Coempt claims scanning errors, not OSM portal or security weakness, responsible for exam chaos

EdTech company Coempt Edu Teck has responded to concerns surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) platform, stating that a recent answer-sheet mix-up was caused by a scanning and uploading error during the physical digitisation process and not by any flaw in its software. The company said the incident does not reflect a systemic failure in its technology or operations and has been engaging with stakeholders to clarify issues related to answer-sheet access, image quality and data security.

It currently works with more than 35 universities and institutions and processes nearly two crore answer booklets every year through services such as digitisation, on-screen marking, AI-assisted evaluation and question-paper management.

Amid the ongoing debate, Coempt urged educational institutions to review its track record and official records before arriving at conclusions about its role in the controversy.

Answer sheet mix-up linked to scanning

One of the key concerns raised recently involved a student allegedly receiving another candidate's answer sheet. As per the Coempt, its investigation found that the issue originated during the physical scanning process and was not caused by a flaw in the software platform.

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“We have identified the location and the individual who conducted the scanning. We have verified 100% that, technologically, there is no error in this case,” the company said.

Coempt maintained that the incident was the result of manual oversight. It also noted that answer sheets have already been provided to nearly 95 per cent of students who had applied for access, despite a few operational bottlenecks.

Company rejects hardware allegations

The company also responded to complaints regarding blurred answer-sheet images and concerns over handwriting visibility. It said such cases are being examined in coordination with the relevant evaluation authorities.

Coempt further denied claims that tender requirements had been modified to allow the use of inferior hardware. “The scanners used by Coempt are standard, industry-grade models utilised across the sector. We upgrade our hardware year-on-year and the scanning resolution is perfect,” it said.

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The company maintained that its scanning infrastructure meets industry standards and is regularly upgraded to support large-scale examination processes.

Clarification on security concerns

Questions were also raised after a 19-year-old ethical hacker claimed to have accessed parts of the company's platform. Coempt acknowledged the incident but said the server involved was used only for testing and had no connection with live client operations.

The server contained only dummy data and was intended for internal testing purposes. It stressed that no student information or operational systems were compromised. All client-facing infrastructure remains secure and the testing environment is completely separate from systems used for examinations and evaluations.

Company cites supreme court record

Referring to renewed discussion around the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination controversy, Coempt pointed to observations made by the Supreme Court of India during the case.

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Out of 3.8 lakh students who had initially failed, only 1,183 were found to have passed after a review, amounting to an evaluation variance of 0.16 per cent. The Supreme Court subsequently rejected pleas seeking large-scale re-evaluation, compensation for students and criminal proceedings against the technology provider.

By highlighting the court's findings, the record does not support claims of a widespread technological failure in the evaluation process.