Educational institutions at all levels that administer standardized tests rely on testing companies that hire graders to evaluate student proficiency. The position may be project-based and seasonal but intense for those who qualify. Graders often need a Bachelor’s or master’s degree to be considered.
Did you know that you can make extra money grading tests online? If you have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, you may be eligible to work online grading jobs remotely! Keep reading to learn more about what online test graders do, the credentials needed, and more!
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What Is A Test Grader?
A test grader is an individual who reads and scores papers, essays, or tests. Test graders are provided with a standard process for evaluating papers, essays, or tests.
Many states have proficiency tests to measure students at various grade levels and prior to graduation. The concentration of work is highest during the academic year for February through April for primary and secondary testing, but other testing work may go year-round.
Some testing companies have physical locations where graders do their work in person, but most utilize online scorers too.
What Does An Online Grader Do?
An online grader reads and scores papers, essays, or tests. Online test graders are supplied with scoring guidelines for papers, essays, or tests.
Online graders work from home and grade papers, essays, and tests online. Being an online grader is a great remote position that offers a lot of flexibility. Typically you can work on your own schedule from anywhere you have an internet connection.
What Kind Of Papers Can You Grade Online?
There are a wide variety of papers that you can grade online! There is more of a demand for college-level paper grading, but there is also work across all levels from K-8 and even for high school students. You can expect to grade English, mathematics, science papers, and more.
What Credentials Do You Need?
To work as an online grader, you do need to have certain credentials. Please remember that these credentials may vary depending on your company.
- Most companies require you to have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or more
- Many roles are seasonal as some tests they grade are given during the school year
- Some companies require you to take a test before they hire you
How Do I Become An Online Grader?
To become an online grader, you need to find a company you’d like to work for and complete the application process. If the company you would like to work for does not have any openings, it may be helpful to set up a job alert that will notify you when they are hiring again.
Some companies will require you to take a test before hiring you. You also may be required to complete paid training and prove your level of education.
Major testing companies offer positions, but many colleges and universities have openings for online graders and tutoring jobs as well,
What Is The Average Salary For Grading Papers Online?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average monthly salary for an at-home test scorer is $4,654, which breaks down to $27 per hour. The pay rate varies by company. At Pearson, for example, the average rate for scorers is around $15 per hour.
How many papers can you grade in an hour? This will largely depend on the type of papers you are grading and how long they are. For example, if you are evaluating a K-8 essay, that will likely take much less time than grading a college-level essay. Most companies have performance expectations.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Grading Papers Online?
Just like any job, there are some disadvantages to grading papers online. Here are some disadvantages to consider before accepting an online scoring job:
- Grading papers can be repetitive
- Some companies require Monday-Friday work without flexible schedule options and may encourage you to work more hours during their busy seasons
- You have to rely on your internet connection and technology
- Grading papers online requires a lot of computer and screen time which can be hard on your eyes
- Remote jobs can be lonely and isolating
Is It Easy To Grade Papers Online?
It is relatively easy to grade papers online. The work isn’t too complicated if you follow directions and grade papers following a rubric.
If you have difficulty adjusting to grading papers online, you may consider asking the company you work with for mentoring. You could learn from an online grader who has worked with the company for many years.
What Are Some Of The Best Sites For Grading Papers Online?
Now that you understand an online grader’s requirements and job duties, you may wonder where to find online grading jobs or scoring opportunities. Here are some of the best sites to explore.
NCS Pearson Testing
Pearson Testing is the largest scorer of standardized tests and grades tests from 40 million students in 15 states, in addition to grading other professional and ESL (English as a Second Language) tests.
Applicants may need a 4-year degree and must pass an online test for basic scoring positions but may need teaching experience for other jobs.
FlexJobs
FlexJobs is a site that is dedicated to flexible remote work. There are many work opportunities available on FlexJobs, as the site is more than just an online grading job site.
If you are hunting for the perfect work-at-home online grading job, FlexJobs is a great site to get started with. FlexJobs does require jobseekers to pay to use their site. You can get access to FlexJobs for a week starting at $9.95.
Literably
Literably is a K-8 reading assessment site that helps identify reading levels and monitors progress for students.
As a Literably scorer, you can help teachers and students, work from anywhere and make your own schedule without experience! According to their website, Literably scorers can make $10+ per hour and get paid weekly.
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers 50 million tests across 180 countries each year, including the GRE, the Praxis Series, TOEIC, and TOEFL.
Successful applicants may need a 4-year degree or more, teaching experience, and certification courses offered by the company.
WriteScore
WriteScore has scoring seasons, with orientation from late July through early August. As a scorer, you will read and score student responses.
WriteScore requires scorers to have a 2-year degree and pass a test to join their team. During the orientation phase, WriteScore will teach you to analyze student papers and learn their test scoring system.
Measurement, Inc.
Measurement, Inc is a popular website for online grading jobs. To work for Measurement, Inc., you need a bachelor’s degree.
This company requires regular Monday through Friday work hours. Readers/evaluators are hired on a temporary, project-by-project basis. Typically their busiest season is March-June. Online test scorers for Measurement, Inc. can expect to evaluate English, mathematics, science, and possibly additional subjects as well.
ACT Online Scoring
The American College Test (ACT) hires remote readers to grade papers for the ACT Writing Test. ACT offers a very flexible schedule allowing you to read and score essays anytime that works for your schedule.
According to their website, compensation is performance-based, and scorers can make $12 or more per hour.
ACT requires applicants to have the following:
- A bachelor’s degree or higher
- Current teaching experience (preferred)
- Experience teaching high school English to juniors and seniors (preferred)
- U.S. citizenship, resident alien status, or authorized to work in the U.S.
- Reside in the U.S.
Literably
Literably is a K-8 reading assessment site that helps identify reading levels and monitors progress for students.
As a Literably scorer, you can help teachers and students, work from anywhere and make your own schedule without experience! According to their website, Literably scorers can make $10+ per hour and get paid weekly.
Online grading jobs offer many work-from-home job options. If online test grading isn’t what you’re looking for, you may consider a similar line of work, like online tutoring or online teaching.
