Get a Certified Copy of Your Answer Sheet Through RTI: Your Settled Legal Right
You can obtain a certified copy of your own evaluated answer sheet under RTI - the Supreme Court settled this in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011), holding that an evaluated answer sheet is "information" under the Act. This applies to boards, universities and most recruitment examinations. Some bodies still resist with outdated bylaws; the RTI route (and a First Appeal if refused) is the settled answer to that resistance.
Try these official channels first
Check the exam body's own copy scheme first - it is often faster than RTI. (1) CBSE and several boards run their own "photocopy of evaluated answer book" scheme with a published window after results; if your window is open, apply there. (2) Universities usually offer recounting / revaluation / personal inspection under their own rules - ask the exam section for the current procedure and deadline. (3) Recruitment bodies (UPSC, SSC, state PSCs) publish answer keys with objection windows - use those while they are open. If the scheme window has closed, the body refuses, or the copy scheme does not give you the actual evaluated sheet, file the RTI below - and mention in it that you sought the copy through the body's own scheme.
Why this usually gets stuck
- Marks far below expectation with revaluation offering only a totalling check
- Exam bodies quoting internal rules that "answer sheets cannot be shown"
- Recanvassing windows closed before results were even understood
- Recruitment exams where a few marks decide selection
What an RTI gets you, on record
- A certified copy of your own evaluated answer sheet
- The marks awarded question-wise and the model answer key / evaluation scheme (subject to the body's rules and exemptions)
- Totalling/mapping records where results were processed electronically
- The evaluator's markings - though evaluator identity can be withheld
Where to file it
Address the RTI to the PIO of the examination body - the board, university or recruiting commission. Central bodies (CBSE, UPSC, SSC, central universities) via the Central RTI portal; state boards/universities/PSCs via your state portal or post. See landmark rulings in our RTI Case-Law Library.
Sample RTI questions (edit the bracketed details)
Keep questions factual and specific to your own matter. Ask for records, status, dates, reasons and officer details - not opinions. Do not include anyone else's personal information.
Copy-paste RTI application
Fill the bracketed details and send to the PIO of the office named. Attach the RTI fee prescribed for that authority (Rs. 10 in many cases; BPL applicants attach BPL proof instead of fee). Do not include anyone else's personal information.
To, The Public Information Officer, [Examination body - Board / University / Recruiting Commission], [Address of the exam body's office] Subject: Request for information under the Right to Information Act, 2005 Sir/Madam, Under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, I request the following information regarding my own answer sheet in [exam name], roll number [number], subject [name], held on [date]: 1. A certified copy of my evaluated answer sheet(s) in the said subject. 2. The question-wise marks awarded to me, along with a copy of the model answer key / evaluation scheme applied. 3. The totalling and mark-mapping record by which my final marks in the said subject were computed. 4. The fee, if any, prescribed for supplying a copy of an evaluated answer sheet, and the rule prescribing it. I state that I had sought a copy through the body's own scheme on [date, if applicable] and [received no response / the window had closed / the scheme does not provide the evaluated sheet]. I am enclosing the RTI application fee as prescribed for this public authority by Indian Postal Order / court-fee stamp / online payment proof / other accepted mode. [If you hold a BPL card: I am below the poverty line, a copy of my BPL card is enclosed, and no application fee is payable.] Please provide the information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. Place: ____________ Date: ____________ [Your Full Name] [Full Postal Address] [Phone / Email]
If there is no reply in 30 days
The PIO is ordinarily required to respond within 30 days under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. If there is no proper response, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority of the same public authority; if that fails, a Second Appeal lies with the Information Commission. See the Appeal Generator.
I only need help finding the correct PIO >
Frequently asked questions
Is this really allowed?
Yes - the Supreme Court held in CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011) that evaluated answer sheets are information under the RTI Act and examinees are entitled to inspect/obtain copies of their own, subject to narrow exemptions.
Can they charge extra per page?
Bodies may charge the prescribed copying fee; some prescribe specific per-answer-sheet fees under their rules. Ask for the fee and the rule in the RTI itself, as in the sample above.
Will I learn who evaluated it?
No - evaluator identity is generally protected. You get the evaluated content and marks, not the examiner's name.
My exam body says revaluation is not allowed. Does RTI still help?
Yes - RTI does not depend on a revaluation scheme existing. Even where revaluation is barred, you remain entitled to a copy of your own evaluated answer sheet, and seeing it is often what settles the doubt (or reveals a totalling error worth pursuing).
My university is private. Does RTI apply?
RTI applies to public authorities - government bodies and institutions substantially financed by the government. A purely private university may fall outside the Act, but records about it held by a public authority - its regulator (UGC/AICTE) or an affiliating public university - can still be sought by filing the RTI with that authority.
What if there is no reply in 30 days?
The PIO is ordinarily required to respond within 30 days under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. If there is no proper response, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority of the same public authority (no fee for a first appeal in most states); if that also fails, a Second Appeal lies with the Information Commission. FileMyRTI helps with the First Appeal route.
How does FileMyRTI help here?
Our legal team drafts the application citing CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, addresses it to the correct PIO of your exam body, files it (portal or Registered Post) and tracks it until the reply - and can prepare the First Appeal (Rs.599 incl. GST) if the body refuses or stays silent. See the done-for-you service linked below.
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