Key facts
- CBSE implemented On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 exams to digitize the evaluation process.
- Teachers reported insufficient training and faced challenges with digital assessment of handwritten scripts.
- Students alleged result discrepancies, citing issues like blurred scans, missing pages, and unchecked answers.
- CBSE stated that a small percentage of scanned pages had quality issues and initiated re-scanning.
- The board enhanced data security and imposed penalties on vendors for system downtime.
- Over 4 lakh students requested scanned copies of their answer books, and 6.3 lakh re-evaluation requests were processed.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) for its Class 12 examinations this year, aiming to modernize the evaluation process through a digital platform. The system was designed to reduce human errors, enhance transparency, and securely store answer scripts for potential re-evaluation.
However, the rollout, which occurred just a week before the examinations, faced immediate criticism from teachers who felt unprepared for the new digital system. This was followed by widespread allegations of result discrepancies, technical glitches, portal crashes, and concerns regarding data privacy. The selection of COEMPT Eduteck as a vendor, a company reportedly involved in evaluation-related controversies in other states, also drew scrutiny.
CBSE reported that approximately 40 crore pages were scanned, with about 30,000 pages (0.01%) presenting quality issues such as blurred scans, missing pages, or unreadable content. Teachers also reported difficulties in assessing handwritten responses and diagrams digitally, along with eye strain from prolonged screen use and portal performance issues.
Despite the system's design to automatically total scores and prevent missed answers, some students claimed discrepancies in their marks, including lower-than-expected scores and unchecked answers. CBSE has not released a technical audit report detailing system-wide causes for these issues.
In response, CBSE stated that 68,018 answer scripts required re-scanning, and 13,583 of those underwent manual evaluation after repeated scanning failures. To bolster security and prevent disruptions, the board transferred all scanned data to its own servers and implemented strict service-level agreements with vendors, including penalties for downtime. Examiner sessions were also monitored.
The digital platform allowed students to access scanned copies of their evaluated answer scripts, with over 4 lakh students applying for these copies and approximately 6.3 lakh re-evaluation requests being processed.
While CBSE described itself as the first national examination body to adopt OSM, the technology had been implemented by Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka two years prior for its undergraduate examinations. OSM has previously been adopted by various technical and health-science universities to manage large volumes of answer scripts and expedite result declarations.