OMR or Optical Mark Recognition is an efficient system as it is both, time saving and accurate. However, the success of the OMR system also depends upon the users, i.e. those who fill the sheet as well as the examiner. In case you are a student or candidate, it is important to follow the instructions given on the sheet before you fill it. This step should never be missed even if you have been filling such a paper for a long time. Even a small change can make or break your final scores. With this note, let us take a look at some of the common mistakes on OMR sheets made by students or candidates filling it.
Common mistakes by students
- As mentioned earlier, many ignore the instructions given on the sheet before taking the examination or test.
- Many times, students use the wrong pen or pencil for filling the sheet. Using a pencil when the sheet requires a pen or vice versa can cause you to lose your scores. The colour of the pen also matters.
- Filling the roll number field or any other important field like the booklet number, answer sheet number, etc. incorrectly is another mistake that people make quite commonly. Be very careful while filling these fields. Remember that you cannot erase a mistake once made in any way. That darkens these fields when you are absolute sure about this.
- Another thing that is commonly seen is people mark the bubbles for more than the required questions. On the other hand, some mark all the bubbles. Both are mistakes that can cause you to lose marks or points.
- Some students or candidates, in a hurry, do not pay attention to the sequence of the questions and mark the wrong bubbles on the OMR sheet.
- Sometimes, in case of carbonless sheets, the student may submit the copy instead of the original sheet.
- Some students make a mistake by using a whitener to erase their errors. This should not be done as the OMR system cannot read the mark of the whitener. In the same way, improper rubbing is also something that has to be avoided.
- Many students do their rough work on the OMR sheet. This can make scanning difficult and hence should not be done. Also, writing spiritual salutations on the paper should also be avoided at all costs.
Common mistakes by examiners
Along with the students, there are some mistakes that the examination staff makes very commonly. Some of them are:
- Not using the blank space provided for stamping the seal and doing it outside the space
- Signing on or near the index points
- Using punching machine or stapler on the OMR sheet
- Packing the sheets in an improper way, i.e. by folding or rolling them
- Providing insufficient or wrong information while packing the papers
These are some of the common mistakes done on the OMR sheets. If the correct rules are followed and no mistakes are made, the OMR sheet will provide 100% accurate results. OMR software will give you accurate result if candidates & examiners fill follow the guidance.