Personalized examinations in large on-campus classes

For the past decade we have used examinations that differed for each student: In algorithmic problems the numerical values vary; for conceptual problems a wide set of choices tests the same concept and the order in which the concepts are presented differs. Grading of such examinations has evolved to become highly automated so that the time and effort required is considerably reduced. The preparation of examination materials in a form suitable for optical scanning in a bubble sheet format has also evolved and is now at the stage where a large number of question types are automatically formatted. These advances have facilitated the use of quizzes to promote attendance and transform examinations to become both formative and summative assessment engines. The current formatting is such that online examinations are also facilitated.