This lesson details how to create a an answer sheet with a variety of options. These can then be scanned using Lightning Grader. Based on your answer key, you may have a variety of options outside of multiple choice and constructed response questions.
Before You Get Started
Before you start it is good to know:
- You will need a new or existing Manual/Hybrid Assessment in your account.
- Review how to print your answer sheet in Print Answer Sheets.
- When administered, students will fill in the answer sheets, and images of the student’s work will be captured during the grading (via camera or scanner) process.
- Any teacher graded items or Constructed Response items can be reviewed and scored in the Enter/Edit page of the respected assessment.
Need to review how to create your answer key for an assessment? Visit Customize Your Answer Key.
Where to Start

Start from an existing assessment found in your Assessments > View Assessments, or Create a New Manual/Hybrid Assessment > when created, go to Setup > Answer Key to begin.
- Input correct answers in the Answer Key for the assessment.
- Check Rubric and input points for a constructed response question.
- Click Save or Save & Go To Sheet Designer.
You can visit the assessment's Sheet Designer anytime by going to Setup < Sheet Designer (LiG).
Great question! Looking at your assessment's design or answer key, all items fall into these two types.
Multiple Choice means it can be:
- Single Answer
- Multiple Answers
- Number Grid Answer (enter value)
- Either/Or Answers
- Yes/No, True/False, Agree/Disagree, Correct/Incorrect, or
- Anything that can be graded by the computer with explicit instruction as to what is correct and incorrect.
Rubric means it can be:
- Short Answer
- Short Phrase/Sentences
- Short Paragraph
- Essay
- Math Grid
- Blank for Math work, or
- Anything that has a specific value where the Teacher needs to evaluate student work, capture student work, and/or enter a value.
Based on how the answer key is set up, your Sheet Designer will provide various ways the answer sheet will support the administration.
You have the ability to change the number of responses on your answer sheet. Click on Change number of responses.

You will be given a dropdown menu with selection choices of 2 thru 9. Click your desired number and press Apply.

The changes will be reflected immediately in your sheet designer.

You can change answer choices for multiple questions at one time.
1. Check the questions to change. Use the Update Selected Questions to enter your new choices.
2. To change the Question Label, check Label. You have three options:
- Put in Front: Enter any alphanumeric character you want to show before the question number.
- Start at: Enter the question number you want to display as the first number of your check marked questions. For example, you may want questions 4-6 to be labeled W1, W2, W3 instead of W4, W5, W6.
- Put After: Enter any alphanumeric character you want to show after the question number.
3. To change the answer choices, check Responses. To use alternate answer choices, check Alternate.
4. Enter your answer choices in the boxes.
5. Click Apply when you are finished. Repeat this process as many times as needed.

The Sheet Designer will show your changes.

By selecting the checkbox for the individual question, you can change individual item settings such as Label and Answer Choices or Characters to be placed in the bubble.

1. Change Question Label. This is how the question number is displayed on the answer sheet. An extra credit/advanced question may be shown as 'Adv.' on the answer sheet. There is a limit of 3 characters in the question label column.
2. If you don't want to use all 5 bubbles available for a question, leave extras blank so that the bubbles will not appear on the sheet.
In this example, 5 is the maximum number of bubbles allowed, but you can add more by clicking Change Number of Responses.
3. Feel free to change characters (e.g. Y and N for Yes/No, T and F for True/False, numbers for rubric-based items, etc.). The characters you include here will appear on the answer sheet just as you type them. Note that only one character is allowed per bubble.
4. If you indicated a rubric-based question on the Questions tab, you will see numbers already inserted for that particular question.
Note: Any rubrics you opt to use and any non-ABCDE answers you opt to use must match your sheet design.
In other words, if you designated an answer other than A-E, you must change your sheet design so that your answer is an option on the sheet. When entering values, note that the system is not case sensitive. When you save your work, all values will become capitalized.
You cannot change the sheet designer for questions on an Itembank assessment.
Based on your answer key, various options may appear.
By default, Multiple Choice questions will be displayed as an A-D, or 4 available answer choices. An example of the generated answer sheet is shown below.

An option within Multiple Choice is also Number Grid, having students bubble in a numeric value using a number grid chart.

If a Number Grid is selected, then you choose how many columns or place values you need for a student to record the answer. In the Answer Key, the points would be filled in with the actual answer such as 24.2 or 134.


Rubric or Constructed Responses
By default, Rubric or Constructed Response questions will be displayed as a rubric with bubble point values. An example of the generated answer sheet is shown below.

Additional Rubric or Constructed Response question types and settings are available based on your need. Options include:

Once selected, you can choose how the background of the items on the answer sheets looks and the space it is:
- Blank Background
- Lined Background
- Gridded Background

Generate or view a blank answer sheet to confirm your assessment goals. You can generate a preview, blank, or pre-slugged answer sheets in Administration > Print Answer Sheets.
Below is a sample of an answer sheet.

Based on your sheet designer preferences, you may need to adjust your assessment's answer key again. For example, if selecting the Number Grid, you will need to enter a numerical value as the answer.
Go update your answer key by selecting Setup > Answer Key.
Next Steps
Ready for administration? Review how to Print Answer Sheets and Reviewing LG Answer Sheets.
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