Are you into any form of teaching (online or in-person) and looking to make some extra money? If yes, becoming an online test grader is one option you must endeavor for sure?
Online test graders are the people who score assessment tests, papers, or essays by the college and high school students and even by professionals.
Several educational institutes hire the services of external agencies to grade or score their students. Some companies even hire test scoring services to score job application tests for those seeking employment.
Because of the increasing demands of test grading opportunities, many companies have popped up in the market that specializes in providing test scoring services to their clients. These companies regularly post openings for online test graders.
You may see these jobs listed with different titles, like online marking jobs, online scoring jobs, or online grading jobs. These are all the equipollent, so don’t get confused with the names.
If you are intrigued about becoming an online test grader, this article avails you of the best companies to apply for jobs. Besides, you will also learn about the requirements and the earning potential of an online test grader.
What Are The Requirements To Be An Online Test Grader?
Depending on the company you work for as an online test grader, the requirements can vary.
Some companies which require checking test answers prefer you to have some teaching background. Others that focus more on editing or proofreading essays and assignments need you to have an excellent command of the language and superb writing skills.
But whatever style of scoring you pick, you will need some fundamental skills, qualities, and tools to be successful as an online test grader.
Professional Requirements
- Most companies will look for a bachelor’s degree in any field.
- Some companies prefer work experience, but that’s not mandatory.
- The companies hiring online test graders usually ask candidates to write and pass the qualifying exams.
- Most jobs will require a few hours of training to understand the processes for grading. The employer may pay you during this period.
- Most companies will also require you to do a minimum amount of work each week. So if you are into any full-time job, you must keep a few hours aside to meet the scoring job deadlines.
Skills And Qualities
- Neutral and impartial approach
- Hard-working
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Well-organized
- Detail-oriented
- Self-motivated
- Can apply scoring guides and rubrics
Tools And Equipment
- A home office setup
- A computer or a laptop with an up-to-date operating system
- High-speed internet connection
- High-quality headphones (for audio instructions from the employer)
10 Places To Find Online Test Grader Jobs
1- ACT Scoring
The American College Test (ACT) is a standardized test taken by high school students to facilitate their entry to various colleges and universities for higher education.
ACT organization administers this exam and thus always looks for online test graders or scorers to evaluate the students’ papers.
To apply as an online test grader, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and have U.S. citizenship.
If selected, the organization pays you $12 – $15 per hour, along with additional incentives for top daily and weekly performers.
After you become a proven performer, you can expect a gradual pay increase. You may even get the opportunity to work directly with ACT, generating material for future tests.
2- SAT Scoring
Like ACT, the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is another standardized test taken by high school students for college and university admissions and to win merit-based grants or scholarships.
It is usually a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by a Board of Colleges.
As an online test grader, you must have a bachelor’s degree, be a US citizen, and have high school teaching experience, especially in English.
The organization also needs your commitment to work at least 20 hours a week. Besides, the scorers are also required to pass their ETS qualifier exams.
The pay range is $15 -$17 per hour, with the opportunity to earn more as you develop proficiency.
3- ETS Scoring
Educational Testing Service hires part-time employees to score test results for various online and offline educational institutions — including SAT, GRE, TOEFL, and PRAXIS scores.
You mostly work on a project basis, and the requirements for each may vary. In most cases, you must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Some tests will require knowledge of a second language, while others may require some prior teaching experience.
Both the selection and the training process are rigorous. If you qualify, the training may last up to two weeks before you take your final certification. You can start working immediately upon completion of training if there are available projects.
Though you are flexible to set your schedule, you must commit to a specific number of hours each week.
The company pays you twice-weekly that ranges from $10 to $20 an hour.
4- Measurement Inc.
Measurement Inc. is a popular name among online test graders.
The company claims to be the leading provider of educational assessment services, such as scoring essays and developing unique testing methodologies for government agencies and other educational institutions.
They post regular openings for online test scorers in English, arts, mathematics, science, and other subjects.
To qualify, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The company hires you as a temporary staff member.
After you undergo a paid training, the company assigns you the work based on projects. Each project may last 2-5 weeks.
You can expect the busiest months from March to June each year. During the period, they expect you to work Monday through Friday.
They pay you $11 – $12 per hour through PayPal or direct deposit.
