![\"CBSE\u2019s](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131222059,imgsize-57000,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/cbse.jpg\" "\\"CBSE")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India\u2019s largest school examination body responsible for conducting board exams for lakhs of students every year, is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the Class XII answer sheet access process after its online portal remained dysfunctional for over 24 hours despite repeated assurances.What was supposed to be a crucial and time-sensitive grievance redressal process for students has now turned into a nationwide exercise in frustration, confusion and digital helplessness.The controversy erupted after CBSE announced that the application window for obtaining scanned copies of evaluated answer books would open on May 19, 2026. However, students attempting to access the portal reported widespread failures ranging from login errors and invalid tokens to endlessly loading captchas and completely inaccessible pages.Even as students flooded social media and TOI Education\u2019s comment sections with complaints, CBSE initially maintained that the portal had gone live.But more than 24 hours later, the board quietly withdrew the answer sheet link from its official website altogether \u2014 effectively acknowledging the scale of the technical breakdown.On Wednesday afternoon, CBSE issued a circular admitting that the online application process was \u201cpresently facing technical glitches\u201d and stated that \u201ca team of experts is addressing the problem\u201d and that the portal was expected to go live again by 2 PM.As of publication, however, students continued reporting that the portal remained inaccessible.For lakhs of Class XII students anxiously waiting to review evaluated answer books before deciding whether to proceed with verification or re-evaluation, the delay is not merely a technical inconvenience \u2014 it directly impacts academic timelines, admissions planning and mental stress during an already high-pressure period.The outrage among students has been severe and widespread.\u201cHeight of stupidity, CBSE reevaluation site is still not working,\u201d wrote Kunjal Sharma, echoing the sentiment of thousands attempting to log in repeatedly since morning.Another student, Palak Kumari, wrote: \u201cCBSE re-valuation site is not working. I am trying from 10:00 hrs today.\u201dSeveral students questioned how an organisation of CBSE\u2019s scale could fail to prepare for a predictable surge in traffic despite announcing fixed application dates in advance.\u201cContinuously trying for last 24 hours. Still no success. What is IT team of CBSE doing? Utter failure,\u201d wrote Ranjit Sinha.\u201cThis is total failure of our education process and system. Such low preparedness\u2026 No official word from CBSE on portal issues shows their accountability,\u201d another reader, Arun, commented.Others pointed to the emotional and academic burden imposed on students already balancing competitive entrance examinations and college admission procedures.\u201cShould the students prepare for entrance or keep wasting time from the morning applying for revaluation? Such an unprofessional board,\u201d wrote Brinda Chakrapani.The technical failures reported by students appear extensive and systemic rather than isolated. Complaints include non-loading captchas, \u201cinvalid token\u201d messages, registration failures, inability to fetch candidate details and repeated server crashes.\u201cLogin is successful but getting issue like captcha, Invalid token and error message like \u2018Photocopy window is currently closed for this class\u2019,\u201d wrote Ranjay Singh.\u201cThe system is running super slow. Hardly able to login but not working beyond that,\u201d another student noted.The anger has also reignited broader questions about the digital preparedness of major examination bodies in India. Many students drew parallels with previous glitches witnessed during high-stakes examination and counselling processes conducted by national agencies.\u201cSuch a big organisation CBSE and NTA\u2026 can\u2019t they be well prepared for revaluations?\u201d one reader asked.The irony has not gone unnoticed either. CBSE, which routinely imposes strict procedural deadlines and compliance expectations on students and schools, now finds itself unable to ensure the smooth functioning of a basic grievance redressal portal during one of the most sensitive post-result phases of the academic calendar.What has further intensified criticism is the perceived communication vacuum. Students say there was no timely acknowledgement of the portal failure during the initial hours of the outage, even as complaints multiplied publicly.The board has now extended the deadline for applying for scanned answer sheets till May 23. However, many students are demanding a much longer extension, arguing that a one-day extension is meaningless if the portal itself remains inaccessible for most applicants.The current phase is particularly significant because students are first required to obtain copies of their evaluated answer sheets before deciding whether to seek verification of marks or re-evaluation between May 26 and May 29.Any delay in accessing answer books therefore compresses an already narrow decision-making window.CBSE Controller of Examinations Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj had earlier acknowledged that evaluation errors can occur given the massive scale of assessment involving nearly 1.25 crore answer scripts annually.Yet students argue that acknowledging possible evaluation errors makes it even more critical for the review process to function smoothly and transparently.Instead, many now find themselves trapped between uncertainty over their marks and uncertainty over whether the portal itself will work before deadlines expire.For an institution entrusted with shaping the academic futures of millions, the ongoing answer sheet portal crisis has become more than just a technical failure \u2014 it is increasingly being viewed as a test of accountability, preparedness and institutional credibility.<\/div>\n