Decoded: CBSE’s new OMR sheets for the board exams | BOOK UNBOXER | DoctorZ VERMA

The 

 has finalised its all new OMR (

) sheets for its Term-1 exams that will consist of multiple choice questions. For the first time, the answer sheets will be evaluated on the same day as the exams.

The exams, each 90 minutes long, will start from November 16. A record 36 lakh class 10 and 12 students will be taking the exams this year.

Decoding the new OMR sheet

Each paper in the Term 1 exams will have a maximum of 60 questions. Students have to mark their answers on the OMR sheets only with pens.

Accessed exclusively by the TOI, the customised OMR sheet has an additional “box” alongside each answer so that candidates don’t need to worry if they want to change their answers.

“The candidate can use the box to mention which they feel is the correct answer in case they think it’s different from the response recorded in the oval space (‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ or ‘d’),” said Dr 

Sanyam Bhardwaj

, controller of examinations, CBSE.

“If a candidate utilises the box, only that response will be taken into account during evaluation,” he said.

The answer sheet also has an additional column under the # symbol, which is to be filled by the candidate at the end of the exam to indicate questions that have been skipped.

“If a question paper has 50 questions and a candidate skips any of those, the corresponding oval in this column will have to be filled,” said Bhardwaj.

Same-day evaluation

Starting this year, the CBSE will evaluate the answer sheets on the day of the exam at the centre itself before they are uploaded or sent to regional offices.

The answer sheets will be mapped at the centre, the score recorded and the sheets will then be sent to the respective regional offices.

The CBSE will also be sharing videos on the new answer sheets as well as the evaluation process for candidates and teachers.