The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that students who were charged extra while applying for scanned copies of their Class 12 answer sheets will receive refunds after technical issues disrupted the post-result application process.
In a notice dated May 24, the board said some students faced incorrect fee deductions while applying for scanned copies on May 21 and May 22.
According to the notice, some candidates were charged more than the required amount, while others were charged less due to technical glitches on the portal.
CBSE said students who paid extra will automatically receive refunds through the same payment method used during the transaction. In cases where lower amounts were deducted, students will be informed separately if any balance payment is required.
The board also clarified that scanned copies of evaluated answer sheets will still be provided in all such cases and students will not need to submit fresh applications.
The development comes after several students took to social media to raise concerns over the new digital evaluation process introduced during this year’s post-result activities.
Who can claim the CBSE refund?
The refund applies to students who faced excess payment deductions while applying for scanned copies of evaluated Class 12 answer sheets on May 21 and May 22.
CBSE said technical issues caused incorrect deductions during the application process. This includes:
- Double payment deductions
- Higher-than-required charges
- Failed transactions where money was still debited
The board clarified that students affected by excess deductions will receive refunds automatically.
However, students whose payments were lower than required may later receive separate communication regarding any remaining balance amount.
When will students get the refund?
CBSE has confirmed that refunds will be processed to the same payment method used during the transaction.
The board has not announced an exact refund timeline yet.
In most digital payment cases, refunds generally depend on:
- The payment gateway
- The student’s bank
- UPI or card processing timelines
Because of this, some students may receive refunds earlier than others even if applications were submitted on the same day.
Students are advised to regularly check:
- Bank statements
- UPI transaction history
- SMS alerts from banks
- Refund notifications in payment apps
How can students check if money was deducted twice?
Students who suspect duplicate deductions should compare:
- CBSE application payment confirmation
- Bank account transaction history
- UPI app payment records
- Debit or credit card statements
If two deductions appear for the same application, students should keep screenshots or PDF statements as proof until the refund is received.
Important details students should save:
- Transaction ID
- Payment date and time
- Amount deducted
- Screenshot of failed or successful payment page
These records may help if the refund gets delayed or if further clarification is required later.
Do students need to apply again for scanned copies?
No.
CBSE has stated that scanned copies of answer sheets will still be provided even in cases where technical payment issues occurred.
Students do not need to submit fresh applications because of duplicate deductions or payment glitches.
When should students file a complaint?
Students may consider raising complaints if:
- Refunds do not appear after a reasonable waiting period
- Money was deducted but no application confirmation was generated
- Multiple deductions happened for the same request
- Scanned copies are still inaccessible despite payment
Students should keep all transaction proofs before contacting support.
Where can students raise concerns?
Students can:
- Check the CBSE post-result portal regularly for updates
- Contact their bank or payment provider if the transaction status remains unclear
- Reach out through CBSE’s official grievance or helpline channels if refund issues continue
The refund announcement came after growing complaints online regarding:
- Payment failures
- Portal crashes
- Blurry scanned copies
- Alleged evaluation discrepancies
- Missing marks in some answers
The issue also drew attention after many students began sharing screenshots and experiences from the re-evaluation process on social media.
The board stated that scanned answer sheets will still be provided even in cases where incorrect payments were deducted due to technical errors.
According to ANI, the Union Ministry of Education is closely monitoring the situation and providing administrative oversight to CBSE during the re-evaluation and verification process.
Sources told ANI that the Ministry is tracking data related to the ongoing post-result activities while reviewing whether technical or systemic glitches contributed to this year’s 3.19% drop in the overall Class 12 pass percentage, which stood at 85.20%.
However, senior officials reportedly described the viral complaints circulating on social media as “isolated cases that were amplified.”
(With ANI inputs)
