CBSE extends Class 12 answer sheet copy deadline amid portal glitches and payment failures

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has extended the deadline for Class 12 students to apply for scanned photocopies of their evaluated answer books till May 24 after widespread complaints about technical glitches, failed payments, and repeated disruptions on its online portal.

The earlier deadline was May 23. In a circular issued on May 22, CBSE Controller of Examinations Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj said the board’s website had been experiencing unusually high traffic along with repeated attempts of unauthorized interference, affecting the functioning of the system.

“The CBSE website has been facing unprecedented traffic over the past few days and has also faced several attempts of unauthorized interference, which has made it prone to disruptions. Hence, in an attempt to ensure that no student is left behind, the Board is extending the last date for obtaining scanned photocopies of answer books of the Class 12 Board Examinations,” the board said.

The extension comes after students and parents across the country reported multiple issues while trying to access the portal for scanned answer sheets.

Complaints began surfacing on May 19 soon after the application window opened, with candidates reporting repeated “service unavailable” messages, disappearing links, login failures, frozen pages, and portal crashes.

Although CBSE later stated that the portal was “fully functional,” many users continued facing difficulties. Several students claimed that payments were deducted from their bank accounts while the application status still showed “payment unsuccessful.”

Social media platforms were flooded with screenshots and complaints, prompting the board to issue multiple clarifications before extending the deadline again.

CBSE also clarified that students will continue to receive up to two days after obtaining scanned copies of their answer books to apply for the next stage of the post-result process, including verification of marks and re-evaluation.

The controversy around the reevaluation process has intensified after students alleged inconsistencies in the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation system.

Some students claimed that fully written answers appeared as blank pages in scanned copies, while others alleged that correct one-mark MCQs were awarded only 0.5 marks despite matching the official answer key.

One user shared images online showing evaluated answer book pages where student responses allegedly appeared blank in the scanned version.

Another student highlighted an instance where a one-mark objective question received only 0.5 marks even though the response reportedly matched the official answer key.

However, some users suggested that spelling mistakes or presentation errors by students could also be responsible for certain discrepancies.

Parents and students have also raised concerns about the quality of scanned answer sheets uploaded by CBSE.

Many students complained that the copies were blurry and difficult to read, leading some to question how evaluators could accurately assess such scripts through the On-Screen Marking system.

The reevaluation process faced further criticism after screenshots circulating online appeared to show fluctuating reevaluation fees on the CBSE portal.

One X user, @sidhant_sarthak, alleged on May 22 that the system had been “hacked.”

“Good morning @cbseindia29 your site was hacked, students were scammed,” the user wrote.

The post further claimed that the reevaluation fee displayed on the portal changed multiple times within hours. “Last night the price was changed to ₹1 then to ₹69.67 and now to ₹8000 and as of 3 minutes ago ₹69420 for each subject.”

The screenshots quickly spread across social media platforms, triggering disbelief, memes, and criticism from students already frustrated with the ongoing post-result process.

The latest controversy comes after nearly three days of continuous complaints linked to CBSE’s reevaluation and answer-sheet copy portal.

Students have reported login issues, payment failures, repeated error messages, and delays in accessing scanned answer books.

The situation has added pressure on students simultaneously preparing for competitive examinations such as JEE, NEET, and CUET.

Many users on social media are now demanding greater accountability, improved communication, and permanent technical fixes from the board instead of repeated deadline extensions and clarifications.

Students can apply for scanned photocopies of their evaluated answer books through the official CBSE portal at pvr.cbseit.in/pvr/.