Why CBSE’s Digital On-Screen Marking System Is Under Scrutiny After Class 12 Results?

Days after the announcement of the Class 12 board examination results, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been facing widespread criticism over its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system due to several technical and procedural issues. Students and parents have raised concerns over blurred scans, missing pages, mismatched answer sheets, technical glitches, and payment disruptions during the re-evaluation process.

Defending the new evaluation method, CBSE stated that the OSM system was introduced to improve "transparency, fairness, and consistency" in the assessment process. The Ministry of Education has also dismissed concerns surrounding the marking system, asserting that the platform is secure and follows globally accepted practices designed to ensure transparent evaluation.

However, the controversy intensified after several students alleged that the scanned copies of answer sheets provided by the Board did not match their handwriting. These complaints have raised serious questions about possible errors in the tagging, scanning, or uploading of answer books.

What Is CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) System?

In an effort to modernise the evaluation process, CBSE introduced the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system to reduce human errors, improve consistency in marking, speed up result processing, and maintain strict confidentiality through multiple layers of quality checks and senior-level review.

Under this system, scanned copies of students' answer sheets are uploaded to a digital platform and evaluated by examiners on computers instead of through physical answer books. Examiners assess the answers based on the prescribed marking scheme, while the platform ensures step-by-step evaluation before submission. The system also calculates marks automatically, reducing the possibility of calculation-related errors.

According to CBSE, the digital evaluation system is expected to ensure greater consistency in marking and minimise manual mistakes. The Board further noted that institutions such as Anna University, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, and several state education boards have either adopted or experimented with similar digital assessment methods.

Why Is The On-Screen Marking (OSM) System Facing Backlash?

The controversy began after the declaration of Class 12 results on May 13, which showed a decline in overall performance. The pass percentage dropped from 88.39% last year to 85.29% this year, while the number of students scoring above 90% reportedly fell by nearly 16% compared to the previous year.

Following the results, several students and parents began linking the decline in marks to the OSM system, questioning whether technical issues may have affected evaluation accuracy.

The issue drew further attention when a Class 12 student, Vedant Shrivastava, alleged that the Physics answer sheet uploaded by CBSE during the photocopy access process did not belong to him. According to the student, the handwriting, answers, and overall presentation in the uploaded answer sheet were completely different from his own writing style, intensifying concerns over the digital evaluation process.

Responding to complaints circulating on social media, CBSE said that all grievances are being treated with priority and that officials are actively working to resolve students' concerns. The Board also reduced the fee for obtaining scanned copies of answer books from Rs 700 to Rs 100.

According to reports cited by The Indian Express, CBSE had received nearly 2.94 lakh applications for access to around 8.56 lakh answer books by May 23, more than double the number received last year.