Exams - Multiple Choice Question (MCQ)

Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Correction for Official Exams / House Exams

What is the service?

ISS provides a semi-automated correction process for MCQ exam / in-house exam sheets.

Who can use the service?

NUI Galway academic staff can avail of the MCQ correction service for official or in-house exams

Cost

In-House Exams - There is a minimum cost of €100 (for up to 100 MCQ sheets). For over 100 MCQ sheets, the cost is €1 per MCQ sheet. Instructors are advised that there are online tools available for MCQ test e.g. Blackboard. Please contact CELT to discuss training options for such online tools.

Availability

This service is available from ISS. From receipt of the envelope and master sheet with completed Application for MCQ Exam Correction Form, the turnaround time for results is 10 working days.

Prerequisites required for the service

For In- House Exams a budget code and written authorisation from the budgetholder is required for this service.
Please note:

• Yellow or Aged sheets cannot be scanned efficiently and will not be corrected if submitted. 
• We are unable to process a quantity of less than 10 scripts.
  

Before the exam

• It is recommended that blank MCQ sheets are obtained at least four weeks in advance of the exam from ISS. There is one type of MCQ sheets: a/b/c/d/e (maximum questions 120). The MCQ sheets use an 8 digit candidate number for the student ID.
• The academic staff member must notify the ISS of the upcoming application for MCQ exam correction at least two weeks in advance of the exam via the Service Desk Ticketing System.  Categorise ticket as follows:  06.Enterprise Applications - Exam Services - Staff Exam Managements - MCQs.

For Official Exams – the Examinations Office provide MCQ sheets at the exam venues on the day of the exam. Please note: Yellow or Aged sheets cannot be scanned efficiently and will not be corrected if submitted.

Important:

• MCQ sheets with blank student IDs (or where the student has not used horizontal strokes for the student ID) which the scanner returns in error will be returned for manual correction.
• Academic staff are advised to check MCQ sheets to verify exam results. The scanner cannot read incorrectly marked answers and this will impact results.

• Please note: Yellow or Aged sheets cannot be scanned efficiently and will not be corrected if submitted.

Advice for students taking the exam

Students must use horizontal strokes for their student ID and answers.

The image below shows correct horizontal strokes denoting a sample number (i.e. student ID).

After the exam

1. All MCQ sheets should be secured in envelope(s) when delivered. 
   one envelope(s) per module where applicable, if more than 200 sheets for a module, then split into lots of 200 per envelope.
   Important: All MCQ sheets must be counted before submitting them to ISS.  We are unable to process a quantity of less than 10 scripts.
   
   
2. A Master Sheet of correct answers must accompany each exam with the correct answers on it. The top right hand corner of the master sheet must have all zeroes using horizontal strokes.
   
   
3. Complete the  and deliver the envelope(s) to ISS as soon as possible after the exam. Note that all MCQ exam sheets must be signed in and out at ISS.
   
   
4. A Service Desk ticket must be logged for each module to the appropriate academic staff member identified on the Application for MCQ Exam Correction Form, prior to, or on submission of MCQ sheets. If you have any queries, please correspond through the ticket.  Results will be emailed to this academic staff member.
   
   
5. MCQ’s will be available 10 working days after submission

MCQ Correction Process

A spreadsheet containing MCQ results is emailed to the academic staff member identified on the Application for MCQ Exam Correction Form.

Academic staff are advised to check MCQ sheets to verify exam results. ISS are not responsible for the validity of exam results; e.g. the scanner cannot read answers which are marked incorrectly and this will impact results.

MCQ exam sheets must be collected from ISS within 28 days of notification of completion of processing, any sheets not collected after 28 days will be destroyed.