Iowa State University IT

Administering a Test Using Bubble Sheets

Getting Bubble Sheets

Bubble sheet forms can be picked up at the Solution Center, 195 Durham Center. If you will need more than 1000 bubble sheets at one time, call us first at 515-294-4000 so we can ensure the bubble sheets will be available when you arrive to pick them up. Samples of Available Forms and Bubble Sheets

Filling Out a Bubble Sheet Form

General Practices

Please inform students using bubble sheets of these guidelines. While many are already familiar with this testing method, a review of the guidelines can ensure more accurate scoring of the tests.

Student Section

Students should fill in the NAME boxes with their last name first, followed by their first name, and then their middle initial. The corresponding bubbles below each letter should be filled to match the letter indicated in the boxes above. Any boxes in the "Name" section that are not used should then have the blank circle just below the empty box filled in.

In the IDENTIFICATION NUMBER section, students should write the middle nine digits of their ISU Card number in boxes A through I and fill in the respective bubbles below. The ISU Card number is a university-wide identification standard. We recommend that students use this as their identification number rather than a Social Security number (because of privacy concerns) or some other number.

While filling in the answer bubbles, students should periodically check to see if the bubbles they are filling in correspond to their respective questions.

It is a good practice to check (or have a TA check) each sheet as it is handed in to ensure that all sheets are filled out correctly.

Preparing Sheets for Grading

After filling out all the forms, sort them so they are all facing the same way (e.g., the NAME box is in the same corner of every sheet facing you).

Completing the Answer Key

Fill out an Answer Key form using one of the blank forms. This form should have the word "KEY" placed in the middle of the NAME section, and the corresponding bubbles below each letter filled in.

In the white space directly above the NAME section, the instructor should write out the department, course number and section, instructor, and quiz or exam number.

Under the SPECIAL CODES section of the Answer Key, fill in the first three boxes (K, L, and M) with the number of the last question used, formatted as a three-digit number, and fill in the corresponding bubbles. For example, if the last question was number 10, then the first three boxes (KLM) would be 010 and the bubbles below each would be filled in as such.

Preparing the Packet

If there is only one section or form and one answer key, put a rubber band around the sheets with the answer key on top.

If there is more than one section or form and one answer key, put a rubber band around each individual section's sheets with the answer key on top. In addition, label each group with the appropriate section number or letter for that group.

If there is more than one section or form and an answer key for each section, put a rubber band around each individual section's sheets with the corresponding answer key on the top of the respective stack.

If there is more than one section and more than one form per section and an answer key for each form, put a rubber band around each form's sheets and then put another rubber band around the packets of a particular form with the corresponding answer key on top. For example, if there are three class sections (1, 2, and 3) and three forms per section (A, B, and C), you would put one rubber band around the sheets for section 1A, one around those for section 2A, and one around those for section 3A. Then put one rubber band around the three packets (1A, 2A, and 3A) with the A version of the answer key on top of the stack.

Each test submitted to Test and Evaluation Services for scoring must be accompanied by a standard submittal form. If you give more than one version of an exam and wish to correlate questions among the tests, you will also need to submit a multiple-version test scoring key. Copies of these forms can be found here.

The Test and Evaluation Submittal Form has two main sections: Required Information and Additional Delivery Options.

All information in the "Required Information" section on the left-hand side must be filled out (we are not able to accept the form and tests without the information).

For any service chosen in the "Additional Delivery Options" section on the right-hand side, fill in all the respective information for that service.

Providing complete instructions information enables smooth scanning and a quicker turnaround for your results without delays.

  1. Date that bubble sheets are dropped off in the Solution Center, 195 Durham Center.
  2. Course name and number given as a standard abbreviation (e.g., Phil 201, Span 101).
  3. First and last name of the class instructor.
  4. Net-ID (i.e., netid@iastate.edu) of the class instructor.
  5. Phone number of the class instructor.
  6. The number of the exam, quiz, midterm, or final test sheets being submitted. This can be a number or a number followed by a letter (e.g., 1 or 1A). The number must be the first digit.
  7. The "Answer Key" you submit must contain this information as shown.
  8. If you would like the results emailed to you as a .csv file for use in Excel, check the box and print your full name and email address (both are required).
  9. To have the results uploaded to your WebCT gradebook, check the box and enter the email addresses of those to receive notification.
  10. Enter the WebCT Course ID (case-sensitive), and the Column Label (case-sensitive). (If using a special code with WebCT, enter it on the Special Code line.)
  11. Enter any additional instructions or requests here.
  12. Signature of the person who picks up the test results.

Omitting a Question

If you choose to omit one or more questions from grading, you can do this by specifying which question(s) to omit in "Additional Instructions or Requests" (denoted by K in the example above).

Question Weight

You may also use the Additional Information section (denoted by K above) to specify a weight for the questions. You cannot assign different weights to different questions; however, you can designate all questions to be worth more than one point.

Submitting and Picking Up Tests

Tests brought to the Solution Center to be scanned will always produce a paper printout of the results shortly after the scanning and analysis is complete. That printout must be picked up. As an Iowa State University instructor using Test and Evaluation Services, you are obligated to pick up the hard copy (paper printout) of the results and the students' tests.

To submit the sheets bring them to the Solution Center, 195 Durham Center. One of the staff will take your tests, verify that you have filled out the submittal form in its entirety, and then transfer the packet(s) to Test and Evaluation Services for scanning and processing. (If you place any materials in the Test and Evaluation Services dropbox in the Durham Center dock area, call 515-294-1832 and let us know so that we can retrieve the materials.)

The usual timetable for picking up the tests and results, shown below, is based on when the tests were submitted. Turnaround time will vary depending on the workload at a given time.

Dropped off: Can be picked up:
By or before 9 am After 12 noon of the same day
By or before 1 pm After 4 pm of the same day
After 1 pm After 12 noon of the next business day

To pick up the sheets and results, return to the Solution Center at 195 Durham Center. Inform a staff member that you want to pick up your answer sheets and provide them with the department, course number, and section (e.g., Math 104 section A). After signing the original submittal form, you will receive the bubble sheets and a copy of the submittal form.