OMR sheets or MCQ test sheets are used for facilitating OMR based examinations and surveys, and they contain multiple choice questions with elliptical bubbles or checkboxes for marking the answer responses. Addmen’s OMR Sheet Reader software is used to read the candidate responses from these sheets, which then compares it to the defined answer key to determine the accuracy of answer responses and to allocate scores. The OMR software basically reads black marks from the scanned images of OMR sheets and converts it into OMR data.
False assumptions with respect to OMR Sheets: Many people assume that OMR sheets are essentially designed using 2-coloured sheets with thick paper quality that can only be obtained on made-to-order basis, from specialized paper vendors. This is incorrect information.
Present facts about OMR Sheets: It might be surprising, but in today’s date, more than 90% of OMR users tend to design & print their own OMR based sheets using Addmen's OMR sheet design software.
OMR sheets serve a variety of purposes. Here are some examples of how OMR sheets are used:
OMR Answer sheets are given to candidates appearing for examinations based on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ).
Widely in use by educational institutions worldwide to facilitate automated evaluations of objective tests conducted for determining the eligibility of admission in colleges or for facilitating scholarships.
Addmen OMR software (Module A) i.e., the OMR Answer Sheet Checker is used for evaluating these OMR test sheets. The software also comes with an integrated OMR answer sheet design feature.
OMR application forms facilitate easy data collection from a large group of candidates.
OMR forms are widely used by educational bodies, recruitment firms, agencies conducting market research and surveys etc, in order to save a lot of time, decrease the amount of tedious manual administration involved, and to get assured accurate results.
For reading and collecting data from OMR application forms, Module B of the Addmen OMR software i.e., the OMR Form Reader Software is used. It also has an inbuilt OMR form designer utility.
OMR Sheets containing certain fields and blocks for collecting candidate information, and other OMR blocks for the questions, roll no. etc, are generally referred to as hybrid sheets.
Hybrid sheets are combinations of OMR test sheets and OMR application forms, and they are typically used for collecting candidate data during college admission or for conducting scholarship exams. Hybrid forms come into the picture, especially when the participant is anonymous to the educational institute.
Hybrid forms also serve the purpose of verifying/cross-checking the information that is already provided in application form.
In order to design and manage hybrid OMR sheets, you will need a combination of Modules A and B i.e., the OMR Answer Sheet Checker and the OMR Form Reader.
You can easily create an OMR sheet design using the OMR Sheet Design Software that comes integrated with the OMR Answer Sheet Checker and the OMR Form Reader. OMR sheets are designed with black index points on all four corners of the sheet, which happen to the most important parameter of an OMR sheet. You can’t simply design a sheet with MCQs and answer bubbles and call it an OMR sheet. You need to consider the specific dimensions that OMR technology supports. It is advised that you use the OMR sheet design software for designing the sheets as per OMR requirements.
The OMR sheet reader software comes packed with a bunch of predefined sheet templates that you can use readily by adding your institution’s name and logo. Or you can even create an OMR sheet design from scratch, and in just a matter of few minutes, you have a design ready.
Create OMR sheets in any layout, with as many number of questions and as many types of OMR blocks you wish to accommodate in the test. Typically, an A4 size sheet should fit upto 300 questions with 5 answer options each. You'll find some OMR sheet samples here.
You can even design sheets that are half the size of an A4 size paper to fit a small number of questions and to save paper and cut down sheet printing costs. You can use the OMR sheet design software to design double-sided or duplex OMR sheets for printing and processing.
Addmen OMR Software comes with a smart feature that automatically calibrates misaligned sheets. You need not spend a lot of time manually rectifying rotated/skewed sheets, thus saving a lot of time and effort, and yielding accurate results all the time. Addmen OMR Software also supports the processing of OMR sheets based on old test patterns and which were earlier processed using OMR machine based scanners.
OMR sheets designed using Addmen OMR software are convenient in terms of handling and facilitate economical printing. No extra printing costs are involved as you can print your own OMR sheets using a regular laser/inkjet office printer.
Use the Corel Draw file exported by the OMR software, to add your organization Name and Logo before printing the sheets. You may even edit any other information, but ensure that you don’t disturb the index points or OMR circles. Use PDF files for viewing only and for printing if you don’t have Corel Draw installed on your PC.
Addmen OMR sheet scanning software processes the scanned images of the OMR sheets, so the reading/evaluation process is not affected by their paper thickness. You can use the regular A4 size papers (70 GSM in thickness), for OMR sheet printing.
Thick paper is mostly preferred only when you anticipate chances of damage to the sheets, or if the sheets will need to be transported longer distances and if they will need to be stored for a longer period.
For sheets printed in two colors and for those with photographs: