Coempt Edu Teck, the Hyderabad-based company behind the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, has defended its examination technology platform amid criticism over glitches reported during the answer sheet verification and re-evaluation process.
In its first detailed public response, the company said that nearly 95 percent of students who requested scanned copies of their answer sheets have already received them, while also rejecting allegations related to cybersecurity lapses, poor-quality hardware, and irregularities in the tender process.
The clarification comes after several students reported receiving scanned answer sheets that did not belong to them during the post-result review process.
Coempt Attributes Errors to Manual Scanning Process
Addressing concerns over mismatched answer sheets, Coempt said the issue was not caused by its software platform. Instead, it traced at least one reported incident to human error during the physical scanning stage.
According to the company, an internal review identified the location and personnel involved in the scanning process. Preliminary findings suggested that the mix-up occurred due to manual oversight rather than any technological failure.
The company stressed that its software systems functioned as intended and that no systemic technical issue had been found.
More Than Four Lakh Students Applied for Scanned Copies
CBSE records show that 404,319 students applied for access to scanned answer sheets after the board announced Class 12 results.
Based on Coempt’s figures, approximately 384,103 students have already received access, while around 20,216 requests remain pending.
The company did not specify when the remaining requests would be processed, and CBSE has yet to provide a timeline for completion.
Concerns Over Image Quality Remain Under Review
Coempt acknowledged receiving complaints about blurred images and readability issues in some scanned answer sheets. However, it said the matter is being reviewed in coordination with education authorities.
The board used Coempt’s OnMark platform to evaluate nearly 10 million Class 12 answer scripts digitally before results were announced.
Out of roughly 9.8 million answer sheets scanned, more than 68,000 experienced image-quality issues, while over 13,000 scripts required manual evaluation because they could not be properly assessed through the digital platform.
Company Rejects Cybersecurity Allegations
Responding to reports about possible security vulnerabilities, Coempt stated that no student data was compromised.
The company said a recent claim by an ethical hacker involved only a publicly accessible testing server used for internal purposes. It maintained that operational systems and examination data remained secure throughout the process.
Coempt added that it continues to comply with regulatory standards and currently supports more than 35 educational institutions across India, processing nearly two crore answer booklets annually through digitisation, on-screen marking, AI-assisted evaluation, and examination management solutions.
Tender Process Faces Renewed Scrutiny
Questions have also been raised about CBSE’s procurement process after reports suggested that certain tender conditions were relaxed before the contract was awarded.
However, Coempt strongly denied allegations that specifications were altered to accommodate lower-quality equipment. The company said it uses industry-standard scanners that undergo regular upgrades and maintenance.
It also stated that neither the company nor any of its previous entities has ever been blacklisted by any educational board, university, or government agency.
Future of CBSE’s Digital Evaluation System
The controversy has prompted CBSE to move its re-evaluation process to a revised platform hosted on board-controlled servers with support from experts at IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.
Despite the ongoing scrutiny, Coempt says it remains committed to transparency, secure operations, and supporting large-scale digital examination systems across the country.
As students and parents await further clarification from CBSE, the company maintains that isolated operational issues should not overshadow the overall success and scale of the digital evaluation project.
