The CBSE Class 12 result season of 2026 turned into a national controversy almost overnight. What was meant to be a landmark digital upgrade became the trigger for one of the largest post-result crises in the board’s history. Over 1.6 lakh students have now filed for re-evaluation of their answer sheets, and the matter has escalated all the way to the Delhi High Court. At the centre of the storm is CBSE’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
What Is the CBSE OSM System?
The Central Board of Secondary Education introduced On-Screen Marking for Class 12 board examinations starting from 2026. Under this system, physical answer sheets are scanned and converted into high-resolution digital images. Teachers then evaluate these digital copies on a secure online portal instead of handling physical answer booklets.
CBSE Controller of Examinations Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj had announced the shift earlier this year, describing it as a move to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and transparency. The board argued that OSM would eliminate totalling errors, reduce logistical delays, and enable better record-keeping. Class 10 answer sheets, however, continued to be evaluated in the traditional physical mode.
The idea was not entirely new. CBSE had experimented with OSM in limited subjects in 2013-14, but the 2026 rollout marked its first large-scale, full-subject implementation across all Class 12 papers.
How Did the Controversy Begin?
The trouble started shortly after CBSE declared Class 12 results on May 13, 2026. Thousands of students across the country reported unexpectedly low scores, particularly in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology. Social media platforms were flooded with reactions from students, parents, and teachers who could not reconcile their self-assessed performance with the marks they received.
The complaints that emerged painted a deeply concerning picture. Students described receiving scanned copies that were blurry and unreadable. Others reported missing pages in their digitised answer books. Several found that pages had been scanned out of order or were incomplete. Some answer sheets had been mismatched entirely. Many felt that entire sections of their responses had been skipped during evaluation.
The scale of the response was staggering. Out of 17,68,968 Class 12 candidates who appeared for the exams, a full 4,04,319 students, which is nearly one in four, applied for scanned photocopies of their answer sheets. This extraordinary figure alone signalled deep and widespread distrust in the new system.
The Numbers Tell the Full Story
| Stage | Applications | Answer Sheets Involved |
| Stage 1: Photocopy requests | 4,04,319 students | 11,31,000 answer sheets |
| Stage 2: Verification and Re-evaluation | 1,60,000 students | 3,80,000 answer sheets |
In simple terms, out of every 10 students who collected their answer sheets, 4 decided to go ahead with formal verification or re-evaluation. As of June 4, 2026, the total post-result grievance applications stood at 70,433, with 7,314 seeking verification of marks and 63,119 applying for full re-evaluation. Sources indicate that the highest volume of complaints relates to Physics answer sheets.
Cyberattack Adds to the Crisis
The situation became even more alarming on June 3, 2026, when CBSE’s re-evaluation portal was targeted by a massive Denial-of-Service (DoS) cyberattack. Nearly 38 lakh malicious packets were directed at the portal in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt the ongoing grievance process.
In response, CBSE brought in cybersecurity teams from IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras to assess and fortify its digital infrastructure. The IIT Kanpur team spent more than ten days reviewing both the CBSE registration portal and the OSM re-evaluation portal. The process involved a Blue Team focused on strengthening the codebase and a Red Team that attempted to find vulnerabilities through penetration testing. A total of five rounds of security assessments were conducted before the platform was cleared for wider deployment.
CBSE also transferred all scanned answer sheet data from Coempt Eduteck Pvt Ltd’s servers to its own CBSE-controlled servers, bringing the entire re-evaluation process under its direct oversight. The IIT expert panel granted security clearance to the new evaluation portal on June 8, 2026.
Delhi High Court Issues Notice
The controversy moved into the courtroom on June 8, 2026. The Delhi High Court issued notice to both the Central Government and CBSE on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NSUI President Vinod Jhakhar. A Division Bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna and Justice Madhu Jain will hear the matter next on June 12, 2026.
The PIL seeks the following reliefs from the court.
- An independent inquiry into the large-scale irregularities and technical failures in the OSM system
- Compensatory marks for students whose answer sheets were blurred, missing, or incorrectly evaluated
- Manual rechecking and physical verification of answer sheets in all disputed cases
- Extension of the verification and re-evaluation portal by at least one more month
CBSE’s standing counsel M.A. Niyazi opposed the petition, saying the PIL was not maintainable and was politically motivated. NSUI’s counsel countered by pointing out that the affected students are minors and the organisation was simply representing their legitimate interest.
