Index: lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/service/AssessmentServiceImpl.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r6f0f844e82f555e8dc0df6916226fac35a2a7c36 -r0e096dc12d51aa84a925f05454e6dd973c99d94f
--- lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/service/AssessmentServiceImpl.java	(.../AssessmentServiceImpl.java)	(revision 6f0f844e82f555e8dc0df6916226fac35a2a7c36)
+++ lams_tool_assessment/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/assessment/service/AssessmentServiceImpl.java	(.../AssessmentServiceImpl.java)	(revision 0e096dc12d51aa84a925f05454e6dd973c99d94f)
@@ -1436,9 +1436,13 @@
 	    List<AssessmentQuestionResult> notAllocatedQuestionResults = new ArrayList<>();
 
 	    for (AssessmentQuestionResult questionResult : allQuestionResults) {
+		String answer = questionResult.getAnswer();
+		if (StringUtils.isBlank(answer)) {
+		    continue;
+		}
+		
 		Set<String> notAllocatedAnswers = new HashSet<>();
-		boolean isAnswerAllocated = QbUtils.isVSAnswerAllocated(qbQuestion, questionResult.getAnswer(),
-			notAllocatedAnswers);
+		boolean isAnswerAllocated = QbUtils.isVSAnswerAllocated(qbQuestion, answer, notAllocatedAnswers);
 		if (!isAnswerAllocated) {
 		    notAllocatedQuestionResults.add(questionResult);
 		}
Index: lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/service/ScratchieServiceImpl.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rb074034d65483c22c90989799ad534947078bd98 -r0e096dc12d51aa84a925f05454e6dd973c99d94f
--- lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/service/ScratchieServiceImpl.java	(.../ScratchieServiceImpl.java)	(revision b074034d65483c22c90989799ad534947078bd98)
+++ lams_tool_scratchie/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/tool/scratchie/service/ScratchieServiceImpl.java	(.../ScratchieServiceImpl.java)	(revision 0e096dc12d51aa84a925f05454e6dd973c99d94f)
@@ -629,6 +629,10 @@
 		List<ScratchieAnswerVisitLog> visitLogs = scratchieAnswerVisitDao.getVsaLogsByItem(item.getUid());
 		for (ScratchieAnswerVisitLog visitLog : visitLogs) {
 		    String answer = visitLog.getAnswer();
+		    if (StringUtils.isBlank(answer)) {
+			continue;
+		    }
+
 		    boolean isAnswerAllocated = QbUtils.isVSAnswerAllocated(qbQuestion, answer, notAllocatedAnswers);
 		    if (!isAnswerAllocated) {
 			notAllocatedAnswerMap.put(answer.strip(), sessionToLeaderMap.get(visitLog.getSessionId()));