Reviewed on: 2026-06-12.
Yes, you can get a copy of your own evaluated answer sheet from a government board or a public university. The Supreme Court settled this in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, (2011) 8 SCC 497: an evaluated answer book is “information” under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, 2005. File an RTI with the board's Public Information Officer. The fee is Rs 10, the copy about Rs 2 per page, and the PIO has 30 days to reply.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Can the board refuse my own answer sheet? | Not lawfully. The Supreme Court rejected CBSE's objections in 2011. |
| What does it cost? | Rs 10 application fee plus about Rs 2 per page for copies. |
| How long does the PIO have? | 30 days from receipt of your application. |
| Can RTI change my marks? | No. Only the board's own verification or revaluation process can change marks. |
| Does this cover private institutes? | No. A purely private, unaided body is outside the RTI Act. |
CBSE argued that answer books were held in a fiduciary capacity and were exempt under Section 8(1)(e). The Court disagreed. An examinee has the right to inspect and obtain a copy of their own evaluated answer book from a public examining body. The only real limit is the examiner's identity. The board can mask the examiner's name, code and initials. It cannot hide your answers, the marks given, or the totalling. The ruling binds every public examining body: CBSE, state school boards, central and state universities, and statutory professional bodies.
Most boards run their own photocopy scheme alongside RTI. CBSE is the clearest example. Compare the costs before choosing.
| Point | CBSE's own scheme | RTI route |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | About Rs 500 per subject for verification, about Rs 700 per answer book for the photocopy, about Rs 100 per question for re-evaluation | Rs 10 application fee plus about Rs 2 per page |
| Window | A few days after each result, and the steps run in a fixed sequence | Any time while the answer book still exists |
| What you get | A scanned copy on the board portal | A certified copy from the PIO |
| Can marks change? | Yes, through verification and re-evaluation | No. RTI gives you the copy only |
Two cautions. The scheme fees above are CBSE's published rates and they change, so confirm the current circular on cbse.gov.in; state boards and universities set their own rates. And there is a deadline trap: boards weed out answer books a few months after the result. Whichever route you choose, start early.
Use this text, with your details filled in:
To: The Public Information Officer, [Board / University name and address] Subject: Request under the RTI Act, 2005 for my evaluated answer sheet 1. Please provide a certified copy of my evaluated answer book for [subject and paper code], [examination and session], Roll Number [number], Registration Number [number]. 2. Please provide the status and result of my revaluation or rechecking application [number, date], including revised marks, if any. 3. Please provide a copy of the rules or notification governing verification, revaluation and supply of answer-book copies. I enclose the application fee of Rs 10 by [mode]. I will pay the prescribed copying charges on intimation. [Name, address, mobile, email, date]
Nikhil scored 52 in Class 12 Physics in 2026 and expected about 65. He applied for verification (Rs 500) but missed the four-day photocopy window that followed. The scheme route is now closed for him. He files an RTI instead: Rs 10 fee plus a 26-page answer book at Rs 2 a page, a total of Rs 62. The copy shows six marks on page 9 were never added to the total. He sends the copy with a written grievance to the Controller of Examinations, and the board corrects the total under its error-correction power. The full scheme route would have cost him Rs 1,600. The RTI copy cost Rs 62 and turned a blind complaint into one with proof attached.
One caveat. Where a board, like CBSE, makes its own photocopy step a precondition for re-evaluation, an RTI copy does not substitute that step. Use the scheme inside the window when you want marks changed. Use RTI when the window has closed, the body has gone silent, or you need a certified copy for an appeal or a court.
There is no single national revaluation rule. CBSE runs three sequential steps with separate fees and short windows announced with each result. Several state boards offer only scrutiny or retotalling, not fresh evaluation. Universities follow their own ordinances, usually with a 15 to 30 day window. Read your own board's result notification before you pay anything. If the rules are not published anywhere, ask for them in the RTI itself.
Boards raise three stock objections. “The answer book is fiduciary information” fails because Bandopadhyay rejected exactly that. “Apply under our bye-laws instead” fails because the RTI Act overrides inconsistent internal rules. “Pay Rs 700 as our scheme fee” sits poorly with the RTI Rules, which fix copying at about Rs 2 a page, and Information Commissions have repeatedly applied the RTI rate. If you face a refusal, silence past 30 days, or an inflated fee demand, file a first appeal with the First Appellate Authority of the same body within 30 days. The process is in our guide to first and second appeals. A second appeal lies with the Information Commission.
Both. It covers every public examining body, including central and state universities, government boards, and statutory bodies that conduct exams. Private unaided institutions are the exception.
No. The RTI route exists independently of the board's scheme. The scheme can be the better choice while its window is open, especially where re-evaluation depends on it, but it cannot replace your RTI right.
The RTI Rules fix copying at about Rs 2 per page for central bodies, and state rules are similar. If a PIO demands the higher scheme fee for an RTI request, contest it in a first appeal.
Usually only a few months after the result. Once the book is weeded out, no route can recover it, so act early.
No. The examiner's identity is protected, and the board may mask names and codes on the copy. Everything else should be visible.
Ask the PIO for the status of your revaluation application, the date it was processed, the revised marks if any, and the date the result was or will be declared. A specific status question creates a paper trail for your appeal.
Download the answer sheet RTI checklist (PDF).