3 min readNew DelhiMay 17, 2026 04:00 PM IST
The Ministry of Education has sought to allay concerns over the newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system in CBSE Class 12 examinations, calling it “foolproof” and in line with international practices. Officials said the move is aimed at ensuring transparent evaluation, while also announcing a sharp reduction in revaluation and answer sheet verification charges to Rs 100 each.
School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, addressing a press conference, explained the scale and safeguards of the process. “98 lakh sheets scanned were for class 12. Three levels of security were followed during the process. It was found that despite repeated scanning, there were still some legibility issues because the ink used in some answer sheets was of a very light colour. Even after scanning, those scripts could not be made fully legible.”
CBSE Class 12th Results 2026: Scale of rechecks
–A total of 98.6 lakh answer books were scanned under OSM.
–68,018 answer books were rescanned due to poor scan quality.
–13,583 answer books were manually evaluated after persistent quality issues, with marks uploaded separately.
During the rollout of On-Screen Marking (OSM) in the CBSE Class 12 examinations, the board reported that over 80,000 answer scripts required corrective action. Of the 98.6 lakh answer books scanned, nearly 68,018 had to be rescanned due to poor image quality, while another 13,583 scripts were manually evaluated after persistent issues. In these cases, evaluators annotated deficiencies and the marks awarded through manual checking were uploaded separately, ensuring that student outcomes were not compromised despite technical glitches.
CBSE Class 12th Results 2026: Re-evaluation relief
The clarification comes amid apprehensions from students and parents linking the dip in pass percentage to the OSM system, which was used for the first time in CBSE board exams. To ease anxiety, CBSE has slashed fees for post-result services.
Viewing answer sheets: Rs 100 (down from Rs 700).
Verification: Rs 100 (down from Rs 500).
Rechecking per question: Rs 25.
Fees refunded if marks increase after re-evaluation.
“The CBSE has decided this time that if students wish to view their answer sheets, they can do so by paying a fee of Rs 100 instead of Rs 700. If they want verification or validation of the answer sheet, that too will cost Rs 100 instead of Rs 500. If they want any particular answer rechecked, the fee will be Rs 25 per question,” Kumar said.
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He further assured, “We have decided that if, during re-evaluation, a student’s marks increase, then the amount paid for re-evaluation will be refunded to the student.” The ministry reiterated that the OSM system is not only secure but also aligned with global standards of examination evaluation.
