‘Feeling Devastated’: CBSE 12th students allege low marks due to on-screen marking; call for manual evaluation

CBSE OSM Checking: CBSE's Class 12 results are out, and only 1% of students scored 95% and above, while around 94,000 crossed the 90% mark. But CBSE’s newly introduced on-screen evaluation has sparked controversy, with students flooding social media demanding free manual revaluation over alleged marking discrepancies.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced OSM evaluation system to scan answer books and evaluate them on secure digital platforms, rather than physically handling scripts at evaluation centres. The move aimed for transparency, faster result processing and elimination of clerical errors in the 12th results.

This year, CBSE Class 12 overall pass percentage stands at 85.20%, which is a 3.19% drop in the pass rate from 88.39% in the previous year. While the number of students passing the CBSE 12th exam has risen by 10,802, the sharp rise in the number of students has caused a dip in the overall pass percentage.

CBSE 12th Result: Unexpectedly low marks, students say

Many students have alleged that CBSE’s newly launched OSM evaluation has led to “unexpected low marks” in Class 12 board exams. Students and parents have also called for free manual evaluation of the answer scripts for those who appeal for re-evaluation.

A user posted on X and said: “I would like to make an appeal for the SCANNED COPIES of our ANSWER SCRIPTS FREE OF COST to those who appeal for re-evaluation because a lot of discrepancies have been noticed and considering OSM it isn't difficult.”

Another user posted on X and said her daughter scored 99.2 percentile in JEE Main BArch exam and got compartment in CBSE 12th maths exam, saying the careers of many bright students have been ruined.

“Devastated is an understatement!! My daughter has scored 99.2 percentile in JE Mains for B.ARCH and got compartment in Maths paper!! Which shift hole are we pushing our children into?? Is this NEW INDIA/NAYA BHARAT???? Careers of bright students ruined...we want justice. Period.” the user posted on X.

Also read ‘More exhausting than manual’: How CBSE on-screen marking system is draining teachers it was meant to help

CBSE Class 12 Result 2026: ‘OSM a mistake’

Another user wrote on X and said the OSM evaluation is directly affecting students’ careers and future. The user pointed out that if the OSM system is overlooking step marking, diagram evaluation or long answers for faster result processing, then it will adversely affect students' scores and it should not be brushed aside merely a "technical process."

“A student’s two years of hard work cannot become a victim of rushed digital checking. CBSE must ensure transparency, fair evaluation, and proper rechecking support for every student.” the user posted on X.

CBSE OSM Checking: Mixed responses from students, teachers

A report by Careers360 highlighted the concerns of teachers and students for OSM. For the teachers, the proposal felt like both ‘disruption and relief.’ Teachers added that OSM may eliminate any arithmetic mistakes and also reduce the burden of physically transporting answer scripts.

However, many teachers also raised accountability concerns if there are technical glitches, autosave failures, or mark submission errors. Moreover, a class 10 student described his concern as an “invisible risk.”

“If something goes wrong technically, it feels more unfair because we cannot see it. If a teacher miscalculates, we can apply for re-evaluation. But if a system misreads something, it feels like arguing with a machine, amongst other concerns," a Class 10th from Tamil Nadu said. Read More: Less bias, more risk? CBSE on-screen marking system leaves Class 12 students, teachers cautious but optimistic

CBSE 12th Result 2026

CBSE has placed more than 1.63 lakh students in the compartment category. The board will conduct CBSE Class 12 improvement exam 2026 on July 15.

More than 17 lakh appeared and over 15 lakh qualified for the CBSE 12th exam 2026. Girls outperformed boys, achieving an overall pass percentage of 88.86%, compared to 82.13% for boys. Region-wise, Trivandrum secured the top position with 95.62% pass rate, followed by Chennai with 93.84% and Bengaluru with 93.19%.