CBSE Clarifies Doubts Over Mark Discrepancies In Scanned Answer Sheets Amid Verification And Re-Evaluation Requests
· Free Press Journal
New Delhi: The CBSE clarified after students spotted possible marks mismatches in their scanned answer sheets compared to the board's records, during the current verification and re-evaluation process.
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According to the board, the confusion has largely arisen in cases where students attempted more questions than required, particularly in sections offering internal choices. CBSE said that while all attempted answers may appear in the scanned copy, only the marks from the answer that benefits the student the most are included in the final calculation.
Why the totals may look different
In a notice issued to students, CBSE explained that many question papers contain internal choices, allowing candidates to answer one out of two alternatives. However, some students choose to answer both options.
As per the board's long-standing evaluation policy, the higher score obtained among the attempted alternatives is considered for the final result, while the marks from the additional answer are excluded from the total. The board used an asterisk (*) to indicate omitted marks. Sometimes, students adding up the total marks manually include these starred ones by mistake. This could make them think there's an error in the final total, though.
Example shared by the board
To show how this works, CBSE used an example with Question 31. Students had to pick one subpart, either (a) or (b). In the example, the student got three marks for (a) and two for (b). But since just one part was needed, the board only counted the higher score—three marks—for (a).
They wisely didn't discard those extra marks entirely though. The two marks for (b) were clearly noted with an asterisk and a separate little footnote. This explained that those starred marks weren't actually factored into the final score though. As a result, the student's score came to 43.5, which was then rounded off to 44 as per the board's rules.
Students asked to check footnotes carefully
CBSE has urged students seeking verification or re-evaluation to carefully review the asterisk marks and explanatory footnotes provided in their scanned answer sheets before calculating their scores.
The clarification comes at a time when thousands of students are accessing scanned copies of their answer books and applying for post-result services, including verification of marks and re-evaluation. The board said understanding the marking methodology would help avoid unnecessary confusion and concerns regarding the accuracy of result calculations.