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# How do I scan test sheets with my webcam?

You can scan a whole class of finished test sheets in one sitting using the camera built into your laptop or a USB webcam. Have the completed sheets in a pile beside you before you start.

**1. Start a scanning session**

On the Tests page, click "Scan Tests" on the level you assessed. Your browser will ask for permission to use the camera the first time. The live camera view opens with a message telling you what to do next.

![Capture screen waiting for a page](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/e/d/7/8ed7ad498096b000/scan-05-capture-idle_gga932.png =792x446)

**2. Hold up each sheet**

Hold the first sheet flat, facing the camera, with the whole page inside the frame. Hold it by the left and right edges so your hands do not cover the top or bottom of the page. ALTR draws an outline around the page as it finds it. Keep still for a moment and the screen flashes "Page captured". Put that sheet down and hold up the next one. You do not need to click anything between pages.

The message above the camera view guides you:

* "Fit the whole page inside the frame": move the sheet back or centre it.
* "Hold steady to focus" and "Hold still...": ALTR is about to capture.
* "Too much light behind the page - face the window or lamp instead": turn so the light is in front of you, not behind.
* "Background is as bright as the page - try a darker backdrop": a white wall directly behind the page makes it hard to see the page edges.
* "Remove page and hold up next": the capture is done.

![A page detected by the camera with its outline](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/e/d/7/8ed7ad498096b000/scan-06-capture-outline_y2enzb.png =792x446)

**3. Watch the 'Last scan' panel**

Each captured page appears in the "Last scan" panel within a few seconds, showing the student's name and their score so far. If a page came out badly, click "Discard" and scan it again. The counter above the panel shows how many pages have been scanned and how many are still processing.

**4. Finish**

When the pile is done, click "Finished". If ALTR needs your help with any page, it asks you now; otherwise you go straight to the summary. See [How do I review and submit scanned results?](https://support.altr.com.au/en-au/article/how-do-i-review-and-submit-scanned-results-1ngaiqm/) for the next part.

**Tips**

* Pen and darker pencil scan fastest. Very faint pencil can take longer to capture.
* Keep the sheet flat. Curled or folded pages are harder to read.
* If your laptop camera struggles, click "Scan from phone" to continue with your phone camera in the same session.
* "Pause scanning" stops the camera without ending the session, handy if you are interrupted.

If your school photocopier scans to PDF, feed the pile through it and click "Upload scanned PDF" instead of using a camera. See [How do I upload test sheets I scanned on a photocopier or scanner?](https://support.altr.com.au/en-au/article/how-do-i-upload-test-sheets-i-scanned-on-a-photocopier-or-scanner-1jkep96/).

**Recommended reading:** [How do I scan test sheets from my phone?](https://support.altr.com.au/en-au/article/how-do-i-scan-test-sheets-from-my-phone-1jtpbfc/) / [The camera will not capture my page: what should I try?](https://support.altr.com.au/en-au/article/the-camera-will-not-capture-my-page-what-should-i-try-dsjagx/)