COEMPT, the company responsible for the On-Screen Marking (OSM) process for the CBSE Class 12 examinations, has issued a clarification over the controversy surrounding mismatched scanned answer sheets, asserting that the incident was caused by "human error rather than any technical or system failure."
The clarification comes nearly a month after the issue surfaced amid growing scrutiny of the digital evaluation system after some Class 12 students claimed that the scanned copies of their answer sheets, uploaded by the board, did not match their handwriting, raising concerns about potential mismatches in the OSM system.
Human error: COEMPT on OSM glitches
In a statement issued nearly a month after the issue surfaced, the company said there was "no flaw in the answer sheet scanning system or the AI-assisted evaluation process." Instead, it said the 'error was caused by the person or institution scanning it." The company also claimed that the student receiving someone else's copy was "not due to the system or AI, but due to human error."
"We have identified the location and the person who performed the scanning. We have 100% verified that there is no technical error in this case," it said, adding that preliminary investigations point entirely to human error.
Defending its technology and processes, COEMPT said its OSM platform has a proven track record in operations, scanning quality, and data security.
Our scanners meet industry standards: COEMPT
COEMPT said that nearly 95 per cent of students who had applied for access to their answer sheets had already received them. The company added that complaints regarding blurred images and poor handwriting visibility were being examined in coordination with the relevant evaluation authorities.
Responding to allegations that substandard scanning equipment had been used, COEMPT said its scanners meet industry standards and that the company regularly upgrades its hardware infrastructure to ensure high-quality scanning and data processing.
Addressing cybersecurity concerns arising from claims made by a 19-year-old ethical hacker, COEMPT clarified that the system accessed was an internal testing server and not part of its live operational infrastructure.
The company further asserted that no student data or client systems were compromised during the incident, maintaining that its core operational platforms remained secure.
COEMPT stated that it provides services to more than 35 universities and institutions across the country, processing approximately 20 million answer sheets annually through services such as digitisation, on-screen marking, AI-assisted evaluation, and question paper management.
The company claims that its operations, compliance standards, and service delivery are completely secure and smooth.
With over 2 decades of experience in the exam solution space, the company currently serves over 35 universities/institutions in India and processes around 2 crore answer sheets annually.
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