The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has come under criticism after its portal for Class XII answer-sheet re-evaluation remained non-functional throughout the fixed application window, raising fears that students could miss opportunities for next grade admissions at premier institutions.
The board had initially scheduled the re-evaluation application window from May 26 to May 29. However, students reported being unable to access the portal during the entire period. On Friday evening, CBSE announced that the portal would instead become operational on June 1, citing the need to ensure a glitch-free process.
The delay has triggered concerns among students, parents and school administrators, particularly because the re-evaluation process could now extend into a crucial phase of college admissions.
“If the CBSE accepts requests for re-evaluation on June 1, it may take about a week to complete the process and publish revised results,” a Delhi school principal said. “By then, many students may have lost opportunities to secure admission to institutions of their choice. The CBSE is playing with students’ futures.”
Anixiety over admission deadline for CUET ranking
Students seeking a review of their marks have expressed frustration over the prolonged uncertainty. One student who appeared for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) on Friday said, on condition of anonymity, that she had repeatedly attempted to submit a re-evaluation request without success.
“I was unable to focus properly on preparing for my CUET papers because of the low marks awarded to me in Class XII,” she said. “I spent nearly an hour trying to submit a request in the morning and again after my exam, but the portal still did not work.”
The difficulties are linked to the CBSE’s introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII answer sheets from this year. Under the new system, answer sheets are scanned, digitally transmitted to examiners and evaluated on-screen.
Several students have alleged that flaws in the digitisation process may have contributed to unexpectedly low scores. Concerns have been raised about blurred scans, illegible copies and other technical issues that may have affected evaluation accuracy.
Original application window for re-evaluation extended
Problems first emerged when students attempted to obtain copies of their evaluated answer sheets, a mandatory step before applying for re-evaluation. The portal used for this process reportedly functioned inconsistently, forcing CBSE to extend the original May 19–22 deadline multiple times.
In at least two cases, students alleged that their answer sheets had been swapped with those of other candidates, resulting in incorrect marks. The board has reportedly acknowledged these instances.
According to CBSE, answer-sheet copies have so far been provided to nearly four lakh students. In a post on social media at 4.50 pm on Friday, the board said the re-evaluation portal would be activated from June 1.
“In order to ensure a transparent and glitch-free process for verification and revaluation of answer books of students who intend to submit their applications on the Post-Result Activities portal, it has been decided that the designated portal will now be operational from 1st June 2026,” CBSE said.
JEE results to be announced on June 1
The announcement has intensified concerns because the results of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced are also scheduled to be declared on June 1, with counselling and seat allocation beginning the following day.
For admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), candidates must either secure at least 75 per cent marks in their Class XII examinations or rank among the top 20 percentile of their respective boards, regardless of their JEE Advanced performance.
Educationists warn that students who narrowly missed the eligibility threshold due to potential evaluation errors could lose their chance to secure IIT seats if revised marks are not processed in time.
“It would be unfortunate if students with strong JEE Advanced performances miss IIT admission because they fall marginally short of the 75 per cent requirement due to issues associated with the new digital marking system,” the principal said.
The delay could also affect admissions to universities that continue to use Class XII board marks as a key admission criterion. Many institutions have already begun their admission processes.
CBSE re-assures students: ‘Don’t panic’
Meanwhile, CBSE has sought to reassure stakeholders by directing principals of affiliated schools to circulate video reels explaining the benefits of the new evaluation system.
The board provided schools with a scripted message praising the OSM system and describing the problems as temporary “bumps”. The message highlights the scale of the initiative, noting that nearly 98 lakh answer sheets were digitised under the new system.
“Please, do not panic,” the scripted message states. “I want to reassure every student and parent that no child will be allowed to suffer due to a technical error. CBSE has been highly proactive, empathetic, and communicative regarding these teething issues.”
Despite these assurances, the continuing technical problems have fuelled criticism of the board’s handling of the transition to digital evaluation, with many stakeholders demanding faster resolution and safeguards to ensure students are not disadvantaged during the ongoing admission season.