CBSE post-result portal faces technical chaos, deadline extended till May 25

CBSE has extended the deadline for Class 12 students to apply for scanned copies of evaluated answer sheets till midnight on May 25 after widespread complaints about technical glitches, payment failures, and portal access issues disrupted the post-result process across the country.

The extension, announced through a fresh circular by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), comes amid mounting criticism from students and parents who reported repeated login failures, inaccessible pages, delayed payment confirmations, and incomplete applications despite multiple attempts over several days.

The problems began after CBSE introduced its online post-result system linked to the newly implemented On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation framework.

Under the process, students can apply online for scanned copies of answer books, verification of marks, and re-evaluation services.

Soon after the portal was opened, students began flagging payment gateway failures and technical breakdowns.

Several users claimed that money had been deducted from their bank accounts, but applications were not reflected on the portal. Others complained of being unable to access the system during peak hours.

As complaints intensified, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan intervened and directed technical experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur to assist CBSE in resolving the glitches affecting the portal and payment systems.

According to officials, the IIT teams have been tasked with examining portal stability, server performance, login authentication systems, user access mechanisms, and technical workflows associated with the board’s post-examination services.

“The expert teams will implement focused technological improvements of the systems and technical workflows and will specifically examine portal stability and server performance,” the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

The ministry further said that the IIT experts “will also examine the overall IT infrastructure robustness and assist in taking corrective measures to ensure that login authentication/user access systems/payment gateways are accurate and in order.”

The Education Minister also held discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding payment-related issues being faced by students during the re-evaluation and verification process.

Following the discussions, four public sector banks, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, and Indian Bank, have been asked to support CBSE in strengthening its payment gateway infrastructure and stabilizing digital transaction systems linked to the board’s post-result services portal.

According to the Ministry of Education, the banks will help introduce stronger payment protocols aimed at reducing transaction failures, improving payment confirmations, and enabling automatic refunds in cases where excess fees were charged.

The coordinated effort involving the Ministry of Finance, IIT experts, and public sector banks is expected to improve the reliability of the system used by lakhs of students every year for services such as answer sheet photocopies, mark verification, and re-evaluation.

The latest intervention follows days of criticism over the functioning of the CBSE “Photocopy Verification Re-Evaluation Service” portal, which students said repeatedly crashed or failed to process payments properly after applications opened on May 19.

Students and parents also raised concerns about unusually high and inconsistent fee deductions during the application process.

In several cases, students reported being charged extremely high amounts while applying for scanned answer books.

According to CBSE Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj, some candidates were charged as high as ₹69,420 per subject because of technical errors, while others were charged as little as ₹1.

CBSE clarified that students who paid excess amounts would receive refunds through the same payment method used for the transaction. Candidates who paid lower-than-required fees will be contacted separately and informed about the remaining payment process.

“Taken cognisance of the issues where excess payment was taken and somewhere a lesser amount was charged for re-evaluation,” the Board stated, adding that “in case of excess payment, the excess amount will be refunded.”

The board also clarified that students who had already submitted applications for scanned answer books would not need to reapply.

Apart from payment-related concerns, students and teachers also questioned the quality of scanned answer sheets uploaded through the portal.

Many students reported receiving blurred or partially illegible scanned copies, while others claimed that some answers appeared to have been left unchecked by examiners.

Several complaints were also raised regarding totaling errors and allegedly incorrect marking of responses.

The controversy further intensified scrutiny of the CBSE's newly adopted On-Screen Marking system, which was implemented this year as part of the board’s digital evaluation reforms.

The Ministry of Education had earlier defended the OSM framework, but the current round of complaints triggered demands for a review of the system’s preparedness and implementation.

Pradhan has now sought a detailed report from CBSE regarding the technical failures, preparedness measures, and accountability of agencies managing the end-to-end re-evaluation process.

Officials said the minister specifically flagged server downtime, repeated payment gateway failures, and lack of stability during peak traffic periods.

The Ministry reiterated that “student interest remains paramount” and directed CBSE to ensure that all corrective measures are undertaken on priority to establish a “transparent, efficient, and student-friendly system.”

CBSE, meanwhile, said it has continuously monitored all reported issues and taken corrective steps, including multiple deadline extensions and technical interventions.

This is the third extension announced by the board in connection with the ongoing post-result process, underlining the scale of disruption caused by the portal problems.

According to the CBSE, more than 8.86 lakh answer sheets were evaluated under the On-Screen Marking system this year. The board said that scanned answer books are being generated digitally and released continuously as applications are processed.

The board said that every answer script flagged for review is examined by panels of subject experts to ensure fairness and accuracy during the verification and re-evaluation process.

“The response to the facility has been extremely large, with a very high number of students applying within a short span of time,” CBSE said.

At the same time, the board acknowledged receiving feedback from students regarding difficulties accessing the portal, delays in payment confirmation, blurred or missing pages in scanned copies, and concerns about unmarked or incorrectly marked responses.

CBSE also advised students not to make repeated payment attempts while confirmation is pending, warning that duplicate transactions could lead to additional delays and confusion.

“Parents are requested to encourage students to remain calm and to rely only on official information issued by CBSE. In times like these, incomplete or misleading information can create unnecessary worry and cause anxiety,” the Board added.

Parents’ groups had earlier written to the Prime Minister demanding a 7- to 10-day extension in the re-evaluation process, along with a transparent grievance redressal mechanism, functional helplines, and immediate resolution of technical glitches affecting the portal.

The last date for applying for scanned copies of answer sheets had initially been May 23 before being extended to May 24 and later to May 25 following continued disruptions.

Officials said the portal for re-evaluation requests will remain open for two days after the final scanned answer book is dispatched by the Board.