In a significant step to promote transparency in the examination process, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rolled out an updated post-result procedure for students of Class X and XII. Before declaring results for the board exams held in 2025, the CBSE has declared that students will now be provided with photocopies of their marked answer sheets prior to opting for verification of marks or seeking a re-check. This is a substantial change from the previous practice, which involved students applying for verification first before being permitted to seek answer sheet copies.

As per CBSE, the new schedule has been prepared to give students more clarity on how their performance will be assessed. By enabling them to view their answer sheets first, the board seeks to enable students to take a well-informed decision on whether or not to obtain verification or re-evaluation, based on real evidence of any discrepancies or marking errors.

The CBSE, through its official release, clarified that students would be able to examine their answer sheets carefully to look for any probable errors in the totalling, any responses that were not marked, or any other errors. The release went on to inform that students may search for explicit comments provided by the evaluators, which will provide an understanding of the process of marking. Transparency provided through this method will lower redundant requests for verification or re-evaluation and will bring forward only the actual cases to proceed to the subsequent stage.

The Board spelt out the procedure, stating, “A candidate, having received the photocopy of the assessed answer book in the first step, can choose whether to apply for verification of marks — which includes verification of posting and totalling of marks or verification of unevaluated questions — or re-evaluation, wherein the candidate applies for re-evaluation of a specific question or questions thereto.” The procedure is thus designed so that candidates do not make choices in the dark on verification or re-evaluation, but rather decide based on what they actually find in their answer scripts.

The students and parents have both appreciated this step, considering it the right move to establish trust in the evaluation and examination process. Not only does it provide an opportunity for the candidates to evaluate the quality and correctness of their marking, but it also provides them with a platform to dispute any genuine errors that could have escaped earlier.

The CBSE has also promised that the step-by-step procedures for procuring photocopies, requesting verification of marks, and seeking re-evaluation will be made public in due course — after the board declares the results of Class X and XII. While there is as yet no date declared for the declaration of results, it is likely that both Class X and XII results will be declared together.

Results will be made accessible to students on various digital mediums. These are the official portals — cbseresults.nic.in, results.cbse.nic.in, and cbse.nic.in — along with government portals like digilocker.gov.in and results.gov.in. Moreover, results will also be provided through the UMANG mobile application and SMS facilities, making it possible for multiple access points for students all over the country.

The CBSE Class X board examinations were organized from February 15 to March 1, 2025, and the Class XII board exams were organized from February 15 to April 4, 2025. All the exams were conducted in one shift, starting at 10.30 am and ending at 1.30 pm.

This shift in the post-result process is being welcomed as a student-friendly decision that emphasizes fairness, accuracy, and the psychological well-being of students. By giving a chance to see their assessed answer sheets beforehand, the board is solving long-standing issues regarding transparency and accountability in the examination process. The decision is likely to prove a big respite to numerous students in India who wait with bated breath for their results and gives them a sense of autonomy over how their performances are assessed and processed.