CBSE Responds To Viral 'Rickrolls' Claim, Says Exam Security Remains Intact After QR Code In Class 12 Maths Paper Opens Rick Astley Song

New Delhi: Students who appeared for the Class 12 Mathematics examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education on Monday (March 9) were left amused after a QR code printed on their question paper went viral due to its association with an age-old internet prank. Hours after images of the question paper went viral on social media platforms, CBSE issued a clarification on Tuesday stating that the question papers are genuine and their security remains uncompromised irrespective of the claims. 

Images circulating on social media appeared to show that scanning the code on the paper opened the music video for Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. According to posts shared by students across social media platforms, the QR code directed users to the song’s video, effectively “rickrolling” those who tried to access the link. The incident has since gone viral online, with several users sharing screenshots and videos claiming the QR code appeared on the official examination paper. The mathematics exam reportedly saw around two million students appear across the country.

What Is Rickrolling?

Rickrolling is a long-running internet prank in which users are tricked into opening the video for “Never Gonna Give You Up” instead of the content they expected. 

The meme first gained popularity on the internet in the mid-2000s and has since remained one of the most widely recognised online jokes.

CBSE Issues Clarification

In a statement released by CBSE, the board said that many security features are provided on the question papers, usually to verify the genuineness of the question paper in case of suspected security breach. It admitted that the QR code printed in few sets of the paper was indeed linked to a YouTube video, while also acknowledging that this has raised concerns about the veracity of the question papers amongst concerned students and their parents. 

Confirming the genuineness of the papers, the board said, “The security of the question papers remains uncompromised. While the concern about the veracity of the question papers is put to rest, the matter has been viewed seriously and necessary steps are being taken by the Board to ensure that such issues are not repeated in future.”
 

Netizens React

As images of the question paper spread online, users on platforms such as Reddit and X reacted with a mix of disbelief and amusement. Some joked about the scale of the prank, suggesting that a large number of students may have been “rickrolled” while attempting to scan the code.

Others shared humorous reactions to the incident. One user joked about giving CBSE a new name: “Central Board of Secondary Entertainment.” Another wrote that it was the “best rickroll” they had seen because of the large number of people who may have encountered it.

Some users noticed the spotlight on this and turned the internet discussion towards a broader discussion on how the paper went for students. "Leave this topic and talk about how tough the exam was for non JEE aspirants. Not a single question from NCERT. Most questions were from the topics that are not even in the NCERT. For non JEE students it was a nightmare. CBSE has generalized that every math student is JEE aspirant," one user wrote.

Several users also questioned whether students were allowed to use their phones inside exam centres to scan the QR code, noting that electronic devices are generally not permitted during board examinations.

QR codes printed on board exam papers are typically used for security purposes to verify the authenticity of the document. However, how the link seen in the viral images appeared on the paper is yet to be ascertained.

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