5- Pearson
Pearson has been around for 50+ years and is one of the most well-known companies providing testing, scoring, and assessment services to all the major educational institutes across the US.
To work for the company, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and have prior teaching experience. The company mostly hires from January to June.
If selected, you will work as temporary staff and need to devote at least 30 hours per week to the job during the peak season.
Besides the paid training, the company pays you $12 -$14 per hour with the potential to earn bonuses for speed and accuracy.
Health insurance is one of the biggest perks that Pearson gives to its employees. Even if you are temporary staff, you and your family members get health insurance coverage.
6- WriteScore
WriteScore is a well-known company that works with schools and other learning institutions to provide learning solutions and scoring services.
As an online test grader, you will primarily evaluate students’ assignments from elementary, middle, and high school.
To apply, you must have at least a two-year college degree in any field. Some positions may also require a teaching experience.
If shortlisted, you must take qualifying tests. Once you pass, you undergo a paid training. After successful completion of the recruiting process, you can begin scoring.
The company mostly hires from July to August but accepts applications all year round.
Your proficiency and accuracy are the deciding factors of how much more you can earn working with this company. The range goes from $10 – $15 per hour.
7- Creative English Solutions
Creative English Solutions, or CES, provides evaluations for students who take the TOEFL and TOEIC exams.
To apply, you must be a native English speaker and possess a University degree.
If selected, the company asks for a commitment of at least 10 hours per week. However, the work is flexible as you are free to pick the assignments based on your availability.
Besides hiring online test graders, CES also hires freelance writers and voice actors.
8- ALTA Language Services
ALTA Language Services occasionally post online test scoring jobs and hires for part-time positions.
You must be proficient in English or any other native language. A minimum English proficiency level of a 2+/2+ on the ILR proficiency scale is what the company looks for. Besides, you must also possess a University degree.
As with most companies, you must undergo a paid training before taking any scoring assignments.
9- Data Recognition Corporation
Data Recognition Corporation is a company that provides scoring and other learning services to educational institutions.
The company occasionally looks for temporary test scorers. To apply, you must have a bachelor’s degree and commit at least 35 hours of work per week.
Although the position is remote, the company may require you to attend an onboarding and training program at a physical site near your home.
The positions pay $14 – $17 per hour.
10- Literably
Working as a Literably test grader is like working as a transcriber. The reason is, the company primarily works with K-8 students to evaluate their reading comprehension and ability.
As an online scorer, you listen to audio recordings of students, transcribe them, spot any errors, and finally grade them.
Though the company doesn’t look for any experience or degrees, having a transcription background does help perform the work efficiently.
The work is flexible, and you can set your hours. However, most of the scoring opportunities come between 8 am and 4 pm when school is in session.
The average pay ranges from $10 – $15 per hour. If you are a skilled transcriber, the earning potential can be much higher. The company pays you through PayPal.
How Much Money Do You Make As An Online Test Grader?
As you can discern from the above listing, most test scoring companies pay between $10 and $20 per hour, depending on the project. I have also seen a few professional scorers earning as high as $30 per hour in the peak season.
Though the pay is on the lower side, the significant thing is the job is flexible. You can make your schedule and choose how much you want to work.
Not to forget, most online test grading jobs are not open throughout the year. So, these are seasonal.
Most companies hire in the fall and spring, as this is when most standardized testing gets done. With that said, never restrict yourself to check for openings in the off-season as well.
The glorious thing is that once you are on the panel of a few companies, they perpetually invite you back year after year, provided you do an excellent job and meet the workload requisites as an online test grader.
Its Time To Start As An Online Test Grader
You may consider the earning potential as an online test grader may be on the lower side. But don’t forget this just a side income. It can never supersede your full-time job.
So, unless you get fortuitous to hitch a full-time, year-round position, being an online test grader probably won’t be a paramount source of income.
The above companies on the list will help to prehend the best online scoring jobs in the industry. If you are not lucky with any of these, you can check out FlexJobs.
It is a paid membership site with tons of legit jobs from reputable companies. You can go here and see what test scoring openings FlexJobs currently has.
Besides, Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are other places to find tons of jobs in grading, teaching, and education that you can do from home.
That’s it from me. Now, it’s your turn to try these ways to get paid as an online test grader and share your feedback comments.
If you have questions, please feel free to reach out. I am glad to answer your queries!
Best of luck!
