Digital marking and dual attempts redefine upcoming board assessments
Students preparing for the CBSE Board Exam 2026 across Odisha and the rest of the country are in for significant changes. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has unveiled a trio of major reforms designed to modernize the evaluation process and reduce academic stress. These updates will impact how papers are checked, how often exams are held, and the very nature of the questions asked.
Class 12 Goes Digital with On-Screen Marking
Perhaps the most futuristic change is the introduction of On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 answer sheets. Starting with the CBSE Board Exam 2026, examiners will no longer handle physical bundles of paper. Instead, answer booklets will be digitized, allowing teachers to grade them on computer screens.
This shift aims to eliminate totalling errors and speed up the results process. It also means teachers from Odisha CBSE schools can evaluate papers without travelling to distant centers, saving time and resources. However, Class 10 students will continue with the traditional physical evaluation method for this session.
Dual Opportunities for Class 10
In a move to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Class 10 students will now have the option to sit for two board exams. This CBSE Class 10 dual exams system allows students to improve their scores without losing an entire academic year. The goal is simple: reduce the high-pressure environment of a "do or die" single exam and offer flexibility to students in Bhubaneswar and beyond.
Competency Over Rote Learning
The structure of the question paper itself is changing. The board is moving away from rote memorization toward testing actual understanding. For both Class 10 and 12, the new pattern dictates that 50% of the paper will consist of competency-based questions. These include case studies and real-life problem-solving scenarios.
Traditional long-answer questions now hold less weight, making up only 30% of the paper. This ensures that students are tested on their ability to apply concepts rather than just writing long paragraphs from memory. With these reforms, the CBSE Board Exam 2026 is set to be more student-friendly and technically advanced than ever before.
Image Source: Shiksha
