Abstract: A system for processing a plurality of response forms containing subsets of questions from an entire set of question is disclosed. This system includes an optical scanner for creating an optical image of the response form. The optical image is stored in an image file within a storage means by a processor. The form contained in the optical image is identified by comparing vertical and horizontal histograms of the image within the image file to vertical and horizontal histograms of prototype form images in a prototype library using the processor and a form recognition engine. Data is extracted from the form based on a comparison of response zones on the image to a library of sets of response prototypes describing completed and uncompleted responses. The closest response zone match using the histogram technique to describe the response zone and the samples becomes the data, yes or no; that is reported.