Esscore: An OCR-Based Android App for Scoring Short Handwritten Answer Using Levenshtein Distance

Abstract

Manual evaluation of short answer tests is time-consuming and prone to subjectivity. This study presents Esscore, an Android-based application that automates the scoring of handwritten short answers using EasyOCR and the Levenshtein Distance algorithm. EasyOCR extracts text from student answers image, while Levenshtein Distance measures similarity against predefined answer keys, allowing tolerance for varied correct responses. The system was tested on 350 student’s handwritten answers, achieving 95.7% accuracy. Functional testing using 14 black box scenarios showed all features operated correctly without failure. A usability test conducted with the SUS method produced a score of 76.5, rated “Good” with a grade “B” and an “Acceptable” acceptance level. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) placed the application in the “Passive” category. These results confirm Esscore as a functional, accurate, and user-friendly solution for automated answer scoring in educational environments.