CBSE Class 12 re-evaluation marred by glitches, blurred answer sheets

CBSE's Class 12 re-evaluation has sparked controversy. Students allege the new On-Screen Marking system led to incorrect marking, blurred scanned copies, unchecked answers, and a malfunctioning portal, intensifying criticism of the digital process.

Access to scanned answer sheets under CBSE's Class 12 re-evaluation process has exposed deeper concerns surrounding the board's controversial On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, with students alleging incorrect marking, blurred scanned copies, and repeated glitches on the portal.

CBSE's Class 12 examination results this year have been marred by controversy over the newly introduced digital evaluation process, with several students claiming they received unexpectedly low marks. Amid growing outrage, the board opened the process for verification of marks, access to scanned answer books and re-evaluation. However, the re-evaluation process itself has now come under criticism, with students alleging unreadable answer sheets, unchecked responses and technical failures on the portal.

Re-evaluation Process Exposes Deeper Flaws

Under the OSM system introduced this year, answer sheets were scanned digitally and evaluated on-screen instead of being physically checked by examiners. Soon after results were declared, students across subjects - particularly Physics, Mathematics, Accountancy and Economics - began alleging discrepancies in marking and unusually low scores.

The controversy intensified after students started accessing scanned copies of their evaluated answer sheets through the re-evaluation window.

Unreadable Scanned Sheets and Unchecked Answers

Several students shared screenshots on the post on X alleging that portions of their answer sheets were blurred to the extent that the handwriting itself was difficult to decipher. "How are evaluators checking copies if students themselves cannot read the scanned pages?" one user wrote while sharing screenshots of blurred pages from the evaluated answer book.

There has been no official response from CBSE on the issues raised by students so far. Another student alleged that complete answers and calculations were left unchecked despite being clearly attempted in the physical copy.

Technical Glitches and Marking Errors

In another post, a student claimed that marks awarded on individual pages did not match the final total reflected in the result. Others alleged that step marking was either ignored or inconsistently awarded in numerical subjects.

Several students also complained that the re-evaluation portal repeatedly crashed during payment and application submission. "The portal isn't functioning properly. Payments are failing and copies are not loading," a user wrote on X, while another claimed that the website became inaccessible during peak hours.

Students also raised concerns over answers spanning multiple pages allegedly being evaluated partially under the digital system. The criticism comes weeks after social media was flooded with complaints from students and parents questioning the implementation of the OSM system. Many students alleged that their scores were significantly lower than expected despite strong academic records and internal assessments.

CBSE's Response and Concessions

Following the backlash, CBSE reduced the fee for obtaining scanned answer sheets and re-evaluation requests to Rs 100 per subject. The board also issued a clarification regarding the post-result process and said students must first apply for verification of marks, following which they can access photocopies of evaluated answer books and seek re-evaluation of specific questions.

Board's Denial vs. Intensifying Criticism

CBSE had earlier rejected allegations of lapses in the digital evaluation process, terming claims regarding faulty scanning and improper checking as "factually incorrect". The board maintained that the scanning and evaluation process underwent multiple levels of quality checks to ensure fairness and transparency.

Despite the clarification, criticism around the OSM system has continued to intensify online, with students demanding a review of the digital evaluation mechanism and greater accountability in the assessment process. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)