How to read a BIS test report: what each part means and the mistakes that get CRS applications rejected

A BIS test report is the lab's clause-by-clause record of how your sample performed against the Indian Standard. Under CRS it is the evidence your whole registration rests on, because CRS is a self-declaration scheme backed by that report.

CRS runs under Scheme-II of the BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations and is based on self-declaration of conformity^[9]. The official steps are: generate a test request, test at a BIS-recognised lab, verify the report when it is issued, and apply on the portal using that verified report within 90 days of its issue^[2]. When you submit, you also give an undertaking (Form II) about the test report^[10].

So reading the report is not a formality. BIS lists a non-conforming test report as a ground for rejection^[5], and does not refund fees once a rejected file has been processed^[11]. BIS has also complained that applicants submit amended reports without justification and asked them to check the uploaded report for labels, completeness, correctness and conformity before applying^[12].

This guide goes through the report part by part, then lists the twelve checks to run before you press submit. For the wider process see BIS CRS; for choosing a lab see CRS test labs.

BIS's specimen format has a header and four parts: sample particulars (Part A), supplementary information (Part B), test results by clause (Part C) and remarks (Part D), signed by an authorised signatory^[13]. CRS reports generated through the portal follow the same logic.

Check that the lab is on BIS's list for your exact Indian Standard, not just BIS-recognised in general. CRS accepts reports only from labs established, maintained or recognised by BIS for the product, government labs empanelled by BIS, and other labs BIS's Executive Committee decides^[1].

The crsbis.in page 'BIS recognized labs for CRS' lists each CRS standard with a link to that standard's lab list on BIS LIMS^[15], and LIMS can be searched by IS number, for example IS/IEC 62368-1:2023^[16]. Each LIMS entry shows the lab's clause-wise charges, any excluded tests and its recognition validity date^[17].

What recognition means: the lab holds ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from an ILAC or APAC member body, with all test parameters of that standard in its scope^[3]. Recognition lasts three years and each lab has a unique OSL code^[3]. For a second check, NABL's site has a 'Verify Certificate' option, and its scope of accreditation lists the specific tests covered^[18].

Two traps. First, BIS's Group-1 list dated 30 October 2026 has 444 entries, every one in India^[4], so a report from an overseas lab, however reputable, will not do for CRS. Second, BIS does not accept reports a lab issued while suspended^[8]. Find labs by city in our BIS labs directory, for example Bengaluru or Chennai.

The report must cite the standard that applies to your CRS category on the BIS list, with its year and amendments. For most IT and audio-video products in 2026 that is either the old IS 13252 (Part 1) or IS 616, or the new IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.

MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) replaced IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 in the CRO schedule^[19], but allowed the old standards to run concurrently until 1 November 2028^[7]. For extended reality products, concurrent running ended on 1 May 2026^[7]. BIS's March 2026 guidelines ask existing licensees in 38 categories to submit full 62368-1 reports for all lead models by 1 November 2028^[20], and its July 2026 FAQ says one representative sample per licence is not enough^[16].

Some categories carry extra requirements. Lithium cells and batteries under IS 16046 (Part 2) must also have rated capacity verified under IS 16047 (Part 3), with reports for existing licences due by 30 April 2027^[21]. CCTV products reportedly need the security Essential Requirements on top of IS 13252 (Part 1)^[22]. Check our standard pages: IS 13252 (Part 1), IS 616, IS/IEC 62368-1, IS 16046 and IS 15885.

The sample details must match the test request exactly: product category, product name, models and brands. Those fields cannot be changed at the application stage^[23].

BIS's January 2025 advisory spells it out: model numbers in the report must match the test request; category and product name must match the portal; marking labels of all applied models must be in the report; label ratings must match the product description; and samples must not carry the Standard Mark^[14]. That last point catches many first-time applicants: the Standard Mark may not be applied to samples sent to a lab for an intended grant^[24].

