Alternative to AMC (Auto Multiple Choice): The Ultimate Comparison for Paper MCQs

In short: AMC is free and ultra-flexible for LaTeX experts but requires hours of configuration. Papeez is a paid solution (€5/month) but is operational in 10 minutes, featuring AI import, smartphone scanning, multi-teacher collaboration, and discordance-based scoring. If you work alone, are a LaTeX expert, use Linux, and have plenty of time: AMC. If you want a solution your entire team can adopt immediately: Papeez.

Summary: Which MCQ grading solution should you choose?

Criteria	AMC (Auto Multiple Choice)	Papeez (Alternative)
Technical requirements	Linux + LaTeX proficiency	Web browser (Zero installation)
Learning curve	3 to 5 hours	Less than 10 minutes
Paper scanning	Traditional scanner + manual calibration	Scanner or Smartphone camera
Sustainability (Bus Factor)	Relies on the department’s LaTeX expert	Accessible to all teachers

AMC: powerful, but how much time do you have?

AMC (Auto Multiple Choice) has provided immense service to the French university community. It is free software (GPLv2+), developed by Alexis Bienvenüe, which allowed hundreds of institutions to transition to automatic grading long before modern alternatives existed. It runs on Linux (and Mac with adjustments via MacPorts or Homebrew). On Windows, it requires a virtual machine or WSL2, which significantly complicates installation.

MCQs are written in LaTeX or AMC-TXT syntax (a simplified text format built into AMC). This is AMC’s greatest strength for science teachers: complex mathematical formulas, TikZ diagrams, and full control over the layout.

Question shuffling (randomization) is highly advanced: shuffling of questions and answers with multiple modes (fixed, cyclic, shuffled), individualized random drawing from a question group, and generation of numerical questions with random statements using variables. Each copy can be truly unique.

Highly advanced grading scales, but demanding syntax

The grading scales offered by AMC are the most flexible on the market. The system relies on a specific AMC syntax with directives (b, m, e, v, d, p, P, haut, mz, MAX…) and automatic variables (N, NB, NBC, NM, NMC…). The formula directive allows writing complex formulas like formula="max(0,NBC-NMC)" with arithmetic operators, conditional tests, and functions (max, min, int). You can define a grading scale per question, per answer, or a default grading scale for all simple/multiple questions.

This is technically the most flexible grading system on the market. But everything is expressed in textual syntax, which requires understanding AMC directives, variables, and formula logic. For most teachers, this complexity is a hurdle.

Reading copies: a technical process

Scanning copies in AMC is a multi-step process. First, you must calculate the “layouts” (analyzing the calibration document to detect box positions), then import the scans, and then manually verify the diagnosis of each page. The AMC documentation itself states: “AMC has no image processing function”. If the calibration marks (the four black circles) are not well detected, you must open the files in an external image editor to redraw the marks, then relaunch the analysis.

Verification of recognized boxes is done by drag-and-drop or clicking in the interface, page by page. It is functional but time-consuming as soon as you exceed a few dozen copies.

A single-station, single-user tool

AMC is installed on a Linux machine. Project files (LaTeX source, scans, grading scales, grades) are stored locally in a project directory. There is no cloud synchronization, no native sharing, no collaborative work.

In practice, this means that if two teachers want to work on the same exam, files must be copied manually (USB drive, network share, email). If the teacher wants to consult the results from another station or from their phone, it is impossible. And if the machine’s hard drive fails, everything is lost: subjects, scans, grades, grading scales. No automatic backup is provided.

Communication with students: SMTP configuration required

AMC allows sending annotated copies by email, but this requires configuring an SMTP server in the preferences (Preferences > Email > Sending emails). For Gmail, you must enable two-step verification and create a specific application password. It is not plug-and-play.

Strengths: free, open source, native LaTeX formulas (including TikZ), AMC-TXT syntax for non-LaTeX users, highly advanced question shuffling (randomization) and random drawing (fixed/cyclic/shuffled modes), very advanced formula-based grading scales, a posteriori correction (modify correct answers after the exam), pre-filled copies, competency-based assessment (via YAML file), no cloud dependency, active community.

