4. DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of this invention is providing an efficient means for coding and decoding of answer scripts for valuation without revealing the identity of examinees and for error-free capturing of marks in a computer system.

In the current state of the art, after an examination one or more answer script evaluators are assigned the task of valuing answers and entering the marks in a sheet. In order to achieve impartial valuation and avoid any mal-practice, any information in an answer script that reveals the identity of an examinee need to be removed or concealed before the answer script is given to a valuator. One of the methods adopted for ensuring anonymity is scanning the pages containing answers and associating a code to the scanned pages. The valuation of answers is done on a computer screen with the valuator entering marks directly into the computer. The allotted marks is then associated with the examinee by decoding the code earlier assigned to the answer script of the examinee. Even though this method is used by some universities regularly, it has limitations. Scanning and coding all the answer pages is a time consuming process. Also, it is inconvenient for many valuators to value answer scripts based on a scanned version of the answers. Some valuators find it a strain on the eyes looking into the computer screens for hours at a stretch. Also, as valuators have no means of marking mistakes on an answer, the valuation process suffers from inaccuracy of marks allotment.

Another approach adopted by some institutes is to use the physical answer scripts for valuation with identity information hidden from the valuators by cutting a portion of the front sheet, folding and stapling the cut portion, and assigning a code to the answer script by manually writing the code on the answer script and recording the code against the identification number of the examinee on a separate sheet. After valuation, the allotted marks is entered on a separate sheet against the identification number of the examinee. This method is error prone as manual coding and decoding of answer scripts is involved.

Yet another method adopted by some institutes involves use of bar codes for coding and decoding. Here again, any identity information is hidden from the valuators by cutting a portion of.the front sheet of an answer script, and folding and stapling the cut portion. A strip with a barcode and a human-readable code is pasted to the answer script and a copy of the strip is pasted on a separate ID-sheet against a printed barcode on the sheet that contains the examinee's identification information. The ID-sheet is scanned and processed by image processing software to record the examinee ID and the code assigned to the examinee's answer script. After valuation, the total marks given to the answer script is entered on a marks-sheet against the printed barcode on the sheet that represents the answer script. The entry of total marks is done using an optical mark reading (OMR) format. The marks-sheet is then scanned and processed by image processing software to associate the marks with the examinee's ID by matching the barcode with the earlier recorded barcode of the examinee's answer script. While this method saves sometime in manual writing of codes and manual entry of marks into a computer, it still has limitation of extra effort required for correctly pasting barcodes, and correctly entering marks in OMR format on a separate sheet and scanning twice for coding and decoding. Also, totaling errors and correct entry of marks in OMR format needs to be verified before digitization. This method still has drawback of much human involvement and consequent possibility of errors if not double checked. Therefore, there is a need to minimize effort and make the coding-decoding process more robust against errors. Our invention addresses this need by providing a method and apparatus for coding involving a scratch-off and barcode slips as described hereunder.

Our invention is described herein by way of embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows a prior art answer script

Fig. 2 shows a prior art coding of answer script before valuation

Fig. 3 shows a prior art decoding of answer script after valuation

Fig. 4 shows an answer script as per the current invention

Fig. 5 shows the coding-decoding slip as per the current invention

Fig. 6 shows an answer script with examinee identity concealed by the coding-decoding slip as per the current invention

Fig. 7 shows the answer script and marks sheet after valuation as per the current invention

As shown in Fig. 1, a prior art answer script 100 has on the front sheet several fields for entering information connected with an examinee. On the top portion 160 separated from the lower portion 180 by the dotted line 170, a field 120 is provided for entering the Unique Student Number (USN), and another field 130 for signature of the examinee. The lower portion 180 has a field 140 for entering marks obtained for different questions, and a field 150 for entering the total marks. After conduction of an academic examination, the fields 120 and 130 will contain the USN and the signature, respectively, of the examinee, and the fields 140 and 150 will be blank. Before the answer script 100 is given to a valuator, any information on the answer script 100 that can reveal the identity of the examinee must be concealed or removed to ensure impartial valuation. This is achieved by a process known as coding the answer script.

