Two versions of a test (A and B): stop students copying from their neighbours
Why two test versions reduce copying, how to seat a class for A and B, and how Grade AI prints, scans and grades both versions without extra work.
In short: If neighbours write different versions of a test, looking at the next desk stops paying off. Grade AI prints version A and version B, and you decide who writes which. With AI, version B gets its own questions on the same material. The QR code on each sheet tells the scanner which version it is, so both are graded against the right answer key automatically.
Why two versions work
Copying in a test is mostly opportunistic: a quick look at the neighbour's paper when unsure. If the neighbour has different questions, or the same topic asked differently, the look is useless. Two versions do not stop a determined cheater, but they remove the easy option for everyone else, and students know it.
Two kinds of version B
- Different questions on the same material. The strongest option: a neighbour's answer to question 4 tells you nothing about your question 4. In Grade AI this is what the AI does when it drafts version B.
- Your own version B. If you write the questions yourself, you write B yourself too. You can start from a copy of version A and change the questions, the numbers or the answers.
How to seat the class
- In rows, alternate A and B across each row, so the person on your left and right has the other version.
- With pairs at shared desks, give each pair one A and one B.
- In a horseshoe or groups, make sure nobody faces someone with the same version at close range.
In Grade AI you choose who writes A and who writes B before printing, so the sheets come out with the right name and version on each.
Grading two versions without extra work
The usual cost of two versions is marking: two answer keys, and checking which key belongs to which sheet. With scanning, that disappears:
- Each sheet has a QR code with the student and the version.
- When you scan, the app reads the version from the QR code and uses the right answer key.
- The grades of both versions land in the same test, on the same grading scale.
You can scan A and B sheets mixed together, in any order.
Fairness between versions
Two versions should be equally hard. A few checks before printing:
- Same number of questions, on the same topics, in a similar order.
- Similar difficulty question by question: if A asks for a definition, B should not ask for a calculation.
- When the AI drafts version B, read both versions side by side and adjust anything that is clearly harder or easier.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have more than two versions?
No. Grade AI has two versions, A and B.
Does every student get the same version by default?
You decide. A test can have one version for everyone, or two, with you choosing who writes A and who writes B.
Can I mix A and B sheets when scanning?
Yes. The QR code on each sheet says which version it is, and the app grades it against the right key.
Try it on your next test.
Set up a class, print the sheets, see how long it takes. Scanning happens on the phone. Building and printing work in the browser too.