(Over) simplified instructions for completing the Request for Service Form

The variety of requests that we receive for scoring multiple-choice tests is endless. The Request for Service sheet is used to communicate the specific manner in which you wish to have your test scored and reported. This "communication" is read by the optical mark reader which processes the answer sheets as instructed by the options which have been chosen.

Ignoring all the possible options, the most common situation is described below. If the following description does not address your requirements, please proceed to a level of documentation that is more advanced than RFS 101. In order to understand what follows, it will help if you have a copy of the Request for Service form in front of you.

If

  • your test has one correct answer per question, and
  • all the students wrote the same version of the test, and
  • you reminded the students to code their name and id number in the fields provided on the answer sheet, and
  • you simply wish to obtain a printout of the number of questions that each student answered correctly, and
  • your Request for Service Form has a number in the upper right-hand corner that is larger than 120,000,

then the following coding of the Request for Service form will often be appropriate:

  1. Scanner Program Required: fill in the circle beside GPSCOR
  2. Lowest Question No. Used: this number defaults to 001 which means you can leave it blank.
  3. Highest Question No. Used: code the 3-digit number that indicates the last question number on the answer sheet that has been used for the test
  4. Question Length: code the 2-digit number that indicates the number of alternative answers provided for each question (probably 04 or 05)
  5. No. of Keys: code the number 1
  6. Main Parameters:
    • A: code 3 to indicate that you want to read the student's name from the answer sheet (and have us check that something has been coded in the name field on the answer sheet)
    • B: code 1 to indicate that you want to read the student's id number from the answer sheet
    • C: code 0 to indicate that you want to ignore the "special code" fields on the answer sheet
    • D: code 2 to indicate that you want to pick up the student's responses to the questions
    • E: code 0 to indicate that you do not want "composite scores"
    • F: code 0 to indicate that you do not want "formula scoring"
  7. Secondary Parameters:
    • K: code 6 to indicate that you want us to check answer sheets that do not have at least a 6-digit id number appearing in the id field beginning with the left-most column
    • L: code 0 to indicate that you do not want to require the id number to be right-justified in the id field
    • M: code 0 to indicate that answer sheets should be reviewed (and possibly corrected) which have more than one answer to a question
    • N: code 1 to indicate that answer sheets should be reviewed (and possibly corrected) if it appears that the student's answers are not dark enough to be "seen"
  8. Fill in the bubble beside "Pocket Questionnable Sheets for MANUAL verification" so that options K through N above actually happen
  9. Data Processing Required: You may choose either ITEMANAL or EXAMTAB if you wish to receive an "item analysis" report for the test.
  10. Generate Class Lists Sorted by: Fill in the bubble beside NAME if you want a class list printed which is sorted by name and/or the bubble beside ID if you want a class list printed which is sorted by ID number.
  11. Speed Code: Fill in your (department's) 5-character speed code that is to be used for billing this job
  12. Account Number: Fill in bubbles corresponding to 502306 which is the usual account number for computing activities
  13. Copy Data File To: If you wish to have the "printouts" sent to you electronically, fill in the bubble beside E-mail and provide your e-mail address on the "Deliver Results" line below.
  14. Initials: This field is provided for you to code your initials which helps your department's "financial authority" determine who requested this job. (These initials appear in the electronic billing records that can are reviewed by your financial authority.)
  15. Title for this Job: Any coding that you provide in this area will appear as part of the title in the printouts that are generated for your job.
  16. Name, Department, Phone Number, etc.: Please complete with appropriate information.


 

Scoring Multiple
Choice Tests
  - Request for
Service 101
  - Item Analyses
  - WebCT Score Files
  Instructor Designed Questionnaire (IDQ) System
  - Block IDs
  - Class IDs
  - Search Catalogs
via Oracle
  - Display Catalogs
via Acrobat
  Students' Ratings of Instruction on Campus
  General Data Entry
  OMR Forms and
Answer Sheets
  Rate Schedule
   

© University of Alberta
CNS Privacy Policy