> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gradingpal.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# A scan or handout was not read

> It says it couldn't read my document, or found no questions in it.

export const updated_0 = "19 September 2026"

export const page_0 = "/teachers/fix/scans-and-handwriting"

Two different things can be unreadable: the **handout** you upload at setup, and a **student's file**. The message tells you which.

## Check these first

1. Open the file yourself. If you can't read it easily, the AI can't either.
2. A text PDF beats a photo. If the file came from a phone camera, scan it instead, or photograph it flat in good light.

## At setup: the handout

| What you see                                                                                                   | What it usually means                                                                                                   | What to do                                                                                         |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **No questions found**: "We read your handout but couldn't pull any questions out of it."                      | The file is readable but has no question structure the AI recognised: a photo of a page, a blank page, or a cover sheet | Select **Try a different file** and upload a text PDF of the questions                             |
| **We couldn't read this document**: "This can happen with scanned, photographed, or password-protected files." | The file itself couldn't be opened                                                                                      | Remove any password, re-export as PDF, then **Try again**                                          |
| The questions came out, but wrong                                                                              | The document is messy and the AI misread it                                                                             | Don't re-upload. Edit the questions on the **Questions** step: fix wording, merge, split, renumber |

## After upload: a student's file

| What you see                                  | What it usually means                               | What to do                                                                                       |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Can't grade** with "Couldn't read the file" | Corrupted, password-protected, or an unusual format | **Replace file** on the row with a clean PDF, or **Ask to resubmit** for a student's own turn-in |
| Graded, but the score is odd on a scan        | The AI read the wrong page, or misread handwriting  | Open it. On question-based work, fix the pages with **Assign pages**, then regrade that question |
| A warning icon on a grammar finding           | The AI may have misread the handwriting             | Check it against the page and dismiss it if wrong                                                |

## Handwritten work

Handwriting grades well when it's legible to you at a glance and scanned flat. Pencil on lined paper is harder than pen on white. Encourage students to write the question number beside each answer; page matching depends on it. Presentations and artwork skip handwriting detection altogether.

## Still need help?

Open the **Support** tab on the edge of any GradingPal screen, or email [support@gradingpal.com](mailto:support@gradingpal.com). To get a fast answer, include:

* the class name and the assignment name
* roughly when it happened
* what you saw on screen, or the exact message

Students don't have support chat. If you're a student, ask your teacher.

## Related tasks

* [Review questions and answer keys](/teachers/create/questions-and-answer-keys)
* [A file will not upload](/teachers/fix/upload-problems)
* [Create a quiz or exam](/teachers/create/quiz-exam)

<hr />

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