads them to make several mistakes that indirectly affect the marks or scores of the students. With this note, let us take a look at the things that an invigilator should remember.

• Once the students have filled their roll no. in the OMR format, it is the responsibility of the

examination staff to check whether they have done it correctly.

• Some students forget to fill the roll no. section or keep it for later due to haste of completing

the paper. The invigilators should make sure that they do this first before starting with the paper.

• Long roll nos. for examinations can be confusing for the students. In such situations, the invigilator has to guide the students on filling the roll no. bubbles.

• Ink and gel pens are not allowed for OMR exams. The invigilator has to make sure that no student uses them.

• The students are usually supposed to fill the answer bubbles completely. However, there are still some who may fill it half, lightly or just put a tick mark over it. If the invigilator comes across this, he/she should instruct the student to do it properly.

• The exam staff should read the instructions provided for the students and understand them

thoroughly. When in doubt, the students would consult the examiner and hence he/she should know all details about these instructions.

• The invigilators have to sign and stamp on the OMR answer sheet. It is important that they do it in the slot allotted and not anywhere on the paper, especially on the index points. This can cause problems for the OMR reader during scanning.

• The exam staff should refrain from rolling or folding the sheets. The sheets should be kept in

an envelope or file provided for the purpose.

• Apart from this, they should not press the sheets together after collection as the pen marks

may not have dried completely, and they could risk the ink causing an impression on the adjacent sheet.

• In case of two-part OMR sheets, the invigilator has to tear the pages exactly on the tear line provided and secure the original copy. They should also make sure that the barcodes on both the sheets are intact.

For the success of the OMR exam, smooth processing, it is important that both students and invigilators follow the rules. It is the responsibility of the invigilator to see to it that the students adhere to the instructions given on the OMR sheet.