1. A processing system, for processing a digital assessment template, comprising: at least one tangible processor; a memory with instructions to be executed by the at least one tangible processor for: processing a digital assessment template which includes a description of a plurality of data structures that are configured for interpreting a written assessment associated with the template, wherein said written assessment was marked with strokes by an assessment-taker responding to at least one problem provided by the written assessment, and wherein the digital assessment template describes one or more locations of the marked written assessment in which to find each stroke that corresponds to a response by the assessment-taker and how to interpret the strokes wherein the type of the stroke to be marked in the one or more locations can vary according to the response demanded by the at least one problem, and wherein each of the one or more locations and how to interpret the strokes are selectable amongst a plurality of different types of strokes and wherein the processing the template comprises: evaluating the marked written assessment using the plurality of data structures described by the template; interpreting the marked written assessment using the plurality of data structures described by the template; analyzing the marked written assessment using the plurality of data structures described by the template; and creating the template, wherein the template describes at least two hierarchical levels of zones comprising: a plurality of item zones having a low hierarchical level; and at least one collection zone having a higher hierarchical level, wherein each collection zone of the at least one collection zone is associated with a different problem of the at least one problem and includes a group of at least one item zone of the plurality of item zones, each item zone of the plurality of item zones being associated with one of the described locations and indicating a possible response by the assessment-taker, the number of item zones included in each group being selectable, and wherein each item zone of the plurality of item zones is associated with at least one attribute that describes how to interpret a particular kind of stroke that was made in the location associated with the item zone, wherein the interpretation outputs item data and wherein each collection zone of the at least one collection zone is associated with at least one attribute describing how to interpret item data for each item of the group of at least one item associated with the collection zone, wherein the interpretation outputs collection data, wherein the at least one attribute associated with the at least one collection zone includes a descriptor that indicates a qualitative meaning associated with possible responses indicated by the at least one item included in the group of the collection zone, including indicating a meaning associated with a response that is different than an expected response.