Education
Transparency Portal Helps Identify Answer-Script Mix-Ups During Evaluation
The CBSE’s first-ever on-screen marking (OSM) system encountered a small number of answer-sheet mix-up cases, with students identifying discrepancies after accessing scanned copies online. Thousands of answer sheets also required manual evaluation, according to government sources.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) detected around 20 cases of answer-sheet mix-ups during its first-time implementation of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system this year, according to government sources.
The discrepancies came to light after students accessed scanned copies of their answer books through the board’s online portal and discovered that the uploaded documents did not belong to them.
Officials said the issue was linked to scanning and document-mapping errors during the digitisation process rather than mistakes in the actual evaluation of answer scripts.
According to sources, one student named Vedant reportedly discovered that the answer sheet uploaded against his record belonged to another candidate. A similar issue was reported by another student, identified as Sanjana.
The OSM system was introduced to modernise the evaluation process by allowing examiners to assess digitised answer sheets electronically, reducing logistical challenges associated with physical script handling.
However, despite the transition to digital evaluation, nearly 13,000 answer sheets reportedly had to be assessed manually due to technical or procedural reasons.
Key Figures
| Particulars | Number |
|---|---|
| Answer-Sheet Mix-Up Cases Detected | Around 20 |
| Answer Sheets Evaluated Manually | Nearly 13,000 |
| Evaluation Method Introduced | On-Screen Marking (OSM) |
Education officials indicated that the identified cases were brought to notice through the transparency mechanism that allows students to access scanned copies of their answer books.
The board is expected to review the incidents and strengthen verification protocols to prevent similar issues in future examination cycles.
While the number of mix-up cases remains small compared to the total volume of answer sheets processed, the incidents have highlighted the importance of robust quality-control measures during large-scale digital evaluation exercises.