First-Time OMR Sheets and Stepwise Marking in Himachal Board Exams
Dharamshala – The annual board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 in Himachal Pradesh began on Tuesday with enhanced security measures and major reforms in the examination process. The Himachal Pradesh School Education Board has set up around 2,300 examination centres across the state, where nearly two lakh students are appearing for the exams this year.
For the first time, Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets are being used for multiple-choice questions in board exams, marking a significant shift towards modernizing the evaluation process. Along with this, stepwise marking has also been introduced, allowing students to earn partial marks for correct steps even if the final answer is incomplete or incorrect. This change is aimed at making the marking system more transparent and student-friendly.
The exams commenced with the Hindi paper for Class 10 regular and State Open School (SOS) candidates, in which 99,804 students appeared. Simultaneously, the Class 12 Economics exam was held in the morning session with 93,494 students registered in both regular and SOS categories.
In addition to the new exam format, the board has implemented strict anti-cheating measures. Surveillance at examination centres is being conducted through CCTV cameras, and flying squads are active across the state to monitor the exams. Seven layers of monitoring are in place, involving superintendents, deputy superintendents, board-level flying squads, education department officials, and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs).
To further strengthen exam management, the board is using the ‘Exam Mitra’ mobile application to track real-time updates from every exam centre. This includes details of question paper bundle openings, student attendance, arrival and inspection times of flying squads, and any cases of cheating detected. All data is uploaded online to ensure complete transparency.
Board officials stated that these reforms have been introduced to ensure smooth, fair, and tamper-proof conduct of exams, minimizing errors and malpractice. With the combination of technology, stricter supervision, and student-friendly evaluation, the board aims to set a new standard for examinations in the state.
