---
name: formread
description: Set up and read paper forms, bubble sheets, surveys and exams with FormRead (OMR, OCR, barcodes, AI-read handwriting), grade them, run online tests and take class attendance through FormRead's MCP server, and answer questions about FormRead's features and pricing.
---

# FormRead

FormRead turns scanned or photographed paper forms into data. A form (template) is designed once in the web editor at https://formread.org/app; each filled sheet is then read against it and comes back as JSON answers.

## When to use

- The user wants to grade multiple-choice exams, tally paper surveys or extract data from printed forms.
- The user asks what FormRead does, what it costs, or how it compares to Scantron-style hardware.

## Product questions (no account)

Read https://formread.org/llms.txt. Any page also returns Markdown when requested with `Accept: text/markdown`.

## Using the MCP server (any paid plan)

Connect to https://formread.org/mcp (OAuth: the user signs in and approves; or a personal API token, see https://formread.org/auth.md) and call `formread_guide` first. It covers:

1. Uploading files: `curl -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" -F file=@sheet.png https://formread.org/mcp/uploads` returns an `upload_id` to pass to tools.
2. Setting up a form: `create_form`, `set_template` (returns the straightened sheet with a grid), `add_area` for each block of bubbles or text field, `show_form` and `test_read` (images of what FormRead detected and read), `update_form_settings`, `set_answer_key`.
3. Reading at scale: `create_reading`, `add_reading_sheets`, `start_reading`, `get_reading_results`, `get_reading_stats`, `export_reading`.
4. Online tests (`create_test`, `publish_test`, `get_test_results`, …) and class attendance (`create_class`, `mark_attendance`, `get_attendance_report`, …).

The REST equivalent for reading sheets is in https://formread.org/openapi.json (`POST /api/forms/{id}/process`, Enterprise).

## Notes

- Forms can be designed through MCP as above, or by the user in the editor at https://formread.org/app; printable sheets come from https://formread.org/answer-sheet-generator.
- Images should show the whole sheet including its corner anchors; phone photos are fine.