FAQ

Is the marking automatic?

The reading and the marking are automatic; recording the result is not. AutoMark marks each answer against your key, then shows you everything it couldn’t verify against the scan. You confirm or override those items and commit the run — and only then do marks reach your students’ records. No mark is ever recorded by a solely automated decision.

How does AutoMark decide what to flag?

Every answer it reads is checked back against the handwriting on the scan. That check either passes or it doesn’t — there’s no score to interpret. Answers that pass are marked straight through. Answers that don’t are flagged for you, with the cropped scan beside them so you can see for yourself.

What happens to student data?

Scans and results are stored in Australia, and scan images are deleted automatically at the end of their retention window. Reading the handwriting involves an overseas processing step by our OCR provider, which is disclosed in the privacy policy along with everything else we send and why.

The full detail — what’s collected, who processes it, how long it’s kept, and how to get it deleted — is in the privacy policy.

What scanner do I need?

Anything that produces a clear PDF. A staffroom copier scanning to PDF is ideal: put the class set in the feeder, scan the lot, and upload the file — or email it straight to the scan address on your Settings page and pick it up in AutoMark. A desktop flatbed works too, and photos will do at a pinch. The thing that matters is legibility: a sharp, straight, full-page scan of the paper you printed.

Can I fix a mark after I’ve committed?

Yes. Committed results can be corrected, and the correction is recorded against the result rather than silently replacing it — so the student’s record shows what was changed. The same applies if a paper turns out to be on the wrong student.

Does it work for essays?

Not really, and we’d rather say so. AutoMark is built for structured answers — a word, a number, a short sentence, a filled table, a selection, an ordering. Long-form writing that needs judgement about argument and expression is not something it marks well, and it isn’t what the review queue is designed for.

What kinds of questions can I set?

The everyday ones: multiple choice, true/false, a numeric answer, and short written answers. More formats — filling in blanks, completing a table, matching, ordering, selecting from a passage — are being added through the beta, so the type list in the editor is the accurate answer for your account on any given day. Whatever you pick, the printed paper and the marking come from the same test.

Do I have to use AutoMark’s printed paper?

For a marking run, yes — print the paper from the test you built. The printed layout and the answer key are two views of the same thing, which is how AutoMark knows where each answer should be on the page. You can still set the test itself however you like, including by scanning a paper you already have and building the test from it.

What does it cost?

Nothing during the beta. Beta accounts come with a pool of free marking credits, there’s no card to enter, and you won’t be charged. See Credits and billing for how credits are counted.

Where do I report a bug or ask for something?

Use the report button inside the app — it’s on every page, and it comes through with enough context for us to find what you were looking at. Please leave student names out of it. You can also email support@automarkhq.com. During the beta, either one reaches the people building it.