CBSE 12th Results 2026: Amid growing concerns over the implementation of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system in the evaluation of CBSE Class 12 board examinations this year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a fresh clarification addressing questions raised by students and parents.
The board has been facing intense scrutiny after a large number of students claimed that they did not receive the marks they had expected and alleged discrepancies in the implementation of the OSM system during the evaluation process.
Over the past few days, the CBSE has repeatedly attempted to address these concerns through posts on its official X handle, notices, and official releases. In its latest clarification, the board answered several frequently asked questions related to the On-Screen Marking system and explained how the process was conceptualised and implemented.
Some of the key questions and answers released by the board:
How was the On-Screen Marking system conceptualised?
OSM was conceptualised by the CBSE in 2014 but could not be continued due to the unavailability of suitable technological tools. At the time, there was no facility through which answer books could be scanned without cutting them. Since there was a possibility of pages getting mixed up during the process, the OSM system was put on hold until suitable technology became available.
The board said extensive research was later conducted to assess advancements in OSM technology. It observed that several universities and some foreign boards were already using the technology successfully.
Accordingly, a proposal was placed before the Examination Committee and was approved by the Governing Body of the Board for implementation in 2025.
What is On-Screen Marking (OSM)?
On-Screen Marking (OSM) is a digital evaluation system in which scanned copies of answer books are made available on-screen for evaluation purposes.
What is the difference between the traditional evaluation method and On-Screen Marking?
According to the CBSE, there is no difference between the traditional evaluation method and the On-Screen Marking system. In the OSM system, the answer book is made available on a monitor, and a mouse is used for awarding marks.
How was the system made similar to the traditional evaluation method?
The board said the system was designed in such a way that question-wise marks awarded on the first page of the answer book were linked to a schema based on the marking scheme.
Teachers could evaluate answer books in the same manner as the traditional system using a standardised marking scheme. Marks awarded to each question were automatically entered into the schema, and once the evaluation was complete, the total marks were calculated automatically.
How was the dry run conducted to obtain feedback from teachers and identify areas requiring modification?
The CBSE said it first updated the system to make it compatible with the traditional evaluation method. Thereafter, a dry run of the OSM system was conducted to test its feasibility.
The dry run was carried out in five schools, where teachers from KVS, NVS, state government schools, and private schools participated. Teachers were first given training on the OSM system, following which a two-day dry run exercise was conducted.
The board said prominent principals were deputed as observers to monitor the process and submit reports regarding the suitability of the system and suggestions for improvement.
According to the CBSE, the three-day exercise provided the board with a blueprint for the modifications required in the system.
What updates were made in the system based on the feedback received?
The CBSE said several modifications were introduced in the system after feedback from teachers and observers. These included:
- Addition of a "Save" option, which was not available initially.
- Simplification of the process for deleting marks.
- Resolution of issues related to static IP addresses.
- Relocation of the marks-awarding position that was previously hiding students' written text.
- Introduction of different colour codes for Head Examiners (HE), Additional Head Examiners (AHE), and evaluators, similar to the traditional evaluation system.
- Introduction of review provisions for answer books by HE and AHE irrespective of their daily percentage of reviewed copies.
- Linking of the marking scheme with answer books.
- Introduction of ready-made comments in the OSM system to make it more similar to the traditional method.
- Resolution of internet speed issues using high-capacity servers.
How were teachers trained?
The board said teachers were trained through multiple methods, including:
- Webinars explaining the evaluation process.
- Individual online training sessions before evaluation.
- Login-based training sessions.
- Practice sessions involving evaluation of five answer books.
- Mass mock evaluations conducted simultaneously for all teachers.
- Guidance on different annotations used in the system.
- Release of instructional videos covering all aspects of OSM.
- Issuance of several circulars explaining the evaluation procedure.
- Doubt-clearing sessions.
- Handholding sessions.
- Availability of a practice portal, with schools being informed about the number of teachers yet to complete training.
How was the platform made available to teachers for practice?
The CBSE said the platform was made available to all teachers for practice, and schools were informed accordingly. There was no restriction on the number of practice sessions, and teachers could use the platform at their convenience.
How was scanning conducted?
According to the board, answer books in fixed batches were sent for scanning at CBSE regional offices.
The scanning was carried out using lamp scanners, which allowed answer books to be scanned completely without cutting the spine or making any physical alterations.
What quality checks were introduced to ensure proper scanning?
- The board said multiple quality checks were introduced during the scanning process.
- The first level of checking took place during scanning itself. If an answer book was not scanned properly, it would not be saved.
- A second-level quality check was conducted by a dedicated Quality Control (QC) team, whose role was to ensure that the entire answer book had been scanned properly.
- Evaluators were also allowed to review the quality of scanned copies and reject them if the scans were unclear or incomplete.
- Once the scanning quality was found satisfactory, the answer books were sent for evaluation.