New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education has rolled out an AI-based evaluation system to make the board exam checking process faster, more accurate, and transparent.
The move marks a major shift from the traditional method of manually checking answer sheets with red pens. Now, answer sheets are digitally scanned and evaluated on computer screens through an on-screen marking (OSM) system.
Under the new process, answer sheets collected from examination centres are sent to regional centres where they are scanned using high-speed machines. Each answer sheet is assigned a unique barcode, ensuring that the identity of the student remains hidden during evaluation. This “blind evaluation” system is aimed at maintaining fairness.
Once digitised, the answer sheets are stored on secure cloud servers. Examiners can then access them through a secure login and evaluate them either from designated centres or remotely. The system displays the student’s answer sheet alongside the official marking scheme, ensuring uniformity in marking.
The board has integrated artificial intelligence to monitor the quality of evaluation. The AI system tracks whether examiners are spending adequate time on each answer and flags cases where marking is done too quickly. It also detects irregularities in marking patterns and highlights unusual trends, such as consistently high or low scores in specific questions.
In addition, the AI system automatically calculates total marks, eliminating errors in addition and reducing discrepancies during re-checking. It also ensures that no answer is left unchecked, as the software flags any unmarked sections instantly.
The digital system is expected to significantly reduce the time taken for the declaration of results. It also removes the possibility of errors during the transfer of marks to final mark sheets, as the entire process is automated.
Officials said the initiative is aimed at enhancing reliability and transparency in the examination system. With AI monitoring every step, students are less likely to lose marks due to human errors such as incorrect totalling or unchecked answers.
The board sees this transition as a step towards a more advanced, fully AI-driven evaluation system in the future, ensuring greater efficiency and trust in the examination process.
