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If you’ve got a multiple choice test coming up and you didn’t study quite as hard as you meant to, you might be tempted to cheat. While there are a lot of rumors about how you can cheat on a Scantron test, most of them aren’t true, and some can even get you a lower score than you would have gotten in the first place. We’ve addressed some of the most common cheating tricks you might have heard of so you can avoid sabotaging your grade.
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionDoes the ChapStick on Scantron trick work?
Drew Hawkins1Community AnswerNo, putting ChapStick or any other type of lip balm on your Scantron won't help your score. It'll only make your Scantron greasy. It's one of those rumors that just won't seem to go away. Even still, some people people believe that the slick nature of the lip balm would mess up the grading machine, that just isn’t the case. In fact, it can even cause your correct answers to be marked as incorrect, giving you an even lower score than you would have gotten in the first place. Besides, if your paper is smeared with lip balm, your teacher may notice and you could get in trouble for cheating. Don't buy into the rumors. ChapStick won't improve your score. -
QuestionWhy do Scantrons need #2 pencils?Drew Hawkins1Community AnswerScantrons use #2 pencils so the machine is able to identify your markings and read your answers. There's a popular myth that using a #1 or another type of pencil will somehow trick the machine into giving you a better score. But using a different pencil won't get you a better score on your test. In fact, using anything besides a #2 pencil could cause you to fail your test. If you don’t use a #2 pencil on your Scantron, the grading machine might not be able to read it. If that’s the case, you could end up getting a 0 on the test. It’s better to use the right pencil and get an actual score than to risk it for a failed grade.
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QuestionCan I mark the sides of a Scantron to get a perfect score?Drew Hawkins1Community AnswerNo, marking the sides of the test won't improve your score. In fact, it could cause you to fail. The grading machine uses the markings on the side to help orient itself so the paper is fed through the machine correctly. If you alter the markings on the side, the machine may not accept your test. If your test can't be read, it may not be graded at all. Even if you mark the sides and then try to erase them, it can still interfere with the way the grading machine operates. Play it safe and fill out the answer bubbles only. Steer clear of the markings on the side of the paper so your Scantron can be properly graded.
Warnings
- There are often serious consequences that can happen when you cheat on a Scantron test. If you’re in college or university, you could even get expelled.⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References
- ↑ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bubble-buoyed/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/cnu/scantron-cheating-tricks-debunked
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/cnu/scantron-cheating-tricks-debunked
- ↑ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bubble-buoyed/
- ↑ https://www.hercampus.com/school/cnu/scantron-cheating-tricks-debunked
- ↑ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bubble-buoyed/
- ↑ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bubble-buoyed/
About This Article
Although the only sure way to pass a Scantron test is to mark the correct answers, you can theoretically cheat by tricking the Scantron machine into thinking that you only have a few answers marked. To make your answers difficult for the Scantron machine to read, apply a little chapstick on top of the bubbles you've filled in. Since putting chapstick on every answer could make it look like you didn't answer any questions at all, try to only mark answers that you're sure are wrong. However, keep in mind that getting caught cheating on a Scantron test could result in a complete failure or disciplinary action, so try your best to study and make your best guess on your test, if you can. For more advice, including how to cheat by messing with the lines on a Scantron test, read on.
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