Check the factory too. BIS's list of frequent deficiencies starts with the factory name and address differing across the application, the test report and the documents^[25]. And remember the sample had to reach the lab within 60 days of the test request, with the portal QR code on it^[2]. If you spot an error in the request before testing starts, cancel it and generate a fresh one^[23].

One report can cover a series if the lead (worst-case) model is tested and the series models meet MeitY's grouping criteria. The report must list every series model and include each model's marking label^[14].

MeitY's first series guidelines set the pattern: one sample per ten models in a series, testing the worst-case configuration from a safety-design view^[26]. BIS's revised Annexure-2 sets the total models per series for each category: 10 for most electronics, 20 for lithium cells and several LED categories^[27]. Category rules are specific. Power banks share a series only with the same input voltage, construction class, IP rating, PCB layout, cell type and enclosure material^[28]; wireless earphones need the same type, charging type, battery ratings, enclosure, IP rating and registered power bank or adapter^[29].

Adding a model later is done by a supplementary report that refers to the accepted original; it is dated from its own issue and must be submitted within 90 days^[5]. Lithium systems add one more rule: each application or inclusion may include reports for only one chemistry^[30]. Our series guidelines page has the category tables.

Yes, if the product and factory are the same. Each brand still needs its own registration, but MeitY's FAQ allows a common test report where every brand and model is listed and each brand's label is placed in the report^[31].

BIS requires a separate CRS application for each brand unless the brand owner is the same^[1]. Samples of every brand need not be submitted^[31]. The weak point is paperwork: BIS sees the brand on the trade mark certificate not matching the label in the test report^[25], and the 2025 advisory requires the brand in Form I to match the trade mark document^[14]. If you are a private-label buyer, read how long BIS registration takes before planning a launch.

Part C lists each test against its clause in the standard, the requirement and the result. Read it as a checklist: every clause that applies to your product should be there, with a measured result or a pass.

BIS's guidelines say Part C reports only objectively assessed results, set out exactly as the standard requires^[13]. The lab does not write a verdict of conformity in its remarks^[13]; you, as the declarant, are responsible for confirming conformity, which is what your Form II undertaking says^[10].

Things to look for:

• Missing clauses. Compare against the lab's clause-wise charge breakup on LIMS, which also shows tests the lab excludes, such as components under clause 1.5 of IS 13252 (Part 1)^[17].
• Critical components. Where the standard requires component conformity, BIS accepts the component's own Standard Mark if it is itself regulated, then a BIS-accepted lab report, then a CB, UL or VDE certificate, and lastly testing within the equipment^[5]. The report should show which route was used.
• 'Not applicable' entries. Make sure each one is genuinely not applicable to your design.
• Any fail. A single failed clause makes the report non-conforming, which is a rejection ground^[5].

Part D is where problems hide. BIS's guidelines require the lab to remark on partial testing, deviations from the test request, sub-contracting, any failure during sequential testing that stopped further tests, and safety-related marking such as terminals^[13].

Read every remark. 'Testing stopped after failure in clause X' means the report is not usable. 'Partial testing' means some clauses were not tested; check whether that was planned, for example because components were covered by their own certificates^[5]. A remark on deviation from the test request means something about the sample or models did not match what you declared^[23]. BIS's specimen also notes that a report covers only the sample tested^[13], so a report on a different hardware revision does not cover your production.

For a new CRS licence the report must be no more than 90 days old, counted from its date of issue to the date BIS receives your online application^[1]. There is no longer validity to fall back on.

The same 90-day clock runs for supplementary reports, dated from their own issue^[5], and the official process says to apply within 90 days of issue^[2]. Scheme-I option-2 applications use the same general limit^[32].

Relief is narrow. A BIS DDG may accept reports outside the time norms for genuine reasons on justification, and where a licence is cancelled because one model failed, a fresh application within three months may reuse older accepted reports for the other models^[5]. If your lab was suspended, BIS lets you test fresh samples at another lab and continue in the same file, with a Rs 10,000 scrutiny fee per report^[8]. Plan the timeline so testing finishes when your documents are ready, not before.

