Abstract: An examination answer sheet, on which the examinee has darkened certain discrete areas with a graphite or lead pencil to denote his selected answers to multiple choice questions, is moved relative to a plurality of photoelectric cells, these cells providing analog voltages having magnitudes in accordance with the opacity of the marks or data on the sheet. During time intervals derived photoelectrically from a sequence of marks constituting a timing track, the highest voltages provided by the data cells are individually stored, later digitized, and the digital information forwarded to a computer for comparative processing with answer information contained in the computer's memory.