Proposal to Mark Examination Scripts Electronically

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Education with regard to the proposal to mark examination scripts electronically (a) whether the time saved from having to count physical scripts in the current system be well compensated by the need to scan and digitise the scripts in the new system; and (b) what are the identified risks of an electronic and digital system for the marking of scripts and how can they be managed.

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) has conducted a pilot trial on the scanning and digitisation of a sample of 2017 national examination answer scripts. The trial also included the marking of these digitalised scripts online. SEAB has received positive feedback from markers, including improved administrative efficiency.

Examination boards in the United Kingdom (UK) and Hong Kong have been conducting electronic marking for some years. The known benefits include reduced effort from administrative processes and physical movement of scripts, improved quality in marking and better anonymity of scripts.

Due to the large number of subjects offered at the Singapore-Cambridge GCE-Level examinations and the high volume of scripts handled each year, changes to the examination processes have to be carefully planned and considered.  It involves trialling to determine the required changes to the format of the answer booklet, adequate investment in information technology infrastructure and devices and training of markers. SEAB will also have to ensure that the integrity of the national examinations and timing for the release of the examination results are upheld.