scantron memes

@kareeemfarran/Twitter

The kids are making scantron memes instead of studying

The test-themed memes have blown up.

Photo of Elizabeth VanMetre 

Elizabeth VanMetre

Internet Culture

Posted on Mar 23, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 4:27 pm CDT

Finals week is nothing short of stressful but a new meme featuring the immortal scantron is making it at least entertaining.

You remember the famed scantron: That long strip of paper used to answer multiple choice exams by circling the (hopefully) correct answer with a fresh No. 2. Educational institutions use them to quickly grade tests that students took hours preparing for.

But thanks to Twitter, scantrons have gone from causing anxiety to beautiful American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) art memes. 

Each meme features a character handling the multiple choice test their most natural way—and spelling out the punchline on the scantron.

From animals noises…

To dads who love a little rock n’ roll.

And some famous stars, too.

The meme has continued to gain popularity since it started taking of Twitter feeds Thursday.

https://twitter.com/Ygrene/status/1108825548904714242

https://twitter.com/captainkalvis/status/1109188493790466048

https://twitter.com/ayoedebiri/status/1109109958233096192

If you still can’t figure out how this meme works, it’s important to note it’s not actually ASCII art, despite being called that. Actually, ASCII art refers to a graphic design technique using computer characters to create pictures or special lettering for words. This meme is about the sound being made or the words spelled out.

https://twitter.com/alina_jpp/status/1109434207187529729

https://twitter.com/nicholasbueller/status/1109201177009418241

Finally, some users also addressed the fact that formatting this meme is sort of meme on its own. The template isn’t exactly intuitive, and making it is a heavy task all its own.

https://twitter.com/Staggfilms/status/1108923010344468480

Anything’s better than studying, right?

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*First Published: Mar 23, 2019, 9:29 am CDT

Elizabeth VanMetre

Elizabeth VanMetre is a reporter based in Wyoming. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School, and her work has appeared on ETOnline, the New York Daily News, Yahoo Travel, and more. She hosts a local morning show in Wyoming.

Elizabeth VanMetre