Chandigarh: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) will roll out on-screen marking system for the March examinations, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday.
He said the state would become one of the first state boards to adopt end-to-end digital evaluation, marking a transformative shift in how answer sheets are assessed.
“This digital system will enable teachers to evaluate scanned answer sheets on computers, with marks calculated automatically by software, ensuring faster and more accurate results,” he added.
The Minister said the system has already demonstrated its effectiveness.
“The system has already proved its mettle by evaluating 23,000 answer sheets swiftly and accurately during the September 2025 supplementary examinations.”
Encouraged by the outcomes, the PSEB will implement on-screen marking in one subject of the matriculation examination this year, with phased expansion in subsequent cycles.
Explaining the technical safeguards, Minister Bains said, “Each page of the newly designed answer sheet features a unique QR code, enabling secure scanning and seamless digital processing. Under the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, answer sheets are scanned in a protected environment and uploaded to a centralised dashboard, where examiners evaluate them online with automated totalling, structured marking schemes and real-time progress monitoring.”
Describing the reform as far more than a technological upgrade, the Education Minister said, “It is not just an upgrade, it’s a complete overhaul of evaluating our children’s future. It will ensure every student gets fairness, speed and accuracy in examinations.”
PSEB Chairman Amarpal Singh said students will benefit from reduced result timelines, standardised marking and complete transparency in evaluation.
“Our teachers, too, will work with a clutter-free digital interface that ensures consistency and systematic record-keeping.”
He added that the board has completed all technical and administrative preparations for the March rollout.
“The On-Screen Marking (OSM) system carries the guarantee of Punjab’s commitment to its students,” Amarpal Singh added.
(IANS)