Teachers Raised the Alarm Early
The warning signs were visible even before the results were declared. The Delhi Government School Teachers’ Association (GSTA) had formally requested CBSE to put the OSM rollout on hold and implement it from the next academic session instead. The GSTA stated that while digitisation is a welcome direction, rolling out a fully digital evaluation system without adequate teacher training presented serious practical challenges.
The majority of teachers involved in evaluation had not received structured or certified training for the new platform before it went live. Students who wish to challenge their marks can apply directly through the official CBSE post-result portal: Apply for CBSE Class 12 Re-Evaluation 2026
What Exactly Does Re-Evaluation Check?
Step 1: Verification of Marks
This involves a recount to check whether all answers were evaluated and whether the marks were totalled correctly. The fee for this process was revised by the Ministry of Education to just Rs. 100 per subject following large-scale student protests.
Step 2: Photocopy of Answer Sheet
Students can obtain a scanned copy of their evaluated answer book at Rs. 100 per subject and review how marks were awarded question by question against the official marking scheme.
Step 3: Re-Evaluation
This is the final and most detailed stage. CBSE forwards the challenged questions to a committee of senior subject experts who were not involved in the original evaluation. These experts re-examine whether marks were awarded correctly as per the marking scheme. The fee is Rs. 25 per question, and a full refund is provided if marks increase after the process.
Important note: CBSE explicitly warns that marks can increase or decrease during re-evaluation. Even a one-mark decrease will be treated as the final official result, and the original marksheet will become invalid. Students are strongly advised to compare their answers with the official marking scheme before applying.
What Happens If Your Marks Change?
If the re-evaluation results in a change in marks, CBSE updates the revised score in the student’s official record and DigiLocker account. The student must then surrender the original marksheet to their school or the nearest CBSE regional office. CBSE will issue a fresh marksheet with the revised marks. The revised result is completely final and cannot be challenged further.
CBSE’s Clarification on ‘Roll Number Not Found’
Several students reported being unable to access the re-evaluation portal, receiving a ‘Roll Number Not Found’ error. CBSE clarified that Stage 2 applications for verification and re-evaluation are only open to those students who had successfully applied for a photocopy of their answer sheet in Stage 1. Students who skipped Stage 1 are not eligible to directly apply for re-evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. I did not apply for a photocopy of my answer sheet in Stage 1. Can I still apply for re-evaluation now?
No. CBSE has made it clear that Stage 2 applications, which include both verification of marks and re-evaluation, are only available to those who applied for a scanned photocopy of their answer sheet in Stage 1. If you skipped Stage 1, the portal will not recognise your roll number and you will not be permitted to apply. This is the reason behind the ‘Roll Number Not Found’ error that many students encountered. There is currently no provision for exceptions to this rule.
Q2. Is there any risk that my marks could go DOWN after re-evaluation?
Yes, absolutely. CBSE officially states that marks can increase or decrease after re-evaluation, and even a single-mark reduction will be treated as the binding final result. Once your original marksheet becomes invalid, the lower score will be permanently recorded. This is why CBSE itself advises students to carefully download the official marking scheme and compare their answers question by question before deciding to apply. Do not apply based on emotion alone. Apply only if you are genuinely confident that specific answers were marked incorrectly.
Q3. My scanned answer sheet is blurry and I cannot read my own answers. What should I do?
This is one of the most common complaints in the 2026 OSM controversy. If your scanned copy is unreadable or has missing pages, you should file a complaint through the official CBSE post-result portal at postresult.cbseit.in/pvr. CBSE acknowledged early technical issues and had 68,018 answer books rescanned and 13,583 pulled for manual inspection after these problems surfaced. If your issue is not resolved through the portal, you may also approach your school principal, who can escalate the matter through the regional CBSE office.
Q4. Will the OSM system continue for future exams, and what should students preparing for 2027 boards keep in mind?
All indications suggest that OSM is here to stay. It is considered a global best practice and aligns with CBSE’s broader digitisation goals. Students preparing for the 2027 board exams should assume that the OSM system will continue, likely with improvements based on the lessons from this year’s controversy. The most important things to remember are to write clearly and legibly, ensure that all pages are properly labelled with roll number and question number, and avoid writing beyond page margins since edge content may not scan properly. Being thorough in presentation will reduce the risk of evaluation errors under the digital system.