Paper-based sessions
TAO Portal supports a hybrid assessment model that bridges traditional paper testing and digital assessment workflows. Paper-based sessions allow test-takers to write responses on printed paper while maintaining digital delivery and scoring in TAO.
Paper sessions are not enabled by default. If you are interested in enabling this feature, please contact your Account Manager.
How it works
In this model, TAO generates PDF booklets of response sheets that are printed, completed by hand, scanned, and uploaded back into the system for scoring:
Test-takers view test content (questions, passages) in TAO
Essay responses are written on printed response sheets
Each sheet contains a QR code to link responses to the correct test-taker and item
Completed sheets are scanned and uploaded
Responses appear in TAO for scoring using standard workflows
Hybrid delivery
A single test can include:
Paper-based responses (essay items)
Digital responses (e.g., multiple choice)
Only eligible essay items generate printed response sheets.
Limitations
Only items with one Extended Text interaction in Plain Text mode will generate a response sheet in the booklet. For more information, see Creating content for a paper-based session.
Item content is not included in the response sheets
PDF limits:
Max 100 test-takers
Max 400 pages per session
Paper-based user roles (Booklet Publisher, Scan Uploader) and session setup is CSV-only. For more information, see:
QR code damage can prevent automatic matching and requires manual correction. For more information, see Delivering paper-based sessions.