The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has responded to concerns surrounding the evaluation of Class 12 board examination answer sheets through the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. The Board clarified that reports alleging issues in the scanning process are inaccurate.

Board Addresses Concerns Over Digital Assessment

Discussions among educators, evaluators, and students had raised questions about the implementation of the OSM system during this year’s examinations. Some reports suggested that operational pressure and limited preparation time may have affected the scanning and evaluation process.

In response, CBSE denied these allegations and explained that every stage of the workflow — including scanning, quality verification, answer sheet allocation, marking, and final assessment — followed proper monitoring procedures.

Safeguards Implemented During Evaluation

According to the Board, several checks and monitoring mechanisms were built into the OSM system to ensure fairness and consistency in marking. CBSE reiterated its commitment to maintaining transparency and integrity while modernising examination practices.

What is the OSM System?

The On-Screen Marking (OSM) system is a digital evaluation method in which physical answer scripts are scanned and assessed online by examiners. Instead of manually checking paper copies, evaluators review digital versions of the answer sheets.

The 2026 board examinations marked the first full-scale adoption of this evaluation method for CBSE Class 12 assessments. The initiative was introduced to improve standardisation, reduce manual errors, and speed up result processing.

CBSE Advises Students to Follow Official Updates

Following speculation regarding the evaluation process, CBSE advised students and parents to rely only on official announcements for information related to examinations and results.

The Board had announced the Class 12 results on May 13, with more than 85 percent of students clearing the examination. However, the overall pass percentage declined by over three percentage points compared to the previous year.