BigIs

You don't HAVE to do anything. You can write in pink pencil if you want.

However, if you WANT to get the best possible score for your essay you SHOULD use a black or blue pen that will provide the best legibility for the folks who read your essay. Change your mind? Cross it out and write in the new answer.

Follow the Directions

raller

If you are writing essays, write in pen. If you are doing calculations it is highly recommended that you write in pencil, cross outs can make it very difficult for graders to understand how you reached your answer.

db123

even calculations are recommended in pen, raller. When you cross out, a simple line through what you don't want graded will do. Don't scribble the thing out and make a gash in your paper from where you were trying to cross out. I do all my calculus work in pen (it drives my calc teacher nuts) but when I do something wrong, I cross it out and start in a new area. In a way, this looks cleaner and is easier to read. When you erase with a pencil, you may leave eraser marks and then write over those eraser marks which makes it hard to read. I personally abhor the pencil and I always write everything in blue ballpoint pen.

edit: I will be taking Calc this year but I did take Chem last year and we were required to write in pen. Just a note.

monkeycloud

I think erasable is okay - used one last year and got a 5

wendyling

i think whiteout is ok. i used it last year, and still got scores for my free response q's. used it this year too.

they never state anywhere on the form or cb's website to not use whiteout, so....?

sushifureak

i dont think you should use white out. there's another thread about using whiteout, but i guess if you did last year, then its fine.
personally, i would be too scared to risk it though.

BigIs

DON'T USE WHITEOUT!!

It can create all kinds of problems. Cross out anything you don't want read with a single line. Trust me, the readers will ignore it.

wendyling

ok i see your point.
what im trying to say is if you already used whiteout on an exam, to not worry about it. since some people already took several exams.
because they still grade your frqs the same.
right?

sensibility

I wrote my calc frqs in pencil... is that really bad?

TheMathProf

sensibility, you're fine using pencil on the calc exam.