New Delhi: A large-scale rehearsal of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s proposed On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII examinations encountered significant technical hurdles, with several schools reporting login failures and server-related disruptions. (CBSE news)
The mock drill, conducted on February 26, was intended to familiarise teachers with the digital evaluation process that the Central Board of Secondary Education plans to introduce from 2026. Under the new framework, answer sheets will be scanned and assessed online, replacing the traditional manual checking method. The initiative aims to streamline total calculations, minimise human error, enhance transparency, and reduce the need for examiners to travel to evaluation centres. Each teacher is expected to review approximately 20 answer scripts through the system.
According to a communication marked “Very Important,” the Board had arranged live practice sessions for teachers of Classes XI and XII, allotting each district a 30-minute window to participate in the mock evaluation.
However, the exercise reportedly ran into trouble almost immediately. Many school heads and teachers struggled to generate login credentials within the assigned time. Others who succeeded in logging in said technical issues prevented them from properly reviewing answer sheets.
A teacher from Patiala said she received a one-time password (OTP) only minutes before the session ended. “For most of the allotted half hour, the OTP did not arrive. By the time I could access the answer script, the session had concluded,” she said, adding that colleagues experienced similar delays.
Educators in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Amritsar also cited server slowdowns and repeated login errors, raising concerns about the system’s readiness for full-scale implementation.
When approached for comment, CBSE Regional Officer Sanjay Bisht said the issue did not fall within his purview and suggested contacting the Board’s public relations division. Niti Shankar Sharma, Deputy Secretary (Media and Public Relations), acknowledged queries and requested they be sent via email, though no formal clarification had been issued at the time of reporting.
Harpreet Kaur, Principal of Budha Dal Public School in Patiala and the city’s CBSE coordinator, stated that a majority of institutions were able to join the exercise. She estimated that around 80 percent of schools logged in successfully but conceded that login, logout, and marking-related issues were reported and have been formally communicated to the Board.
Meanwhile, Vivek Tiwari, Principal of DAV Public School in Patiala, said his institution completed the evaluation without major difficulty. He suggested that in some cases delays may have stemmed from late sharing of login details within schools.
The Board’s transition to digital marking marks a major shift in examination administration. However, the setbacks during the trial run have prompted calls for more rigorous testing and technical strengthening before the system is rolled out nationwide.