Limitations: requires Linux (or VM/WSL2 on Windows, MacPorts/Homebrew on Mac), steep learning curve (expect several hours before the first operational MCQ, the manual is 120 pages long), no web interface, single-station and single-user (no collaboration, no multi-device access), no automatic backup (local data only), no smartphone scan, box detection sometimes approximate requiring manual verification, no built-in image processing function (external editor required to correct calibration marks), statistics limited to CSV/ODS exports (no built-in dashboards or charts), sending emails requires manual SMTP configuration, competencies require additional Perl packages and a configuration YAML file, community support only, no discordance-based grading scales, no AI features.

The risk of dependency on expertise

AMC is a tremendous tool in the hands of an expert. But this expertise has an organizational cost that is often underestimated.

We have supported several institutions in the same situation: a passionate teacher had centralized all paper MCQ management with AMC. For years, he had perfected his LaTeX templates, scanning workflows, and grading scales. Everything worked perfectly. Then, as retirement approached, the question arose: who takes over? None of his colleagues mastered LaTeX. Training the team would have taken months. The institution was left with a powerful tool that no one knew how to use.

This is the fundamental risk of AMC in a collective setting: knowledge remains concentrated in a single person. When that person leaves, the tool leaves with them.

With a web solution like Papeez, any teacher can create and grade an MCQ in 10 minutes, without prior training. Continuity is assured.

Papeez: simplicity, AI, and discordance-based grading scales

Papeez is a web platform. Browser, MCQ creation, printing, scanning, grades. No installation, no technical prerequisites.

The exam structure is rich: exercises, sections, questions, with shuffling (randomization) at 4 hierarchy levels (sections, exercises, questions, choices). Individualized random drawing will be available in Q2 2026.

Advanced grading scales, accessible to all

Papeez offers advanced grading scales via a visual interface, without any syntax to learn. The grading scale is homogeneous for all questions: a deliberate choice based on educational sciences, which avoids losing the examinee on calculation rules rather than on the content of the evaluation.

In Q2 2026, Papeez will offer discordance-based grading scales. Unlike classic grading scales (including those of AMC) which only take into account checked choices, discordance-based grading scales also reward or penalize deliberately unchecked choices. This type of grading scale is widely used in medicine and health competitive exams, as it values reasoning by elimination. No other tool on the market offers them.

Unique AI features

Papeez is the only paper MCQ grading solution to integrate artificial intelligence:

• Adaptive AI import: import any existing subject, regardless of the format (Word, Excel, PDF, text, images, XML…), and Papeez automatically adapts it in its editor. No strict template to strictly follow: if the file contains a coherent MCQ, Papeez understands it and imports it.
• AI insights on results: automatic feedback and analysis on copies and results. The AI identifies problematic questions, trends, and provides pedagogical recommendations.

You know LaTeX? Papeez remains relevant

If you are comfortable with LaTeX, you do not need MCQ writing simplified for you. That is understood. But writing the MCQ is only one step among others. Even a LaTeX expert saves time with Papeez on everything else:

• Smartphone scan instead of looking for a scanner
• Automatic detection of boxes without page-by-page manual verification
• Mail merge of grades in one click instead of configuring an SMTP
• Collaboration with colleagues who, themselves, do not know LaTeX
• Statistics and AI insights without opening a spreadsheet
• Access from any device instead of a single Linux station

And you can import your existing LaTeX files via AI import: no need to recreate everything.

Collaboration and multi-device access

Papeez is cloud-native. Several teachers can collaborate on the same exam from any station. Results can be consulted from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. All data is automatically backed up and secured, hosted in France.

No risk of data loss in the event of hardware failure. No USB drive to carry around. No “it’s on Jean-Pierre’s PC, he’s on leave”.

