How Handwriting Scoring Works

Every stroke you make is analyzed in real-time. Here's what the scoring engine measures and how your score is determined.

The Three Scoring Metrics

Your handwriting is evaluated across three dimensions. Each measures a different aspect of stroke quality:

Path Accuracy

Did you stay on the line? This measures the distance between your stroke and the reference path. The closer you follow the guide, the higher your score. This is the most important metric — it carries the most weight in your final score.

Direction

Did each stroke go the right way? If the reference moves left-to-right, did you also go left-to-right? Drawing a stroke backwards — even if you stayed on the path — will lower this score.

Smoothness

Was your line steady or shaky? The system analyzes the fluidity of your stroke. Wobbly, jittery lines score lower. Confident, fluid strokes score higher. This separates good handwriting from great handwriting.

Completion: The Price of Admission

Before you can receive a score, you must complete each stroke. The system guides you through each stroke one at a time, and you must trace enough of the path before moving to the next stroke.

Think of completion as the price of admission — it ensures you've done the work, but it doesn't differentiate your skill. Once you've completed all strokes, your actual grade is based on how well you did them: how accurately you traced the path, whether you went the right direction, and how smooth your lines were.

How Your Score Is Calculated

Your final score combines all three metrics into a single number. Path accuracy carries the most weight because staying on the reference path is fundamental to good handwriting. Direction and smoothness are equally important and together determine the rest of your score.

The scoring formula is consistent across all courses, which means a score of 85% in one course represents the same level of skill as 85% in another course. This makes your progress measurable and meaningful.

Path Accuracy: Staying on the Line

This metric measures the average distance between your stroke and the reference path. Smaller deviation means higher score.

How much deviation is allowed depends on the course difficulty. A beginner course might be forgiving of wobbles, while an advanced calligraphy course requires near-perfect precision.

Direction: Going the Right Way

Many strokes have a specific direction — top-to-bottom, left-to-right, or along a curve. This metric checks whether you followed the correct direction.

In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean writing, stroke direction is critical — it affects the character's balance and flow. In English cursive, direction matters for maintaining rhythm. The system gives you feedback in real-time if you're going the wrong way.

Smoothness: Steady Hands

This metric analyzes the fluidity of your stroke by measuring changes in acceleration as you draw.

Smoothness becomes more important as you advance. Beginners aren't expected to have perfect control, but calligraphy students need fluid, deliberate strokes.

Real-Time Feedback While You Draw

You don't have to wait until the end to know how you're doing. The system provides visual feedback as you draw:

Green = On Track

Your stroke is following the path correctly. Keep going!

Red = Off Track

You've drifted too far from the path or you're going the wrong direction. Adjust your stroke.

Ghost Path

The faint line shows where you should be drawing. Use it as your guide.

Guide Dot

The moving dot shows where to go next. Follow it through each stroke.

Practice Mode vs Test Mode

Courses can be configured in two different modes, each serving a different purpose:

Practice Mode (Guided)

The system guides you through strokes one at a time, in the correct order. You draw stroke 1, then stroke 2, then stroke 3 — the system only shows you the next stroke after you complete the current one. This is how you learn proper stroke order. Your score is based on three metrics: path accuracy, direction, and smoothness.

Test Mode (Free)

All strokes are shown at once. You can draw them in any order you choose. This tests whether you've actually learned the correct sequence. In test mode, stroke order becomes a fourth metric — did you remember which stroke comes first, second, third? This is how teachers verify you've internalized the correct technique.

Course Difficulty: Teacher Settings

Teachers customize how strict the scoring is for their course. This allows the same platform to work for kindergarteners learning their ABCs and masters practicing traditional calligraphy.

Difficulty Levels

Beginner: Forgiving tolerances. You can wobble quite a bit and still pass. Great for children, first-time learners, or motor skill development.

Intermediate: Balanced settings. Some forgiveness, but noticeable mistakes are penalized. The default for most courses.

Advanced: Strict tolerances. Precision is required. For students who have mastered the basics and need refinement.

Calligraphy: Very strict. Near-perfect execution required. For serious practitioners who need exact form.

The difficulty level affects how much deviation is allowed before points are deducted, not which metrics are measured. A beginner and a calligraphy master are scored on the same three dimensions — the bar is just set at different heights.

Scoring Safeguards

The scoring system includes safeguards to ensure accuracy and fairness. Starting in the wrong place, skipping strokes, or incomplete work will significantly impact your score — even if other parts of your attempt look good.

These safeguards ensure that scores reflect genuine skill. You can't ace one part and skip the rest.

Grades and Passing

When you complete a lesson, you receive two things: a letter grade and a pass/fail result.

Your Letter Grade

Your numerical score translates to a letter grade. This scale is the same across all courses:

Pass or Fail

Whether you pass depends on the threshold your teacher set for that lesson. Common settings:

This means you might earn a B (82%) but still need to retry if the teacher set the passing threshold at 85%. Your grade shows how well you did. The pass/fail shows whether you met the teacher's requirement.

Your best score for each lesson is saved. You can retry as many times as the teacher allows.

Ready to See Your Score?

Find a course and start practicing. Your first stroke will be scored in real-time.

Browse Courses →