A simple method of concealing the identity of the examinee is to tear the front sheet along the line 170, and fold back the upper portion 160 and staple the folded portion at the edge of the answer script 250 as shown in Fig. 2. The answer script 250 is then given a new identity by pasting a slip 210 containing a code number along with the corresponding the barcode on the second page as shown in Fig. 2. Concurrently, another slip 220 identical to the slip 210 is pasted on a separate sheet 240 beside a barcode 220 which contains the USN, subject of the examination etc in the coded form. The sheet 240 can be scanned and computer processed to extract and record in the computer memory the USN and subject of examination along with the code number 210 assigned to the answer.script 250 of the examinee. After this completion of the coding process, the answer script 250 can be issued to a valuator for valuation.

As shown in Fig. 3, after valuation, the front page of the answer script 320 contains the allotted marks in field 300 and the total marks in field 310. For enabling the decoding operation, the valuator is required to enter the total marks allotted to the answer script 320 on a separate sheet 350 in OMR format. For example, for the answer script 320 with assigned code 330 and allotted marks of 75, the valuator has to enter on the sheet 350 the number 75 in the OMR rows 330 and 340 present beside the code 320 that is identical to the code 330. The valuator enters the marks as 75 by darkening the bubble 331 in row 330 corresponding to number 7, and darkening the bubble 332 in row 340 corresponding to number 5. After this, the sheet 350 can be scanned and computer processed to extract and record the allotted marks corresponding to the barcode 320 in the computer memory. As a last step of decoding, the computer can determine the allotted marks to the examinee by matching the codes obtained from sheets 240 and 350.

The above described process of coding and decoding of answer scripts has limitation of higher human involvement during coding and scanning of sheets two times for each answer script. Our invention provides a better way of performing coding and decoding of answer scripts with minimal human involvement and with only one time scanning of sheets.

In accordance with pur invention, the answer script 400 is similar to the prior art answer script 100 but has the fields for USN 410 and signature 420 together at the top left corner as shown in Fig. 4. The fields for marks entry 430 and for total marks 440 are the same as in the prior art answer script 100. Fig. 5 shows the special label 500 required for performing coding and decoding as per our invention. The label 500 has a detachable portion 510 on which the USN of an examinee is printed in human readable form. The USN portion 510 can be detached from the label 500 by tearing along the tear line 550. The next section 520 is transparent plastic slip coated on the top with an opaque scratch off paint. Next to section 520 are two more barcode portions 530 and 531. The barcode on portion 530 contains the USN of the examinee, subject of the examination etc in the coded form. The USN coded in portion 530 is the same USN that is printed on portion 510. The portion 532 is identical to portion 531, and the next portion 533 is identical to portion 530. There is a tear line 560 between the portions 531 and 532. The last portion of the label 500 is an OMR slip 540 with two rows of OMR bubbles for entering a number from 00 to 99. It is assumed here that the maximum marks is not more than 99 (e.g., 50 or 75). If maximum marks need to be more than 99 and not more than 999 (e.g., 100 or 125 or 150), then we. need one more row of OMR bubbles. The underneath surface of the label 500 is coated with a glue and covered with peel off films. The USN portion 510 has no glue underneath, and the portions 520, 530, and 531 have a single peel off film, and portions 532,533, and 540 have'another single peel off film.

