Scan a Paper Scoresheet and Fill Judge Scores With AI

Many judges still score on paper, and someone has to type those marks into the computer later. eTalenter now does the typing for you. On the Judge Scoring page there is a Scan Scoresheet camera button. Take a photo of the filled paper sheet, and AI reads the candidates, the criteria scores and the totals. You check the rows, press Fill Scores, and the marks are saved exactly as if the judge had typed them.

Who this helps

• Coordinators who collect paper sheets from judges at the end of a session and need the scores in the system quickly.
• Judges who prefer a pen. They score on paper as usual, and the sheet is scanned afterwards.
• Events with poor internet in the hall. Judges write on paper; the scanning is done later, where there is a connection.

How to scan a sheet

1. Open Judging & Scoring → Judge Scoring. Choose the competition. If you are a coordinator, choose the judge whose sheet you have.
2. Press Scan Scoresheet at the top of the page. A pop-up opens.
3. Press Upload and add a photo of the sheet. On a phone you can take the photo straight away or pick one from the gallery. A PDF also works.
4. Press Read Scoresheet. AI reads every row on the sheet. This takes a few seconds.
5. Check each row (see the next section), then press Fill Scores.

Check the rows before you fill

Handwriting can be hard to read, so nothing is saved until you press Fill Scores. The pop-up shows one card for each candidate row that AI found on the sheet.

1. Your photo. The uploaded sheet stays visible, so you can compare it with the rows below. Press Read Again if you add a clearer photo.
2. The candidate. eTalenter matches each row to a candidate by the chest or ID number first, then by name. If it cannot find one, the card has a red border. Pick the right candidate from the list.
3. Absent. A row marked absent on the sheet (for example “AB”) is ticked as Absent. Untick it if that is wrong.
4. Criteria scores and total. Every score can be corrected. The total follows the same rule as normal scoring: the sum of the criteria when each criterion has its own maximum, otherwise the average. If the competition has no criteria, you check one total.
5. Fill Scores. Saves all ticked rows. Untick a row to leave it out.

After you fill

Each card shows Filled or Failed with the reason, so you can fix a failed row and press Fill Scores again. Close the pop-up and the candidate list shows the new scores. Absent candidates are marked with an X.

On a phone

The pop-up is built for a phone screen. The cards stack one under the other and the buttons are large, so a coordinator can scan sheets standing at the judges’ table.

Tips for a good scan

• One row per candidate, one column per criterion. This layout reads best. eTalenter’s printed score sheet has a Criteria as Columns option that gives exactly this.
• Write the chest or ID number on every row. It is the most reliable way to match a row to the right candidate.
• Photograph the sheet flat, in good light, with the whole table in the picture.
• Write clear digits. Check 1, 7 and 4, and numbers with decimals, more carefully in the review.
• Write AB or Absent for a candidate who did not come.

What it does not do

• It never saves by itself. Nothing changes until you press Fill Scores.
• It handles one judge’s sheet at a time. Scan each judge’s sheet separately.
• It does not mark the judge as finished. Use Mark As Finished when all scores are in.
• It does not change the criteria. The columns are read against the criteria already set up for the competition.
• It is not available on locked competitions, or for read-only users.
• A candidate who already has a score gets the new score instead. The card shows the old score so you can see this before you fill.
• A total of zero is rejected, unless the competition allows zero scores. An absent candidate who already has a score is not changed.

Questions organisers ask

Is the AI always right?

No. Handwriting varies, so always read through the rows before filling. That is why the review step is there.

Can I scan a sheet for a judge who is not me?

Yes, if you are a coordinator. Choose the judge first, and the scores are saved under that judge. A judge can scan their own sheet for their own scoring.

Does my sheet need to look like the eTalenter printed sheet?

No. Any sheet with one row per candidate and the scores written clearly can work. The eTalenter sheet is the easiest, because its columns match your criteria.

Running your event on eTalenter? Open a live demo and log in as a demo coordinator (no sign-up, read-only), WhatsApp us, or email support@etalenter.com for help with the software.