Upload-based marking only works when the camera tells the truth. A smudged photo of strong maths can look like blank space — and you get feedback on a ghost.

The goal: examiner-readable, not Instagram-ready

You need:

Sharp text at readable size
Full question working in frame — not just the final line
Even lighting without harsh shadows across the page

Setup in 30 seconds

Flat surface — desk, not lap
Phone directly above — not angled from the side (perspective skews fractions)
Daylight or two lamps from left and right — reduces centre shadow
Fill the frame with the page — crop later if needed

Common failures

Problem	Fix
Grey blur	Tap to focus; wipe lens; more light
Glare on ink	Tilt slightly; diffuse lamp with paper
Cut-off working	Take two photos if needed — label Q2a / Q2b
Pencil too faint	Press harder or trace key lines in pen before photo

Multi-page questions

For long maths or essay spills:

One photo per logical block
Small corner label on paper: Q5 cont.
Keep order in upload sequence

Privacy

Crop out names, school headers, or desk clutter if you share files. MarkScheme stores uploads for your account — treat photos like schoolwork you would not post publicly.

Why this matters for AI marking

OCR and marking models read pixels. Clear photos improve:

Detection of crossed-out working (important for method marks)
Separation of diagrams from text
Line-by-line examiner-style notes

Once the photo is clean, mark your answer against the real session mark scheme — the bottleneck is usually capture quality, not the syllabus.

Quick checklist before upload

In focus at 100% zoom
Page straight, not trapezoid
Question number visible somewhere
No finger covering lines

Takeaway

Your handwriting already did the hard work. Spend ten seconds on capture so marking sees what you wrote — not what a blurry JPEG guessed.