Education Ministry denies OSM blame, reevaluation and verification fees ₹100
Worried about the lower CBSE Class 12 pass rate this year?
The Ministry of Education says the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system isn't to blame, even though pass percentages dipped from 88.39% in 2025 to 85.2% in 2026.
To help stressed students, the ministry has cut re-evaluation and verification fees down to ₹100 per answer sheet.
Sanjay Kumar: OSM scanned 98L sheets
Officials explained that OSM, used by several international boards and some institutions in India, makes marking fairer and more consistent.
School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar shared that out of 98 lakh answer sheets checked with OSM, about 13,000 answer sheets faced post-scanning legibility issues due to lighter ink and were evaluated manually.
CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh added that OSM speeds up evaluations and gives students quicker access to their verified sheets without changing how marks are given.
The board will keep an eye on its effectiveness based on re-evaluation requests.