The coding and decoding operations, as per our invention, are performed as follows. Before issuing the answer script 400 to a valuator, the label 500, 610 with certain USN is pasted at the top left corner of the answer script 600 with the same USN in the USN field 420 after peeling off the film for portions 520,530, and 531, with the USN slip 620 projecting out as shown in Fig. 6. In this" pasted state, the portions 532,533, and 540 still have the peel off film underneath them, and thus are not stuck to the answer script 600. The portion 620 is now torn off, and the answer script 600 is issued to a valuator for valuation. After valuation and entering the allotted marks in field 730 and total marks in field 740 on the answer script 700, and also entering the total marks in the OMR slip 630,770, the valuator tears off the portions 760,780, arid 770 from the pasted label 710, and pastes the portions 760,780, and 770 on a separate sheet 750 after peeling off the film below them as shown in Fig. 7. The sheet 750 can now be scanned and computer processed to extract and record the code number of the answer script 700, the USN of the examinee, subject of the examination, and the total marks allotted to him which are present respectively in the portion 760, 780, and 770. In case of any discrepancy or need for revaluation, the answer script 700 can be located by referring to the code present in the label 710. Also, if there is a further need to verify that the answer script indeed belongs to the examinee with the given USN, the scratch off portion on label 710 can be scratched off to reveal the USN and signature of the examinee through the transparent base of the scratch off portion.

While the invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention,.what we claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is as follows:

5. CLAIMS
We claim:
1. A composite label for concealing the identity of an examinee present on the top left corner of the front page of an answer script, the said composite label consisting of adjacently placed slips in the following sequence (a) a tear off slip with examinee identity printed in human readable form, (b) a transparent slip with an opaque scratch off paint on it, (c) a barcode slip containing the identity of the said examinee and subject name, (d) a barcode slip with a human readable code number and its corresponding barcode, (e) a slip identical to the slip cited as 'd', (f) a slip identical to slip cited as 'c', and (g) a slip with optical mark readable bubbles for marking at least two decimal digits, with a tear line between slips cited as 'a' and 'b\ and a tear line between slips cited as 'd' and 'e', and with glue coating underneath slips cited as 'b'-'d' covered with a peel off film, and with glue coating underneath slips cited as 'e'-'g' covered with a peel off film.

2. A method of concealing the identity of an examinee on the answer script claimed in Claim 1, consisting of peeling off the film beneath the cited slips 'b'-'d' in the composite label as claimed in Claim 1 in which the cited slip 'a' has the identity of the said examinee in human readable form, and pasting the said label on the said answer script such that the cited slip 'b' covers the area on the said answer script containing the identity of the said examinee and the cited slip 'a' projects out of the said answer script on the top edge, and thereafter peeling off the cited slip 'a' from the said composite label.

3. A method of valuation of an answer script of an examinee claimed in Claim 1, and with the identity of the said examinee concealed by the method as claimed in Claim 2, consisting of entering total marks in human readable form on the front page of the said answer script and in optical mark readable format on the cited slip 'g', tearing off the cited slips 'e'-'g' as a group along the said tear line between cited" slips 'd' and 'e', peeling off the film beneath the cited slips 'e'-'g', and pasting the said group of cited slips 'e'-'g' on a sheet for optical scanning and computer processing.

4. A method of determining the total marks allotted to an examinee by scanning the sheet with cited slips 'e'-'g' pasted on it as claimed in Claim 3, and computer processing of scanned data, involving extraction of total marks by decoding optical mark readable bubbles on the cited slip 'g', and extraction of the identity of the said examinee and subject name from the barcode on the cited slip 'f, extracting the code allotted to the said answer script present in the barcode on the cited slip 'e', and recording the identity of the said examinee, the said subject name, said code allotted to the said answer script, and the total marks allotted to the said examinee in the computer memory.

5. A method of locating the answer script of an examinee from a plurality of answer scripts stored after valuation by the method as per Claim 3, involving the first step of knowing the code allotted to the said answer script of the said examinee from the data stored in computer memory as per the method as claimed in Claim 3, and searching the said plurality of answer scripts for matching the code allotted to the said answer script with the human readable code on the cited slip 'd' pasted on each of the said answer scripts, and retrieving the answer script with the matching code as the answer script of the said examinee.

6. A method of ascertaining that an answer script of an examinee is truly the answer script of the said examinee by retrieving the said answer script as per the method claimed in Claim 5, and scratching off the paint on the cited slip 'b' to reveal the identity of the said examinee through the transparent base of the cited slip 'b'.