CBSE under scrutiny: A timeline from OSM rollout to answer sheet mismatch claims
CBSE’s many blunders do not appear to be ending anytime soon. This year has proven difficult for the board responsible for the academic futures of
CBSE’s many blunders do not appear to be ending anytime soon. This year has proven difficult for the board responsible for the academic futures of lakhs of students. The latest incident to add to the concerns involves a student, Vedant, a Class 12 student who claimed that the photocopy of his Physics answer sheet appeared to belong to someone else. This is not only about Vedant, but Sanjana also faced such thing and raised the issue on X. Following a lower-than-expected score of 11 marks out of 70 in Chemistry, Sanjana sought access to her scanned answer sheet. Read Full Story According to her claim, although the cover page carried her details, the answers written inside were in different handwriting and did not appear to be her own. Questions are now being raised after CBSE acknowledged one student’s complaint and reportedly rectified the issue related to CBSE Class 12 result 2026. Similar claims by other students have led many to ask whether isolated errors or larger gaps exist in the system. The concerns come in the first year of CBSE’s implementation of the OSM (On-Screen Marking) system at a large scale. What began as a move towards digital evaluation is now facing questions over execution, transparency and credibility. I am a CBSE Class 12 student. After receiving unexpectedly low marks in Physics, we applied for photocopies of my answer sheets through the CBSE reevaluation process. Today we received the copies. And I am shattered because the Physics answer sheet uploaded by CBSE is not mine— VEDANT (@VEDANTSHRIV17) May 23, 2026 Here is a timeline of how events unfolded over the past several months.
JANUARY 2026: OSM TRAINING AND PREPARATION BEGIN At the start of the year, CBSE began preparations for the wider implementation of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Teachers involved in evaluation were reportedly trained to assess answer sheets digitally instead of relying entirely on conventional physical checking methods. The shift was aimed at improving speed, standardisation and transparency in evaluation. However, concerns around adaptation emerged early. FEBRUARY TO APRIL: BOARD EXAMINATIONS CONDUCTED CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations took place across the country. Lakhs of students appeared for examinations, unaware that this would be among the first result cycles heavily linked with the new digital evaluation process. MARCH-MAY: OSM EVALUATION CONTINUES; TEACHERS FLAG TECHNICHAL ISSUES As answer sheet evaluation progressed through the OSM platform, concerns surfaced among some teachers regarding technical delays and system-related difficulties. Reports and discussions among evaluators indicated issues such as login problems, slow interfaces and challenges during digital checking. The evaluation process reportedly continued close to the result declaration timeline. MAY 11: COPIES OF BIOLOGY WERE STILL CHECKING Questions later emerged over whether assessment processes under OSM continued until just before the declaration of results. The concerns gained attention because CBSE results were expected within days. MAY 13: CBSE CLASS 12 RESULTS DECLARED CBSE announced board examination results for Class 12 on May 13. For lakhs of students, months of waiting ended. The result dropped by 3% from 88% to 85 this year. Many students and teachers expressed dissatisfaction with the results, with several complaining that they had received lower marks than expected.
Students dissatisfied with marks started discussing discrepancies online, while others prepared for re-evaluation and answer sheet access procedures. Within days of results, students and parents began posting concerns on social media regarding marks, verification processes and rechecking. The discussions intensified around transparency in post-result mechanisms. Press conference in Kartavya Bhawan by CBSE officials (May 15) AROUND MAY 15: CBSE ADRESSES CONCERNS, EXPLAINS POST-RESULT PROCESS Following growing concerns, CBSE explained the re-evaluation process and highlighted that students would first be able to access scanned copies of answer sheets before proceeding with verification or rechecking requests. The fee to get the scanned copies was brought down from Rs 700 to 100 per copy and 25 for one question. The process was presented as a more transparent system compared to earlier methods. MAY 19 ONWARDS: RE-EVALUATION AND ANSWER SHEET ACCESS PROCESS BEGINS CBSE opened applications under its revised post-result mechanism. Students seeking clarification on marks could request scanned copies of evaluated answer sheets before applying for verification or re-evaluation. The move was seen as a major procedural change. The timeline linked to answer sheet access reportedly saw several extensions and changes. Students waiting for scanned copies said dates moved repeatedly, extending uncertainty. The process reportedly shifted from initial timelines to later dates including May 22, May 23, May 24 and May 25 in some stages. The delays added to frustration among students awaiting documents. MAY 23: VEDANT AND SANJANA ALLEGES THEY RECEIVED SOMEONE'S ELSE'S PHYSICS ANSWER SHEET A Class 12 student, Vedant, claimed on social media that the photocopy of his Physics answer sheet provided by CBSE did not match what he had written in the examination.
He shared images online and alleged that the answer booklet belonged to another student. CBSE rectified this and sent him his copies as per the board. The claim gained attention rapidly. Around the same period, another student, Sanjana, reportedly raised a similar concern regarding discrepancies linked to answer sheets. The emergence of multiple complaints increased scrutiny around whether isolated mistakes had occurred or whether broader procedural questions needed examination. CBSE RESPONDS ON MAY 25: COMPLAINT TAKEN ON 'TOP PRIORITY' Sources later said CBSE treated Vedant’s case on “top priority”, reached out to him and provided corrected documents. However, discussions continue online, with some asking whether students can be fully assured that the revised copies now shared are accurate. The larger question: Is the issue about two students or trust in the system? The debate has moved beyond individual complaints. Questions are now being asked about implementation of the OSM system, readiness of digital evaluation infrastructure, timelines, teacher training and confidence in post-result processes. For students, board examinations are not merely yearly tests. Marks influence admissions, competitive exams and future choices. That is why even a single alleged answer sheet mismatch has reopened an old question: How much trust do students place in the system evaluating them? Ends Published By: Rishab Chauhan Published On: May 26, 2026 09:52 IST
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