Marking from scans: questions and answers
Last updated 29 October 2026
- How does marking from scans work?
- Can I scan with my phone or an office scanner?
- What is the page code?
- How does WISCA read the answer circles?
- Do I have to confirm the marks WISCA suggests?
- What happens to a page that cannot be read?
- What is the marking grid?
- How are written answers marked?
- Can WISCA read handwriting?
- Can a mark be changed after it is entered?
- What if a student or parent questions a mark?
- What if two papers are scanned together or a page is out of order?
- Can I mark by hand without scanning?
- Is marking automatic?
How does marking from scans work?
Photograph the papers with a phone or scan them in bulk. WISCA places each page, reads the answer circles and suggests a mark for each clear reading. A teacher confirms the suggestions, and pages that cannot be read are set aside for a person. Written answers are marked in a grid with one row per student.
Can I scan with my phone or an office scanner?
Yes. Photograph the pile with your phone, or use the office scanner. WISCA finds each page by its code, so the pile can be in any order.
What is the page code?
Each page carries a signed code in the corner, so WISCA knows which student's paper and which page it is, even when the pile is mixed.
How does WISCA read the answer circles?
Students fill the circles on their own printed copy. WISCA finds the page and reads the circles. Blue dashes show its readings, which you can accept in one go, and a red one is a circle it could not tell, so it is yours.
Do I have to confirm the marks WISCA suggests?
Yes. Every reading is a suggestion until a teacher confirms it. You can accept the clear ones in one go and look at the few it could not read.
What happens to a page that cannot be read?
It is set aside for a person, which means you. You can scan it again or mark that page yourself in the grid.
What is the marking grid?
A table with a row for each student and a column for each question. Blue dashes are WISCA's readings, which you accept in one go, and the red one it could not tell is yours to fill in.
How are written answers marked?
A teacher marks written answers in the grid, one row per student. If your school has switched on handwriting reading, WISCA can also suggest a reading, which you confirm.
Can WISCA read handwriting?
A school can switch on handwriting reading. Each student's consent is recorded, and every reading is a suggestion that a teacher confirms before it becomes a mark.
Can a mark be changed after it is entered?
Yes. A teacher can correct a mark. When a mark changes, WISCA keeps who changed it, when and why, in a record that cannot be edited afterwards.
What if a student or parent questions a mark?
A student or a parent can ask about a mark on a result that has been shared, and the teacher decides whether to correct it. A correction is recorded with who made it and why.
What if two papers are scanned together or a page is out of order?
WISCA reads the signed page code, so the order does not matter. If one image shows two different codes, it does not guess: the page is set aside for you.
Can I mark by hand without scanning?
Yes. You can fill in the marking grid yourself without scanning anything, and still get the results page and what to reteach.
Is marking automatic?
For answer circles, WISCA reads them and suggests the marks, and you accept the clear ones in one go. Written answers are marked by a teacher in the grid.