Integrated communication with students

Papeez natively integrates communication with students, without any technical configuration:

• Mail merge of grades: sending individual results by email in one click, configured by default.
• Convocation emails: notify students ahead of the exam with instructions, date, and location.
• Automatic reminders: reminders before the exam.

No SMTP configuration, no application password: everything works as soon as the account is created.

Shuffling vs random drawing

• Shuffling (randomization): mixing the order of existing elements. Papeez does this at 4 levels (sections, exercises, questions, choices). AMC also does this with several modes (fixed, cyclic, mixed).
• Random drawing: selecting a subset from a larger set (for example, 10 questions drawn from 30). AMC already offers this with an individualized draw per copy. Papeez will offer it in Q2 2026.

How long before the first graded exam?

This is the question no one asks, but everyone should ask themselves.

With AMC:

1. Install Linux or configure a VM/WSL2: 30 min to 2 h
2. Install AMC and its dependencies: 15-30 min
3. Learn LaTeX or AMC-TXT (the manual is 120 pages long): 1-2 h
4. Write the first MCQ: 30 min to 1 h
5. Configure the grading scale: 10-30 min
6. Understand the scan and calibration workflow: 15 min
7. Configure the SMTP to send the results: 10-20 min
8. Total: 3 to 5 hours before the first graded exam

With Papeez:

1. Create an account: 1 min
2. Import an existing subject via AI import (and refine in the editor): 3-5 min
3. Print, scan, get the grades: 5-10 min
4. Send the results to the students: 1 click
5. Total: 10 minutes

Direct comparison

	Papeez	AMC
Price	From 5 EUR/month (14-day free trial)	Free
Installation	None	Linux required (VM/WSL2 on Windows)
Learning curve	< 10 min	3 to 5 h (120-page manual)
Import	Adaptive AI (all formats)	No
Math formulas	Visual editor or LaTeX	Advanced native LaTeX (TikZ library)
Source format	WYSIWYG web editor or import from Word, Excel, PDF, XML, images…	LaTeX or AMC-TXT
Shuffling (randomization)	4 levels (S/E/Q/C)	Questions + answers + variables (3 modes)
Random drawing	Q2 2026 (individualized)	Yes (individualized)
MCQ grading scales	Advanced + discordances (Q2 2026)	Very advanced (AMC syntax with formulas)
Discordance-based grading	Q2 2026	No
A posteriori correction	Yes	Yes
Smartphone scan	Yes	No (scanner required)
Box detection	Automatic, reliable	Manual verification sometimes necessary
Image processing	Integrated	None (external editor required)
Statistics	Advanced + AI insights	Basic (CSV/ODS export)
Dashboards	Web interface with charts	No (exported files to be analyzed in a spreadsheet)
Competencies	Yes (visual interface)	Yes (YAML file + Perl packages)
Collaboration	Multi-teacher, real-time	Single-station, single-user
Multi-device access	Yes (browser, mobile, tablet)	No (Linux station only)
Backup	Automatic (FR cloud)	None (local data)
Student communication	Mail merge of grades + convocations (native)	Email annotated copies (SMTP config required)
Annotated copies	Yes: PDF + web interface	Yes: PDF
Sending copies by email	Native, in one click	Manual SMTP config required
Collective sustainability	Any teacher can use it	Concentrated expertise
GDPR	FR/EU hosting	Local (data on the machine)

Our opinion

If you master LaTeX, if you like spending time on it (because creating and maintaining MCQs with AMC takes considerable time), and if you need advanced formulas like those from the TikZ library, then AMC is an excellent choice. It is a proven, free tool, with highly flexible grading scales via formulas, and the copies remain on your Linux machine.

But ask yourself these questions:

• How much time will you invest before producing your first exam?
• If you leave (transfer, retirement, change of position), who will take over?
• Are your colleagues ready to learn LaTeX, the syntax of AMC grading scales, and to configure an SMTP server to send the results?
• And if the machine’s hard drive fails, do you have a backup?

