CBSE to undertake serious review following QR code 'rickroll' incident

CBSE assured Class 12 Board maths question paper with QR code was genuine

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said on Tuesday that it was undertaking a serious review of its processes to ensure that the security of examination papers remained intact after a QR code “rickrolling” incident went viral on social media. 

On March 9, students appearing for the Class 12 Mathematics board examination noticed that the QR code printed on some question papers redirected to a meme, raising questions about the authenticity of the paper. 

CBSE clarified that the question papers were genuine and secure. 

“It is hereby confirmed by the Board that the question papers are genuine. The security of the question papers remains uncompromised,” the Board said in a public statement. 

 

“While the concern about the veracity of the question papers has been 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 the future,” the statement added. The QR codes printed on CBSE papers are typically intended as a security and authentication feature to verify the authenticity of examination materials. 

During the Class 12 Mathematics board examination held on March 9, some students reported that a QR code printed on the question paper appeared to redirect to the music video of “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley when scanned. The song is widely associated with the internet prank known as “rickrolling,” and the incident quickly gained traction on social media, with users claiming that the exam paper had effectively “rickrolled” students. 

“Rickrolling” refers to a long-running internet prank in which users are tricked into clicking a link that unexpectedly redirects them to that particular music video. Originating on the online forum 4chan in the late 2000s, the bait-and-switch meme spread widely across platforms such as YouTube, becoming one of the internet’s most recognisable pranks. 

The episode generated widespread discussion online, with many users sharing screenshots and reactions after scanning the code—often linking to the video hosted on YouTube—turning the incident into a viral moment during the ongoing board examination season.