CBSE's on-screen marking mock evaluation marred by technical glitches; schools flag login issues

The first mass mock evaluation of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII board examinations conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) failed to achieve the desired outcome, as school heads and teachers across the region struggled to generate login IDs. Those who managed to access the portal complained they could not properly evaluate the answer sheets due to technical glitches.

From 2026, CBSE has decided to implement the OSM system for Class XII board examinations, shifting from physical to digital evaluation. Under the new system, answer sheets will be scanned and evaluated on computers. The process is aimed at automating total calculations, reducing human error, improving transparency and enabling wider participation of examiners without the need for travel. Each evaluator will be assigned around 20 answer scripts.

However, the mandatory mass mock evaluation conducted on February 26 witnessed widespread disruption.

In a communique marked ‘Very Important’, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the Board stated that live practice sessions of the digital evaluation system had been provided to familiarise teachers of Classes XI and XII with the new process. Each district was allotted a 30-minute time slot for the mock drill.

The exercise, however, reportedly descended into chaos as many schools failed to generate login IDs on time. By the time several participants managed to access the portal, their allotted session had already concluded.

“In the 30-minute time slot allotted for the mass mock evaluation on February 26, I did not receive the OTP for the first 27 minutes. By the time the OTP arrived and the answer sheet opened online, the session was over. The entire exercise proved futile. Not only I, but all my colleagues also faced similar issues due to delayed OTPs,” said a schoolteacher from Patiala.

Teachers from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar reported similar difficulties, citing problems with the server.

When contacted, CBSE Regional Officer Sanjay Bisht said the matter did not fall under his jurisdiction and advised contacting the Board’s Public Relations Authority. Niti Shankar Sharma, deputy secretary (media and public relations), CBSE, acknowledged the queries and asked that they be sent via email. However, no response had been received.

Harpreet Kaur, Principal of Budha Dal Public School, Patiala, and city coordinator of CBSE, said nearly 80 per cent of schools managed to join the session.

“Some issues were faced by schools regarding login, logout and on-screen marking. All these concerns have been flagged to CBSE through email,” she said.

Vivek Tiwari, Principal of DAV Public School, Patiala, said teachers at his school managed to log in and evaluate the papers. He said that this issue could have occurred only in those schools where login credentials were not shared by the heads of the schools on time.