In a sweeping and unprecedented reform aimed at protecting the integrity of public examinations, the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad has redesigned its answer sheets for the 2026 Class 10 and 12 board exams with new layouts and advanced security features—a first in the board’s 100-year history.

The move comes as the board prepares to conduct one of the world’s largest school examinations from February 18 to March 12, where over 52 lakh students are registered—27,50,945 for Class 10 and 24,79,352 for Class 12. Nearly 2.6 crore redesigned answer sheets will be printed and dispatched across districts in January.

The reform marks a decisive step in Uttar Pradesh’s ongoing campaign to dismantle organised cheating networks, which have plagued board examinations for decades. Last year’s five-level surveillance system led to five lakh students opting out—a figure officials interpreted as evidence of reduced scope for malpractice.

A high-security sheet to outsmart cheating rackets

The newly introduced answer sheets feature a combination of colour coding, unique page counts, monograms, and controlled printing processes. Officials say the enhancements are designed specifically to prevent duplication, swapping, or manipulation of response booklets during or after examinations—tactics historically used by cheating syndicates.

UP Board Secretary Bhagwati Singh said the sheet layout overhaul “will completely eliminate the possibility of exchanging answer sheets,” calling it the most aggressive anti-tampering measure implemented so far.

The new format: colour-coding and configuration changes

The redesign also alters the writing format. Answer sheets, previously printed horizontally in landscape format, will now be issued in portrait layout.

The new variants are:

Each page will carry the Secondary Education Council monogram, acting as an authentication stamp. Printing is restricted exclusively to government-authorized presses in Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Rampur, making replication nearly impossible.

Designed for fairness, not disruption

Officials have assured students that the new format will not affect the exam-writing process. Singh added that students writing in the standard format “will have a better experience and improved performance,” indicating that the redesign is structural rather than academic.

A step toward exam integrity

With the new system, the UP Board aims to reclaim trust in an examination framework often marred by leaks, impersonation, mass cheating, and answer sheet manipulation.

If successful, the reform could become a national precedent—signalling the beginning of a digitally tracked, secure, and tamper-proof era of board evaluations in India.