# Number 2 Pencils

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-2-pencils/180895>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 10, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-2-pencils/180895 "2003-06-10T16:18:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Animus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Animus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animus)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-2-pencils/180895/1 "2003-06-10T16:18:27Z")

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I live in NYC, and in all the tests that are marked by machines, you are required to use a #2 pencil. Why?? What exactly is so special about a #2 pencil, and what’s the difference between all the other kinds of pencils?

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**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-2-pencils/180895/2 "2003-06-10T16:51:01Z")

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#2 just is a rating of the hardness of the lead. Hard lead is less susceptible to smearing but makes a fainter line. A soft lead puts down a darker line, but is more easily smeared. #2 just happens to be a good balance between line darkness and smearability. There is nothing magical about it, you could use any kind of lead to fill in a scan-tron as long as you are careful to make the squares dark enough for the reader to pick up your marks.