CBSE extends answer sheet access deadline till May 23 as students demand one-week extension amid portal glitches

NEW DELHI: Several CBSE Class XII students continued to face issues accessing the board’s answer sheet portal on May 20, nearly 24 hours after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the opening of the application window for obtaining evaluated answer scripts.Students had first raised concerns on social media on May 19 regarding the non-activation of the portal despite CBSE stating that the facility would begin from May 19. By Wednesday, many students reported that the portal was still displaying a “service unavailable” message.The link provided on the CBSE official website — (CBSE Answer Sheet Portal) — remained inaccessible for several users attempting to apply for copies of their evaluated answer books.One student posted online, “It has been almost 24 hours since the portal was supposed to open, but the link is still not working.”CBSE extends deadline till May 23Amid continued technical issues and student complaints, CBSE has now extended the application deadline for obtaining evaluated answer scripts from May 22 to May 23.However, students have demanded that the board extend the deadline by at least a week, arguing that the portal has remained largely non-functional since the opening of the application window.Several students claimed that a significant number of Class XII candidates intended to apply for access to their evaluated answer sheets, but technical glitches on the portal were preventing submissions.Students on social media stated that the one-day extension may not be sufficient if the portal continues to remain inaccessible for extended periods.Students seek clarity over processApart from technical glitches, several students also sought clarification regarding the distinction between obtaining evaluated answer sheets and applying for re-evaluation.According to CBSE’s notified schedule, the current phase is only for obtaining copies of evaluated answer scripts. Applications for verification of marks, discrepancy reporting and re-evaluation are scheduled to begin later, from May 26 to May 29.Many students on social media appeared to confuse the answer sheet access stage with the re-evaluation process, prompting repeated queries online.Earlier, CBSE Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj had stated that students would first receive copies of their evaluated answer books before deciding whether to proceed with verification or re-evaluation.CBSE acknowledges possibility of evaluation errorsSpeaking after the declaration of board examination results, Bhardwaj had acknowledged that errors could occur during the evaluation process considering the large volume of answer scripts assessed annually.“We evaluate approximately 1.25 crore answer scripts; there is a possibility that an error may occur somewhere,” he had said.CBSE has clarified that students identifying discrepancies after reviewing their evaluated answer sheets may apply for correction or re-evaluation during the subsequent application window.The board has also stated that marks revised after verification or re-evaluation may either increase or decrease depending on the findings of the expert panel.