The significance of these index points can be understood by the fact that they are the critical parameters that determine the accuracy of evaluation of the sheets and processing of results. For beginners, it is imperative to ensure that the index points are printed in solid black color and that there is no dust or crease line over these points. Never place any text or OMR blocks very close to the index points, or the software will be prone to misread the data present in the sheets and most likely will result in sheet rejections.

If you are editing the layout of any existing or exported OMR sheet template, remember to never move or alter the position of the index points. Generally, you can use any inkjet or a laser printer, or even take photocopies of an OMR sheet print, but nevertheless you must ensure that the index points are printed properly. Hazy prints will become even feebler when you pass them through the image scanner, and will ultimately cause problems while you’re reading the scans using the OMR software. Similarly, patchy prints will also go unnoticed and will cause rejections.

It is always a good practice to discard improperly printed OMR sheets, especially if you notice any stray ink marks or misprints on or around the index points. Though the OMR software has built-in auto-aligner facility and is loaded with all the necessary bug fixes, the software won’t be able to read misprinted OMR sheets.