It usually happens at the worst moment. A university abroad wants your Class 12 marksheet, a new employer asks for your Class 10 certificate as proof of date of birth, and the folder you were sure was in the cupboard is not there.
The good news is that your board documents are not lost, only your copy of them. CBSE keeps the records, and there are two ways to get them back. Which one you need depends mostly on the year you passed.
First, Try DigiLocker
For most recent batches, CBSE has already issued your marksheet, pass certificate and migration certificate into DigiLocker, the government's digital document service. You do not need to apply for anything. You only need to sign in and find them.
You can sign in at digilocker.gov.in or through the DigiLocker app.
- If you registered your mobile number with CBSE, DigiLocker may already have created an account for you. DigiLocker's instructions say to sign in with that mobile number and the one-time password, using the last six digits of your roll number as the security PIN.
- Otherwise, create an account and link it to your Aadhaar. Then search for "Central Board of Secondary Education" in the Education section, choose the document — marksheet, passing certificate or migration certificate — and enter your class, year and roll number.
The documents appear under Issued Documents. Those carry legal weight: under Rule 9A of the Digital Locker rules made under the IT Act, added in February 2017, documents issued into DigiLocker are deemed to be at par with the physical originals. A scan you upload yourself is not. Each CBSE digital certificate also carries a QR code that a university or employer can check with the DigiLocker app.
You will need your roll number and year of passing. If you have lost those too, an old admit card, a photocopy of the marksheet, or the school office can usually supply them.
A note on years. DigiLocker and CBSE's own repository describe their coverage differently, so we would not promise that a particular year is or is not available. If you passed in the last several years, your documents are very likely there. For older batches, searching takes two minutes and settles the question.
If It Is Not in DigiLocker: Order a Duplicate from CBSE
For older records, or if you need a printed copy, CBSE runs an online service called the Duplicate Academic Document System. It covers Class 10 and 12 marksheets, pass certificates and migration certificates, for passing years from 1975 onwards.
To apply you will need:
- your class (10th or 12th) and roll number
- your year of passing
- your name and your father's name exactly as they appear on the original document
- an email address
The fee depends on how long ago you passed. The schedule in CBSE's fee notice of 19 August 2016, which the portal still displays, is:
| Years since passing | Fee per document |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 years | ₹250 |
| 5 to 10 years | ₹500 |
| 10 to 20 years | ₹1,000 |
| More than 20 years | ₹2,000 |
The same notice lists ₹250 for a migration certificate and an additional ₹500 for urgent processing. Check the portal for the fee when you apply, and use its tracking page once your application is in.
If Something on the Document Is Wrong
Asking for a correction is a different process from asking for a copy, and it has much tighter limits. CBSE's published rules on corrections say that a correction to the date of birth, or to a spelling or typing error in the candidate's, father's, mother's or guardian's name, is considered "only within one year of the date of declaration of result", and the application has to be forwarded by the head of the school.
So if you spot a spelling mistake in a recent result, do not wait. Come to the school first. We hold the admission records CBSE asks for, and the request has to come through us in any case.
Where Udaya Can Help
Our most common advice is simply this: before you pay for a duplicate, check DigiLocker. More often than not the document is already waiting for you.
For school documents rather than board documents — a transfer certificate, for example — see our post on transfer certificates, or contact the school office.
Sources.
- CBSE Duplicate Academic Document System — documents covered, application details, years available
- CBSE notice of fee revision for duplicate documents, 19 August 2016
- CBSE rules for correction of name and date of birth
- CBSE Academic Repository (Parinam Manjusha) — digital certificates and online verification
- DigiLocker — sign-in and CBSE issued documents
- Digital Locker rules and amendments — Rule 9A, legal status of issued documents