The present invention provides an apparatus and method to accurately scribe benchmarks into a tensile test sample bar. The apparatus includes a base having a planar surface allowing a tensile test sample bar to rest thereupon. The apparatus further includes a guide having two spaced apart edges separated by a predetermined width. The planar surface of the base further includes a plurality of grid lines to properly align the tensile test sample bar. The base further includes at least one securing member adapted to abut and secure the guide during scribing of the tensile test sample bar. The method includes the steps of aligning a tensile test sample bar on the planar surface having a plurality of grid lines and securing the tensile test sample bar on the planar surface by means of the securing members. The guide then provides for an accurate predetermined width of the spacing of the benchmarks scribed onto the tensile test sample bar. By means of a scribe, the user runs the scribe along each of the edges of the guide and scrapes two benchmarks onto the tensile test sample bar.