The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board (RSMSSB) recently released the official answer keys for the 4th Grade Teacher Recruitment Exam held on September 19, 20, and 21, 2025. While this is a major relief for thousands of candidates, many are still struggling to match the answer key with their actual question paper. If you’re one of them, don’t worry—you’re not alone, and this blog is here to guide you step-by-step through the process.
Let’s break down the confusion and simplify the matching process so you can confidently evaluate your performance and estimate your score.
🎯 Why Matching the Answer Key Is So Confusing
The RSMSSB exam was conducted in six shifts over three days, with each shift containing 24 unique question paper sets. That means a total of 144 different paper codes were distributed among candidates. Each paper had a different sequence of questions and answer options, making it impossible to directly match your OMR sheet with the answer key unless you know your exact paper code.
To add to the complexity:
- The answer key is based on a “Master Question Paper” created by the board.
- The question numbers and options in your paper may not match the master paper.
- The same question might appear in different papers but with shuffled options.
🧩 Step-by-Step Guide to Match Your Answer Key
Step 1: Identify Your Shift and Date
First, recall the date and shift in which you appeared for the exam. For example:
- Morning shift on September 19
- Evening shift on September 20
This narrows down your search to just 24 paper sets instead of all 144.
Step 2: Locate Your Paper Code
Every paper has a unique code like DB29, which is printed on your question paper. However, this code alone isn’t enough because multiple papers in the same shift may share the same code prefix.
What distinguishes each paper is a small symbol or icon printed on the paper—this could be a triangle, star, or any other mark. This symbol helps you pinpoint your exact paper set among the 24 in your shift.
Step 3: Download the Master Question Paper and Answer Key
You’ll need three documents:
- Your question paper (or remember the symbol and code)
- The master question paper released by RSMSSB
- The official answer key for your shift
You can find these on the RSMSSB website or through Telegram groups that share exam resources.
Step 4: Match Questions with the Master Paper
Here’s where the real work begins. The answer key corresponds to the master paper, not your personal paper. So:
- Take the first question from the master paper.
- Check which option is marked correct in the answer key.
- Find the same question in your paper (it might be question 20 instead of question 1).
- See which option (A, B, C, D) matches the correct answer from the master paper.
Repeat this process for all questions.
Step 5: Be Mindful of Option Shuffling
Even if the question is the same, the correct answer might be listed under a different option in your paper. For example:
- Master paper: Question 1 — Correct answer is “Bikaner” under option A.
- Your paper: Same question appears as Question 20 — “Bikaner” might be under option C.
So don’t just match the option letter—match the actual content of the answer.
📱 Pro Tips for Easier Matching
- Use two devices: One for the master paper and one for the answer key.
- Or better yet, print all three documents and sit down with a pen to mark your answers.
- Join Telegram groups that have already sorted papers by shift and symbol.
- If you’re still unsure, ask in the comment section of YouTube videos or forums where others are discussing the same paper.
🔍 Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Matching your OMR sheet directly with the answer key without using the master paper.
- Ignoring the symbol on your question paper.
- Assuming your question numbers match the master paper.
- Not verifying the actual content of the answer options.
📚 Example Walk through
Let’s say you appeared in the evening shift on September 20 and your paper code was DB29 with a triangle symbol.
- Go to the RSMSSB site and download the DB29 papers for that shift.
- Look for the triangle symbol to identify your exact paper.
- Download the master question paper and answer key for September 20 evening shift.
- Start matching:
- Master Paper Question 1: “Capital of Rajasthan?”
- Answer Key says: Option A is “Jaipur”
- Your Paper: Same question appears as Question 15, and “Jaipur” is under Option C
- So, mark Option C as correct for Question 15 in your paper.
