System and method for individually programmed automatic test grading and scoring

Claim 3

A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: providing on each test card different code representations for identifying the same answer indication area of different groups thereof as the correct answer for the corresponding, different problems.

Claim 4

A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of: providing different sets of test cards for different, respectively associated tests, providing on each of the test cards of a given set a given arrangement of code representations for identifying the same answer choice as the correct answer response for the corresponding, different problems.

Claim 5

A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: providing different sets of test cards for different, respectively associated tests, providing on each of the test cards of a given set, a given arrangement of code representations for identifying the correct answers to the test problems, and providing on each of the test cards of each other set, a different arrangement of code representations for identifying the correct answers to the problems of that other, associated test.

Claim 6

A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: providing different sets of test cards, for a given test, providing on each of the test cards of a given set a first arrangement of code representations for identifying the correct answers for that given test, and providing on each of the test cards of each other set, a different arrangement of code representations for identifying the same predetermined correct answers to the problems of that same, given test.

Claim 7

A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: providing on each test card, groups of answer indication areas corresponding to the multiple choice answers for a plurality of test problems, employing the test card for rEceiving in said groups of answer indication areas thereof indicia representing selected answer choices as the answer response for the corresponding test problems, and providing on each test card a correct answer code including a plurality of code representations respectively related to said groups of answer indication areas for identifying the answer indication areas representing the predetermined correct answers for the corresponding problems.

Claim 8

A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the code representation on each test card comprises a plural bit position code having a number of code bit permutations exceeding the number of answer indication areas in a given group thereof, further comprising, providing groups of different code bit permutations for identifying the same answer indication area of different groups thereof as the correct answer for the corresponding, different problems.

Claim 9

A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the steps of: providing different sets of test cards for different respectively associated tests, providing on each of the test cards of a answer indication areas in succession set, a given arrangement of groups of code bit permutations for identifying the answer choice indication areas corresponding to the predetermined correct answers for the given, associated test, and providing on each of the test cards of each other, different set, a different arrangement of groups of code bit permutations for identifying the answer choice indication areas corresponding to the predetermined correct answers for that other, associated test.

Claim 10

A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the steps of: providing different sets of test cards for a given test, providing on each of the test cards of a given set a given arrangement of groups of code bit permutations for identifying the answer choice indication areas corresponding to the predetermined correct answers for that given test, and providing on each of the test cards of each other, different set, a different arrangement of groups of code bit permutations for identifying those same answer choice indication areas corresponding to the predetermined correct answers for that same, given test.

Claim 11

A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising providing the code representation on each test card as visible code bit indicia in the code bit positions of the groups thereof in accordance with the preselected code bit permutations.

Claim 14

A system as recited in claim 11 wherein different code representations identify the same answer indication area as the predetermined correct answer, and wherein: said decoding means includes a plurality of decoding channels, respectively identifying a given answer choice indication area as a correct answer, and each of said channels is responsive to a number of different code representations sensed from a test card for identifying a respectively associated answer choice indication area as a correct answer.

Claim 15

A system as recited in claim 11 wherein each test card includes a plurality of groups of answer indication areas, corresponding to the multiple choice answers for a plurality of problems, for receiving indicia representing the answer choices to the problems and a correct answer code comprising a plural bit position code arranged in groups of bit positions respectively corresponding to the groups of answer indication areas for receiving indicia in the groups of code bit positions in accordance with the preselected code bit permutations identifying the correct answer choices for the corresponding groups of answer indication areas, and wherein: said first sensing means includes a plurality of channels corresponding to the answer indication areas of said groups thereof for sensing answer indicia in the respectively corresponding answer indication areas, in succession for the plurality of groups of answer indications areas, said second sensing means includes a plurality of sensing channels respectively corresponding to said code bit positions for selectively sensing indicia in the respectively corresponding bit positions, in succession for the plurality of groups of code bit positions, said decoding means includes a plurality of decoding channels respectively identifying a given answer choice indication area of each of said groups thereof as a correct answer, and said plurality of decoding channels simultaneously receive the sensed code bit indicia output of said second sensing means for each of the successively sensed groups of code bit positions and respond to respectively associated, preselected code bit permutations represented by said sensed code bit indicia in each of said groups thereof to identify the respectively associated answer indication area as the correct answer.

Claim 16

A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the corresponding groups of answer indication areas and code bit positions are displaced on said test card and wherein: said answer indicia sensing means senses the groups of answer indication areeas in succession for the plurality of groups thereof, said code bit indicia sensing means senses the groups of code bit positions in succession for the plurality of groups thereof in synchronism with and a predetermined time interval after the sensing of the corresponding groups of answer indications areas, said answer indicia sensing means includes means for successively storing the answer responses from the groups of sensed answer choice indicia for the predetermined time interval and for presenting the answer responses to said comparison means following said predetermined time interval of storage thereof, and said decoding means substantially instantaneously decodes the correct answers upon sensing of the code bit indicia by said code-sensing means for simultaneously presenting said answer responses and said correct answers to said comparison means for grading the answer responses to the problems, for all problems in succession.

