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CBSE clarified that students can seek re-evaluation of answer sheets as concerns grow over the newly introduced on-screen marking system
May 15, 2026: Central Board of Secondary Education on Friday defended its newly implemented On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and reassured students that the option for re-evaluation of answer sheets would continue this year. The clarification came amid growing criticism and concern on social media after the Class 12 pass percentage dropped sharply to 85.2%, marking the lowest result in the past seven years. Many students, particularly from the science stream, expressed dissatisfaction over marks awarded in subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics.
Addressing the concerns, CBSE stated that the OSM system was introduced to make the evaluation process more transparent, fair and uniform. The board explained that the digital marking system enables step-by-step assessment and automatic calculation of totals, helping reduce the possibility of human errors. It also confirmed that students unhappy with their scores can obtain copies of their evaluated answer sheets and apply for corrections through the official re-evaluation process. This year, nearly 1.77 million students appeared for the Class 12 board examinations, while more than 98 lakh answer sheets were assessed using the OSM system in its first large-scale rollout.
The new system has drawn mixed reactions from educators. Some school principals argued that the rollout was rushed and that many teachers, especially in government schools, were not adequately trained to use the digital platform effectively. However, several teachers involved in the evaluation process defended the system, saying it minimised manual calculation mistakes and improved consistency in marking. Jyoti Arora said the lower pass percentage reflected stricter competency-based assessment and a stronger focus on conceptual understanding under the National Education Policy 2020 reforms rather than shortcomings in the OSM system itself.