A clearer photo makes checking easier.

Set the sheet on a flat surface

Smooth out gentle bends without altering your answers. Place the entire sheet on a plain, contrasting surface so the page edges are easy to distinguish. Keep fingers, clips and other objects outside the answer area.

Use even light and a straight camera angle

Move to bright, diffuse light. Check that your hand or phone is not casting a shadow across the bubbles and that no bright reflection hides the marks. Hold the phone parallel to the page, directly above it, rather than photographing from the side.

Include all four edges and focus on the marks

Leave a little background visible around every edge. Tap the sheet on your phone screen to focus, hold still, and inspect the image before uploading. You should be able to zoom in and distinguish filled bubbles from printed outlines.

• Good: the complete page, sharp bubbles and consistent lighting.
• Retake: any missing corner, cut-off rows or obscured marks.
• Retake: glare, strong shadows, motion blur or a very small page in the frame.

Upload the original image

Choose the camera's original photo when possible. Screenshots, heavy filters and compressed copies can remove detail. Do not redraw or darken faint answers for the purpose of getting a preferred result. A mark that is unclear in the carbon copy should be reviewed as uncertain.

Check the photo after upload

Confirm the orientation and answer-grid alignment. If the reader asks for another photo, address the stated problem before trying again. Open uncertain questions and compare their enlarged image crops with the sheet you have in front of you.

See how checking works