Every candidate has the right to inspect his or her own evaluated answer sheet under the RTI Act, 2005, following the Supreme Court ruling in Central Board of Secondary Education v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011). The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are public authorities under the RTI Act. The RTI asks for a certified copy of the answer sheet, the evaluator's marks-sheet, the question-wise breakdown, and the answer key used. Fee is Rs. 10. The PIO has 30 days to reply under §7(1).
📥 Use these before filing
The Commission's website usually opens a paid inspection window for 15-30 days after the result. RTI is the route after the inspection window closes.
In CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (Civil Appeal 6454/2011), the Supreme Court held:
The same principle applies to SSC, UPSC, State PSCs, IBPS, and every other competitive-examination body. Cite the case by paragraph in your application.
SSC and UPSC together conduct around 50 examinations each year, evaluating around 3 crore answer sheets. Common reasons candidates need the answer sheet:
The Commission's grievance route accepts complaints only on procedural matters. The RTI route forces the PIO to disclose the actual answer sheet, the evaluator's marks-sheet, and the answer key.
To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Staff Selection Commission / Union Public Service Commission]
[Full address]
Subject: Request for information under §6(1) of the Right to
Information Act, 2005, regarding answer sheet inspection for
Roll Number [XXXXXXXXXX] in [Examination name + Year].
Sir / Madam,
I, [Your full name], a citizen of India, residing at [Your address],
appeared in [Examination name + Year] held on [DD-MM-YYYY], request
the following information under §6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005:
Examination: [SSC CGL Tier-1 / SSC CHSL / UPSC Civil Services
Preliminary / UPSC Civil Services Main / Other - specify]
Roll Number: [XXXXXXXXXX]
Registration Number: [XXXXXXXXXX]
Result date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Paper / Subject: [As applicable]
1. A certified photocopy of my evaluated OMR answer sheet (for
objective papers) OR the written answer booklet (for descriptive
papers).
2. The evaluator's marks-sheet, with question-wise marks awarded.
3. The official answer key used for evaluation.
4. The cut-off mark for the post / category I applied under.
5. My total marks awarded as per the answer sheet, with any
question-wise discrepancies marked.
6. The name and designation of the evaluator (where descriptive)
or the scanning record (where OMR).
7. The Commission's policy on re-totalling and the appeal route.
I rely on the Supreme Court ruling in //Central Board of Secondary
Education// v. //Aditya Bandopadhyay// (Civil Appeal 6454/2011),
which held a candidate is entitled to inspect his or her own
evaluated answer sheet under the RTI Act.
I am enclosing Rs. 10 as the prescribed application fee by way of
Indian Postal Order No. [XXXXX] dated [DD-MM-YYYY]. I undertake to
pay additional copying charges at Rs. 2 per page on the PIO's
written estimate.
Kindly supply the information within 30 days as required under §7(1)
of the Act.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone] · [Email]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Place: [City]
Two routes work together:
File both. The RTI gives you the evidence; the re-totalling formally corrects the marks.
Once you have the certified copy:
Sheet not given after 30 days? Escalate with §20.
When the PIO and FAA both stonewall, the Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission is the route. Include a §20(1) prayer for Rs. 25,000 penalty. Aditya Bandopadhyay makes the refusal indefensible. Read the §20 guide.
Templates: RTI Application Format · First Appeal Format · Second Appeal Format
Stuck? Use the AI RTI Drafter.
Yes. The Supreme Court in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) held a candidate is entitled to a certified copy of his or her own evaluated answer sheet. The same principle applies to SSC, UPSC, State PSCs, and every other examination body.
Yes, but only the prescribed RTI fee. Rs. 10 application fee + Rs. 2 per page photocopy. Some Commissions also charge a separate “inspection” fee in their own Rules; the separate fee does not apply under the RTI route.
Yes. OMR sheets and their scanned images are “information” under §2(f). The Commission is required to disclose the scan with the evaluator's machine-recorded marks.
The Commission must produce the destruction order with the date and authority. Routine destruction is not allowed before the appeal window closes. Premature destruction is itself a §20 ground.
30 to 60 days. The 30-day reply window is binding under §7(1). Beyond 60 days, a Second Appeal with a §20 prayer is the next step.
No. Re-totalling is a separate process under the Commission's own rules. The RTI gives you the answer sheet; re-totalling formally corrects the marks. File both.
No. The Official Secrets Act does not apply to examination answer sheets. The §8(2) override of the RTI Act protects answer-sheet disclosure even where another Act seeks to bar it.
Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.