Around 100 students and their parents protested in front of the Central Board of Secondary Education regional office in Patna on Monday over poor marking in the Class XII board mathematics paper.

The board results, announced on May 21, had left many students in dismay.

The students shouted slogans against the board officials while some said the poor results had snatched away from them admission opportunities to good engineering colleges.

Dipak Mishra who scored 80 in physics and 72 in chemistry could not accept his mathematics marks - one out of 100. A Patna Central School student, Dipak qualified for the IIT-JEE (Main) but could not appear for the Advanced paper because of his mathematics score.

"I attempted more than 85 per cent of the paper.," he said. "I never scored less than 70 in any of my maths papers. I got 75 in my selections too. Something must have gone wrong."

The board maths paper that was conducted on March 14 had sparked a debate because most students complained it was tough and difficult to complete in three hours.

"It is impossible that I got only four in maths," said Gaurav Kumar who appeared for the exam from Holy Mission School. "I had done well and was expecting more than 70."

A St Michael's High School student was also among the protesters. His mark sheet boasts of 85 and 90 in physics and chemistry, respectively. But he barely secured the pass mark in mathematics.

"My maths score has come as a dark spot on my academic career," said the boy. "My paper did not go well but I was expecting more than 60. A 33 does not justify my hard work."

Sanjay Agarwal, whose daughter got only three, blamed the board.

"Who will be responsible if my daughter takes a wrong step in depression?" he ranted. "We will appeal the board to recheck the papers. Her chance of getting in to a good college has slimmed down because of her poor maths marks."

Some students said they had got marked in single digits in physics, chemistry and mathematics. A boy from Delhi Model Public School got zero in mathematics and one and two marks in physics and chemistry, respectively.

"Is this a joke?" he said on condition of anonymity. "My total is not even 50."

He had secured 72 per cent in selections.

CBSE regional officer (Bihar and Jharkhand) Raja Ram Meena said the students could apply for re-evaluation. The process will start online from May 25. "The regional office has no role in the marking of papers," he said.

"We conduct the exam and send the results to the headquarters in Delhi. If students have a problem, they can contact the board officials there. But I will also say this - if they don't study hard, how do they expect to get marks?"