Teachers ask this a lot: should exit tickets be on paper or on a device? There's no single right answer. Each has strengths, and the best choice depends on what you need from the information.
When paper wins
Paper is fast and reliable. Nothing needs to load, nobody's battery is dead, and students can draw, sketch, or show work by hand. It's also easier to sort physically. You can put slips into three piles in a few minutes. Paper works best for:
Math work where you need to see the steps
Diagrams, sketches, or graphic organizers
Rooms with unreliable devices or Wi-Fi
Printable exit tickets and a reusable exit ticket template keep the prep low.
When digital wins
Digital exit tickets collect answers automatically, and multiple-choice questions grade themselves. You can see results before students leave the room and track data over time. Digital works best for:
Quick multiple-choice checks
Classes where students already have devices out
Tracking trends across weeks
The digital exit tickets guide compares common setups.
The hidden cost of digital
Logging in, opening a link, and waiting for it to load can eat the two minutes you meant to save. If students have to open a device just for the exit ticket, paper is often faster. Digital makes the most sense when devices are already open for the lesson.
Mix them on purpose
Many teachers use paper for open-ended questions and digital for quick checks. That's a good balance. What matters is that you use the results. The what to do with exit ticket data guide works for both formats.
Keep going
Need something ready to use tomorrow? The Teacher Emergency Toolkit has grab-and-go packs for de-escalation, work refusal, behavior documentation, and sub plans.