What is On-Screen Marking?

The pipeline

1. 01MaskFictitious number. Flap torn off.
2. 02ScanOverhead or high-speed. Books may be opened.
3. 03CloudPrivate server. Copy, pages, quality.
4. 04AgencyEvery copy reviewed page by page.
5. 05PacketsApproved books assigned to examiners.
6. 06RevalUnmarked original. Marks stored separately.

Direct answer

On-Screen Marking (OSM) is the evaluation of scanned answer scripts on a computer. Examiners read handwriting on screen, enter marks against the question paper scheme, and submit digitally. The student may still have written the paper with a pen. OSM changes how marks are captured, not necessarily how the exam was conducted.

How it works

A typical sequence is: fictitious numbers are printed and identity flaps torn off; books are scanned (overhead or high-speed, opening or resticking copies as needed); images go to a secure private cloud where the system identifies the copy, page count and scan quality; the agency panel reviews each copy page by page; approved copies are assigned as packets to examiners; the examiner marks on screen; the university sees progress in realtime and can later audit a copy. Revaluation uses the unmarked original; first-evaluation digital marks are kept separately.

Physical evaluation moves paper. OSM moves assignments and permissions. That is why examiner login, copy assignment and audit logs matter as much as the marking screen.

Key considerations

• Scan quality and page order — a missing last page is an evaluation failure, not an OSM “feature”.
• Question schemes (compulsory parts, best-of) must match how marks are entered.
• Moderation and revaluation need a defined second-look on the unmarked original, while first-evaluation digital marks stay stored.

Avid’s approach

Avid OSM is Avid Web Solutions’ on-screen marking platform. It originated in 2020 for Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Law University, Jaipur, and was used in production for four years, with more than 3,00,000 answer sheets evaluated each year of that period. Version 3.0 can include Avid AI Professor for suggested marks with reasons; examiners still approve final marks.

FAQ