When the lab uploads the report, the applicant verifies it on the CRS portal before using it in the application. That verification step is part of BIS's official process^[2].

Labs must accept CRS samples only with an online test request generated on the CRS website and must upload reports there within LRS time norms^[33]. Requests generated on the portal since July 2021 reach labs through BIS LIMS^[34]. So a PDF emailed to you is not the report BIS will see; the portal copy is. Run the checks below on the portal copy, and only then accept it. Our BIS CRS portal guide shows the screens.

Run these twelve checks on the portal copy of the report before you verify it and file. Each maps to a rule BIS has published.

Most report-related rejections come from mismatches, not failed tests: models, brands, addresses or labels that differ between the report and the rest of the file. The table pairs each mistake with its fix.

Lab charges depend on the standard and the lab, and each recognised lab declares its own. On 1 November 2026 BIS LIMS showed IS 13252 (Part 1) charges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000 with a median of about Rs 63,750^[17].

For batteries under IS 16046 the range was Rs 37,500 to Rs 4,80,000, median about Rs 80,000^[36], and for LED control gear under IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13) Rs 20,000 to Rs 1,85,000, median about Rs 45,000^[37]. Charges stay fixed for three years unless the standard changes^[3]. On the BIS side, the processing fee is Rs 25,000 a year and each test report beyond the first in an application costs Rs 20,000^[6]. A retest after a mistake costs both again, which is why the checks above pay for themselves. Model your total in the BIS CRS fee calculator or read BIS certificate cost.

For a CRS application, a failed report cannot be used; fix the product and retest, usually at the same lab so the failure analysis carries over. For BIS's own Scheme-I samples, there is a formal challenge route.

Under BIS's July 2025 guidelines for Scheme-I samples, a manufacturer may challenge a non-conforming result within 30 days of receiving the report and ask for the counter sample or remnants to be tested; retesting costs twice the normal rate, and witnessing costs Rs 10,000 per day plus the BIS officer's travel^[38]. Labs keep remnants for at least three months^[3]. Parallel testing of components and end product is an option for CRO categories, but the manufacturer carries the risk if a component fails^[39]. If a rejection has already happened, our CRS rejections guide explains the next steps, including the appeal route^[40].

An NABL-accredited lab's report within its accredited scope normally carries a Unique Laboratory Report (ULR) number; BIS recognition itself rests on ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation^[3]. A missing ULR is worth asking the lab about, but BIS's own criteria are recognition for the standard and the CRS portal upload.

NABL reportedly clarified in June 2026 that accredited labs must show a ULR, in a format tied to their accreditation certificate, in addition to their own report number, with a six-month transition^[41]. You can check a lab's accreditation and scope on NABL's website^[18]. Do not treat an NABL logo as a substitute for BIS recognition: the BIS list for your standard is what counts^[1]. See the BIS-recognised laboratory glossary entry.

A brand registers four power bank models, 10,000 to 20,000 mAh, from one factory. The lead model is the 20,000 mAh unit. Here is how the checks play out.

• Standard: the power bank category lists IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023, with IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 also listed^[35]; the brand picks one deliberately, knowing the old standard ends on 1 November 2028^[7]. See power banks.
• Series: all four share input voltage, construction class, IP rating, PCB layout, cell type and enclosure material, so they qualify as one series^[28], within the cap of 10 models^[27].
• Part A: the report lists the brand and all four models with labels; one label shows 3.7 V while the product sheet says 3.85 V. Label ratings must match the product description^[14], so the factory fixes the label before verification.
• Part C: all clauses show results; the lithium cells carry their own BIS Standard Mark under IS 16046, an accepted route for critical components^[5]; see lithium-ion battery packs.
• Part D: no partial testing or deviations.
• Timing: the report is dated 2 September 2026, so the application must reach BIS by 1 December 2026^[1].

The brand verifies the report on the portal and files on time. One label fix before filing avoided a rejection notice and a possible retest. If you would like a second pair of eyes on a report, send it to us for a free compliance check, or see how to choose a BIS consultant.