Will CBSE Class 12 English paper be a rickroll too? How QR codes protect exam papers
India Today
A QR code on the CBSE Class 12 Maths exam paper allegedly redirected students to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, sparking a viral "rickroll" buzz and raising questions: Could it happen in today's English paper too?
In a surprising twist during the CBSE Class 12 Mathematics board examination on March 9, 2026, students reported that scanning a QR code printed on the question paper redirected them to the music video of Rick Astley's famous song "Never Gonna Give You Up."
The incident resembled the well-known internet prank called a rickroll, where users expecting one thing are redirected to the iconic 1987 song instead.
Images and videos of the question paper quickly spread across social media, sparking confusion, humour and questions about exam security.
While many students joked about the incident, it also raised a serious debate: If a QR code in one exam paper led to a prank video, could the same happen in other papers, such as the Class 12 English exam?
During the Mathematics and Applied Mathematics board exam conducted from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, students noticed a QR code printed on their question papers. When scanned, some users claimed the code opened the YouTube video of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, effectively "rickrolling" them.
The unexpected link quickly went viral online, with students sharing screenshots and videos demonstrating the scan. What began as a moment of amusement soon turned into a wider discussion about how such a link could appear on an official board examination document.
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