Claim 17

A system as recited in claim 11 wherein there is further provided: system control means and output recording means, said system control means automatically initiating the grading and scoring of answer responses indicated on each test card, and said output recording means responding to said comparison means for providing a permanent record of the results of grading each of the answer responses on each test card, for all test cards in succession.

Claim 18

A system as recited in claim 15 wherein: said system control means includes means for entering on said permanent record an identification of each test card prior to the scoring and grading of that test card, for all test cards in succession.

Claim 19

A system as recited in claim 11 wherein, for different problems in a given test having as the predetermined correct answers thereto the same answer choices indication areas there are provided on a test card for use with that test different code representations for identifyinG that same answer choice as the predetermined correct answer for each of those different problems, and wherein: said decoding means includes a plurality of decoding channels, respectively identifying a given answer choice indication area as a correct answer, and each of said channels is responsive to a number of different preselected code bit permutations sensed from a test card for identifying the respectively associated answer choice indication areas as a correct answer.

Claim 20

A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the code for each correct answer is provided on each test card in accordance with the application of code bit indicia to selected ones of a predetermined number of code bit positions, and wherein: said code bit indicia sensing means includes a plurality of bit position sensing means respectively corresponding to each of said code bit positions for selectively sensing indicia in the respectively corresponding bit position, each of said decoding channels includes a plurality of decoding logic circuits for decoding respectively associated ones of the preselected code bit permutations represented by the sensed code bit position indicia and corresponding to the answer choice indication area identified by that channel, and each of said decoding logic circuits includes a plurality of inputs respectively associated with said plurality of code bit position sensing means for responding to the sensing of code bit indicia in the respectively corresponding code bit positions for identifying the correct answer associated with that channel when the sensed code bit indicia correspond to the preselected code bit permutation associated with that logic circuit.

Claim 21

In a system for automatically grading answers to a plurality of problems of the multiple choice type wherein answer responses to the problems are represented by indicia applied to a test card and having a sensing station to sense the answer response indicia, means for sensing and decoding a correct answer code for identifying the correct answers for the problems and comparison means for comparing the answer responses sensed from the answer response indicia with the corresponding correct answers decoded from the correct answer code for grading the answer responses to each problem, the improvement comprising: a test card for receiving answer choice indicia for indicating answer responses to each of the problems of a test, and said test card further having a code comprising a plurality of bit positions arranged in groups on the card and respectively corresponding to the problems and identifying predetermined correct answers for the test problems.

Claim 22

In a system for automatically grading answers to a plurality of problems of the multiple choice type wherein answer responses to the problems are represented by indicia applied to a test card and having a sensing station to sense the answer response indicia, means for sensing and decoding a correct answer code for identifying the correct answers for the problems and comparison means for comparing the answer responses sensed from the answer response indicia with the corresponding correct answers decoded from the correct answer code for grading the answer responses to each problem, the improvement comprising: a test card for receiving answer choice indicia for indicating answer responses to each of the problems of a test, and said test card further having a code comprising a plurality of bit positions arranged in groups on the card and respectively corresponding to the problems and identifying predetermined correct answers for the test problems.

Claim 23

In a system as recited in claim 19, the improvement in test cards further comprising: a plurality of groups of answer indications on the test card, corresponding to the multiple choice answers for each of a plurality of problems, for receiving answer indicia identifying the selected answer choices to the problems, and a plurality of groups of code bit positions on the test card respectively corresponding to the groups of answer indication areas for receiving code bit indicia in accordance with the different preselected code bit permutations for identifying different ones of the answer indication areas of the respectively corresponding groups thereof as the predetermined correct answers for the corresponding problems.

Claim 24

In a system as recited in claim 20, the improvement in test cards further comprising: groups of code bit indicia on said test card comprising different preselected code bit permutations for identifying the same answer indication area of the respectively corresponding groups of answer indication areas as the predetermined correct answer for the corresponding problems.

Claim 25

In a system as recited in claim 21, the improvement in test cards further comprising: different sets of test cards for use with corresponding, identical sets of problems, and different arrangements of code bit permutatiOns on the different sets of test cards for identifying the predetermined correct answers for the corresponding, identical sets of problems.

Claim 26

A system as recited in claim 21, the improvement in test cards further comprising: plural sets of test cards for use with corresponding, plural sets of problems, a given set of test cards for use with a given, corresponding set of problems having a first arrangement of code bit permutations thereon for identifying the predetermined correct answers to the corresponding set of problems, and each other, different set of test cards having a different arrangement of code bit permutations thereon for identifying the predetermined correct answers for the corresponding, different set of problems.

Claim 27

A system as recited in claim 21, the improvement in test cards further comprising: different sets of test cards for use with an identical set of problems, a given set of test cards having a first arrangement of code bit permutations thereon for identifying predetermined correct answers for the given set of problems, and each other, different set of test cards having a different arrangement of code bit permutations thereon for identifying the predetermined correct answers for that same, given set of problems.