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CBSE Class 12 Maths Exam Paper QR Code ‘Rickrolls’ Students; Viral Video Sparks Meme Fest Online

· Free Press Journal

CBSE: An unexpected surprise was given to students taking the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Mathematics board test when a QR code on the question paper reportedly led viewers to Rick Astley's iconic internet prank music video, Never Gonna Give You Up. The incident happened on March 9, 2026, after the Class 12 Maths board exam. It soon gained attention on social media after a viral video of students scanning the QR code and finding the well-known meme clip appeared online.

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Social media users claim that certain sets of question papers, such as PQ5RS and SET-2, had QR codes printed on them. Exam authorities typically use these QR codes as a security feature for verification or authentication. However, a number of students reported that the famous 1987 music video "Never Gonna Give You Up" appeared when they scanned the code following the test. The song is well known for its association with the online technique known as "Rickrolling," in which people are duped into watching the music video rather than the intended content.

What did students say?

In a video shared on the student's X social media handle, the girl explains that scanning a QR code on her CBSE Class 10 Mathematics question paper (Set 3, Series: PQ5RS) unexpectedly opens a YouTube link to the "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video.

She starts off by saying that "Today was my math paper, and it didn't go well at all because someone cast an evil eye on me. But I'm going to show you something interesting." She further opened the scanner code on her phone and scanned it. “I scanned it... and it opened! Look at what CBSE has pulled in the paper as well! I'm over it."

Soon after, other people reported getting the same outcome when scanning QR codes from several sets of exam papers, which sparked a lot of interest and laughter on the internet.

Regardless of the humor that it brings, many users are also questioning the serious security error of the CBSE Board.

The Maths Question papers are tampered
by u/Rough-Recording-3220 in CBSE

One Reddit user says that "a lot of people are getting a rickroll in their QP's QR code, and the rest are getting the letter 'A.' The QR code on board exam question papers is a security feature used to prevent cheating and paper leaks by uniquely identifying each paper with unique codes. Not having these codes means the papers haven't passed those security measures. Also, another weird thing is that some papers have a giant MATHEMATICS watermark, and some don't. This is a serious security error that needs to be addressed.”

What is the Rickroll prank?

As per Wikipedia, the Rickroll prank is an internet meme and a popular online joke. It tricks users into clicking on a link that opens the music video for "Never Gonna Give You Up" without warning. The meme is one of the most well-known jokes on the internet and has been used extensively on various online platforms.

The meme is a bait and switch, with a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video rather than the expected destination. After the origin of the meme in 2007 and the height of its popularity in 2008, rickrolling has become a very long-lived meme. Astley has seen his performance career revitalized because of the meme's popularity a sper various reports.

For many students who were already anxious about their math exam, its unexpected presence during a stressful board exam brought an additional element of humor.

No Official Response From CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has not yet released an official statement outlining the event or verifying whether the QR codes were mistakenly connected to the widely shared video.

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