Skip to main content
Scratchpad gives students a dedicated space to show their work directly inside a Pear Assessment. Teachers control whether Scratchpad is available on a per-assignment basis and can review each student’s scratch work from the Live Class Board.

​
Enable or Disable Scratchpad

To turn Scratchpad on or off for an assignment:
  1. In Pear Assessment, go to Assignments and click the assignment name.
  2. Select the Settings tab.
  3. Under Student Tools, go to Accessibility and toggle Scratch Pad.
Enable or disable Scratchpad in Assignments > Settings > Student Tools > Accessibility.

​
Review a Student’s Scratchpad

Teachers can view a student’s scratch work at any time while the assignment is active.
  1. Open the assignment and select the Live Class Board tab.
  2. Locate the student’s name and click the Scratchpad button below their checkbox.
Live Class Board with Scratchpad button highlighted below a student's checkbox.

​
Activate Scratchpad as a Student

Students access Scratchpad from the assessment toolbar.
  1. Click the Scratchpad button in the toolbar to open the scratch area.
  2. Use the available tools to show work.
  3. Click the Scratchpad button again before entering answers: the scratch area must be closed to interact with the question.
Assessment toolbar with Scratchpad enabled and scratch area visible.

​
Scratchpad Tools

The Scratchpad toolbar includes the following tools. Each tool displays instructions when selected. Some tools require a double-click to complete an action.
  • Freehand drawing
  • Straight line
  • Curved line
  • Quadrilateral shapes
  • Circle drawing
  • Triangle drawing
  • Text tool to type words
  • Math equation editor
  • Ruler and protractor
To remove a drawing, select the element and click the trash-can button. To reverse an action, use the undo arrows.
Example of text added with the Scratchpad text tool.
Last modified on July 16, 2026