UNDERSTANDING THE OMR SHEET

For Term 1 MCQ-Type 2021 CBSE Board Examination, students will have to mark the answers to
MCQs using an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet. Let’s understand the design of the OMR
sheet.

Design of the OMR Sheet

The following are key points to note regarding the design of the OMR Sheet –

 The OMR Sheet will have 4 circles for each question. The numbering in the circles correlates
to the 4 multiple choice options given for that question.

 In addition to the 4 circles, a blank circle is also provided for each question.

For example, if Q.1 has 4 options labeled as A, B, C, D, then the OMR sheet will indicate the options
in individual circles as well as an extra circle at the end which will be blank. The image below shows
the question code in an OMR Sheet -

How to mark your answers in the OMR sheet

Follow the steps below to mark your answers in the OMR sheet for each question.

1. Read the question carefully in your question paper.

2. Read the multiple choices available as possible answers to the question.
3. Look at your OMR Sheet.
4. Search for the Section and question Number for that section.
5. Against the question number, mark the answer by darkening the circle with the respective
answer number. For example, if ‘A’ is the correct answer, darken the circle with ‘A’ inside.
The picture below indicates the correct darkening of the circle.

Note: Use only black / blue ball pen or gel pen to darken the circle.

6. Follow the same steps given above for all the questions you wish to attempt in the question
paper.
FAQ
1. What happens if I darken the wrong circle?
Do not panic if you darken the wrong circle by mistake.

You can change your answer by following these steps –

a) Suppose you darkened ‘A’ as your answer.

b) Now you want to change your answer to ‘B’.

c) Strike off the answer you marked by mistake (‘A’) by drawing a slanting line through the
darkened circle.

d) Darken the circle for the correct answer ‘B’.

e) Write the number/letter of the correct answer ‘B’ in the blank circle.

NOTE: Never darken the last (or 5 th) circle where you have written the number/letter of
the correct answer.

You have only one attempt at correcting your answer for a question in this manner. Be
absolutely sure before you strike out your wrong answer and darken the correct answer.

2. What should I be careful about while marking my answers?

While darkening the circles for the right answer, keep these guidelines in mind for extra care
while marking your answers –

a) Use only blue / black ball pen or gel pen to darken the circle.
b) Always shade the circle completely to mark the correct answer.
c) Do not shade two or more circles at a time for a particular question. No marks will be
allotted in such cases.
d) Do not put a tick mark  against the circle –


e) Do not put a dot inside the circle –


f) Do not put a cross inside the circle –


g) Do not darken only part of the circle –


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