If you are looking for a solution that your entire team can adopt immediately, Papeez is the most pragmatic choice: learning curve in 10 minutes, AI import of your existing subjects (whatever the format, without a strict template), advanced grading scales accessible to all (including discordances, an exclusive), rich exam structures, statistics with AI insights, integrated student communication (mail merge of grades, convocations), multi-teacher collaboration, access from any device, and a solution that every member of your teaching team can use without training.

At €5/month, Papeez fits into the pedagogical budgets of any component or department. It’s the price of a few coffees. Except that with Papeez, you will drink fewer of them and you will savor them more: your copies grade themselves in 2 minutes while you enjoy your break, instead of spending 2 to 4 hours configuring a tool. And the 14-day free trial allows you to demonstrate the value to your management before asking for a commitment.

Institutions like CentraleSupélec, EFAP or ESEC already use Papeez, as well as secondary school teachers from various French or Belgian Academies. The 14-day free trial (300 graded copies) allows you to form a concrete opinion in a few minutes.

To compare all solutions on the market, check out our comprehensive comparison of the 6 best paper MCQ grading tools.

FAQ

Can I migrate my AMC MCQs to Papeez?

Yes. Papeez’s adaptive AI import accepts all formats, including LaTeX and AMC-TXT files. Simply upload your source file, and Papeez will automatically extract the questions and answers. Mathematical formulas are converted into a visual format.

Does AMC work on Windows?

Not natively. AMC requires Linux. On Windows, you must install a virtual machine (VirtualBox, VMWare) or use WSL2, which adds a layer of complexity. On Mac, installation is possible but requires MacPorts or Homebrew along with manual tweaks. Papeez runs in any web browser, on all operating systems.

What is discordance-based scoring?

Traditional scoring schemes (including AMC’s) only reward or penalize checked choices. Discordance-based scoring also takes into account choices the examinee deliberately left unchecked. This type of scoring is widely used in medical education and healthcare entrance exams because it values reasoning by elimination. Papeez will be the first tool to offer it (Q2 2026).

AMC is free, so why pay for Papeez?

AMC is free in terms of licensing, but not in time. Installation, learning LaTeX (or AMC-TXT), drafting MCQs, configuring scoring schemes, manually verifying detected checkboxes, setting up SMTP for emails, and maintenance add up to dozens of hours. Papeez at €5/month allows you to create and grade an MCQ in 10 minutes and send grades to students with one click, without any technical prerequisites. The time saved from the very first exam easily justifies the investment.

Can multiple teachers collaborate on AMC?

No. AMC is software installed on a local Linux machine. Project files are local. To share an exam with colleagues, files must be copied manually (USB drive, network share). There is no real-time collaboration, no shared question banks, and no access from another device. Papeez allows multiple teachers to collaborate on the same exam from any browser.

What happens if the PC with AMC breaks down?

If the hard drive of the machine running AMC fails and you do not have an external backup, everything is lost: exams, scans, grades, scoring schemes, and configurations. AMC does not provide automatic backups. With Papeez, all data is in the cloud, backed up automatically, and hosted securely in France.

Are AMC’s statistics sufficient?

AMC exports results to CSV and ODS (OpenOffice/LibreOffice) with scores per question and per competency. However, there are no built-in dashboards, no distribution charts, no automatically calculated discrimination index, and no AI insights. Result analysis must be done manually in a spreadsheet. Papeez offers a web interface with advanced statistics, charts, and automatic AI recommendations.

I know LaTeX, do I really need Papeez?

Writing the MCQ in LaTeX is only one step. Even a LaTeX expert spends time scanning (without a smartphone), manually verifying checkboxes, configuring SMTP, exporting results to a spreadsheet, and managing files on a single workstation. Papeez automates everything surrounding the drafting process: smartphone scanning, reliable detection, native mail merge, AI statistics, and multi-teacher collaboration. Plus, you can import your existing LaTeX files via the AI import.