Students report portal-related issues and delays in obtaining answer sheets as questions continue to be raised over the new digital evaluation system.

Data released by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) shows that fewer than one in ten of the 17.68 lakh students who appeared for the Class XII examinations have sought verification or re-evaluation of their answer scripts. This comes despite reports from several students who claimed they faced difficulties while attempting to complete the review process.

The 2025 evaluation cycle marked the introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII answer sheets, replacing conventional manual assessment methods. Students were permitted to access scanned copies of their answer scripts until May 25, after which applications for verification and re-evaluation were accepted through a dedicated online portal between June 2 and June 7.

According to information shared by the board, nearly four lakh students requested access to their answer sheets, resulting in the release of around eight lakh scanned answer books across different subjects. During the re-evaluation period, approximately 1.6 lakh candidates submitted review requests covering nearly 3.8 lakh answer scripts.

Despite these figures, a number of students reported technical difficulties with the online portal. Complaints posted on social media indicated that website performance issues prevented some candidates from submitting re-evaluation requests or obtaining copies of their answer sheets before the application window closed.

Under the existing procedure, only students who had previously obtained scanned copies of their answer sheets were eligible to apply for re-evaluation. This condition has attracted criticism from some education experts and stakeholders.

Rajeev Kumar, a retired computer science professor from IIT Kharagpur, argued that answer sheet copies should have been made available to all candidates. He raised concerns about potential scanning-related errors and noted that many students reported challenges in either applying for or receiving their requested documents.

Kumar further suggested that, given the concerns surrounding discrepancies in this year's results and the obstacles faced by students during the review process, CBSE should consider expanding access to answer sheets, extending application deadlines, and accepting a wider range of re-evaluation requests to promote transparency and fairness.