The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is facing criticism over its use of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluating Class 12 examinations. An internal observation report had identified at least 36 technical, operational, and assessment-related issues during a trial run of the system.
The report, prepared after a trial at five Delhi schools in January 2026, flagged concerns such as 'blind or superficial checking', weaker supervision, and a lack of protections against data loss. These concerns were raised weeks before the board rolled out the system across the country.
Despite the warning signs, CBSE ignored suggestions from its own governing body to conduct pilot projects across regional offices before introducing the OSM system. Instead, a two-day trial involving only 100 teachers was carried out in January.
The board has faced criticism from students and parents over technical problems, payment-related difficulties, and issues in accessing services during the verification and re-evaluation process. Several Class 12 students claimed there were irregularities in their marks, and some alleged that the scanned answer sheets uploaded by the board did not match their handwriting.
CBSE released a FAQ document in May, which addressed some of the concerns raised in the January report. However, the board did not respond to queries regarding the observation report or the concerns mentioned in it.
