CBSE's OSM system had failed during the trials itself; the Board implemented it despite overlooking the flaws..
There is an uproar regarding the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Issues have arisen where students' Class 12 results were adversely affected due to glitches in the OSM process. The central government has constituted a one-member committee to investigate this matter. Meanwhile, it has come to light that the CBSE's OSM system had failed during the trial phase itself; yet, the board ignored the flaws and implemented the system, leading to grievances from lakhs of students. It has been revealed that teachers and experts had warned of dozens of technical and evaluation-related issues before the examinations.
Let us understand this entire matter in detail. We will look at what transpired during the CBSE OSM trial—when and where it took place, and what specific glitches were identified.
**Trial Conducted in Five Delhi Schools**
This time, CBSE evaluated Class 12 answer sheets digitally under the OSM system. Before full-scale implementation, the board conducted a three-day trial in five prominent Delhi schools in January 2026. Representatives from private and government schools in Delhi, as well as from Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, participated in this trial. Additionally, principals, examiners, Additional Head Examiners (AHEs), and subject experts were trained in the OSM system before evaluating the answer sheets.
However, according to the minutes of the Governing Body meeting held in June 2025, members had suggested that pilot projects covering various subjects should be conducted across different regional offices before implementing On-Screen Marking (OSM) nationwide.
**Glitches Remained Unresolved After Three Days**
According to sources, participants encountered several glitches and identified numerous serious issues during the CBSE OSM trial. The most concerning aspect was that several technical flaws observed on the first day could not be resolved even by the end of the three-day trial. According to sources, the second report prepared after the trial documented at least 36 concerns related to technical, operational, and evaluation aspects.
**Flaws identified during the OSM trial**
Let us look at the shortcomings that came to light during the trial of the CBSE Class 12 OSM (On-Screen Marking) system.
Marks increased by the Additional Head Examiner (AHE) appeared as a decrease in the system instead of an increase.
Marks displayed on the screen often did not match the official marking scheme.
For questions with multiple sections, marks for only one section were visible.
MCQs should carry either one mark or zero, yet the OSM system was awarding 0.5 marks.
In some instances, the OSM system forced the awarding of 0.5 marks, even though the marking scheme did not permit it.
The platform repeatedly froze or hung when the 'Undo' button was used.
Several designated marks were not visible at all on the evaluation interface.
Data was not auto-saving during evaluation; examiners were able to enter marks even for blank pages and unanswered questions.
**Students raised similar allegations**
CBSE declared the Class 12 results on May 13. Following the announcement, a large number of students from across the country lodged complaints. Many students alleged that the evaluation of their answer sheets was incomplete, while others claimed their answers were only partially evaluated. Students also complained about receiving different marks for identical answers and reported issues such as blurred scanned answer sheets.
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