Common Mistakes while Filling OMR Answer Sheet
The OMR sheets are technical documents that are scanned and read by the OMR software. While these sheets can be checked and evaluated quite fast, the students and examination staff have to follow certain rules and regulations while filling the sheets. However,there are several Common Mistakes while Filling OMR Answer Sheets made by both students as well as the invigilators. Let us take a look at them so that they can be avoided.
Common mistakes on OMR sheets by students
Here are some of the common mistakes made by students.
Not reading the instructions: The students, in a haste to complete the paper, do not read the instructions given on the sheet. This could cause your sheet to be rejected because of some mistake you made due to not reading the instructions. There may be slight variations in the instructions of the same test series which can make a huge difference to your marks if not followed. For example, the use of pen in place of pencil or vice versa can cause your sheet to be rejected.
Not filling the roll no. and other important fields: Sometimes students start filling the OMR bubbles without filling the roll no. and other essential fields. They keep these things to be filled at the end but they may forget or would not have the time to do so. This is a grave mistake because without the roll no., your sheet will get rejected. So, always fill roll no., test code and such other fields before filling the OMR Answer Bubbles.
Information: Sometimes, you may find similar meaning fields like candidate ID, roll no., question booklet no., answer sheet no., etc. repeatedly on the OMR sheet. Filling all of them would seem to be a waste of time but it is better to do it as you may lose marks for not doing so.
Filling example roll no: Many OMR sheets provide an example roll no. block so that students can fill their roll no. in the similar manner. However, sometimes, students copy the example exactly and fill the OMR bubbles with the roll no. provided in it. This is a common mistake found in many examinations.
Ignoring the numerical block matrix: The numerical blocks for roll no. can be found in two ways: one is 0-9 and the other is 9-0. Students are likely to ignore this and start filling without realizing that they are filling it in the wrong way. If you do not pay attention, your roll no. would be read in a totally different manner.
Improper marking tool: A common mistake that many people make is using pencil instead of pen or vice versa. Most examination bodies prefer the use of pen these days and hence carry pen as well as pencils for the examination.
Submitting the wrong sheet: In case of carbonless OMR sheet, the student is allowed to carry the second copy for self reference. However, sometimes the students submit the copy and take the original with them.
Filling the wrong answer option: In haste of completing the paper, many forget to check the question number they are answering and the number of answer bubble they are filling in the answer sheet.
Using both pen and pencil for the same sheet: This can affect the reading process as the software calculates the average darkness found on the sheet. If both pencil and pen are used, it can confuse the OMR reader software as the impression created by both these markers is different.
Dirtying the OMR sheet: The OMR sheets can become dirty if the candidate uses ink or gel pen, as it tends to leak, spill or blot. Also, too dark pencils or broad nib ball pen can cause problems.
Writing names of Gods: Spiritual salutations on the OMR sheet could be detected as dark marks by the OMR software, causing confusion. Avoid writing anything or doing any rough work on the sheet.
Common mistakes on OMR sheet by exam staff
Here is a list of mistakes commonly made by the exam staff:
All these mistakes can hamper the OMR Software's Reading Process and can cause the students to lose marks too. Hence, avoid them under all circumstances.