What is so special about #2 pencils for the use on scantrons?

Question

Why can't you use any other type of pencil or even a pen in that matter? Art pencils are made from the same thing and yet you can't use them on scantrons because the scantron machine can't read it.

Answer 1

its darker so the scanner will not misinterpret it furthermore most pencil are genereally #2 making sure your using a pencil provided by the school not some art or drawing sketch pencil

Answer 2

My guess is that harder-than-#2 pencils produce too light of a mark to be clearly visible, and that softer pencils smudge easily and may confuse the scantron machine. Ditto for pen ink, and add in the fact that you can't really erase it if you want to change your answer. Those are educated guesses, but they might help answer your question. Oh, and by the way, with the art pencils- an HB pencil and a #2 pencil are exactly the same. Some pencils even have both labelings on them- take a look sometime. :o)

Answer 3

Scantrons work by running two closely-spaces but separate wires along the columns of dots, and the graphite in soft pencil lead acts to complete a circuit, thereby registering on the machine. A lighter mark from a harder pencil won't have enough graphite and of course there is no graphite in ink.

Answer 4

#2 pencils have a high amount of Graphite which is detectable by the scan-tron. Art pencils and hard pencils do not contain as much or any graphite. Graphite is the Grey substance that smears when you use a pencil and is also an electric conducive lubricant

Answer 5

Because the hardness of the graphite makes for the correct density of writing so the machine can read the little circles that we fill out on the standardized testing answer sheets.

Answer 6

almost all pencils and led pencils are # two