A routine board exam has unexpectedly turned into a viral internet moment. Students who appeared for the Class 12 mathematics board exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on March 9 say a QR code printed on the question paper led to a surprising destination — the famous music video of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.The claim, shared widely across social media platforms, suggests that scanning the QR code redirected users to the iconic 1987 song, effectively “rickrolling” anyone who tried it. The bizarre twist quickly turned the exam into a trending topic online, with students and internet users flooding platforms with memes and jokes.
What CBSE Class 12 students are claiming
Shortly after the exam concluded, screenshots of the mathematics question paper began circulating online. Students claimed that when the QR code printed on the paper was scanned, it opened the music video of Never Gonna Give You Up instead of an exam-related page.For many online users, the situation seemed straight out of internet meme culture. Several posts joked that students expecting exam instructions instead ended up hearing the unmistakable opening beats of the famous song.The posts quickly gained traction, with users humorously saying students had been “rickrolled in the middle of a board exam.”
The internet reacts
As screenshots of the question paper began circulating online, social media users quickly turned the alleged incident into a meme trend. Several posts on X joked that students had been “rickrolled” in the middle of a board exam, turning a stressful maths test into an unexpected internet moment.One user on X humorously urged people to scan the QR code, writing: “This was not on my 2026 list CBSE.” The post quickly gained traction as users reacted with laughing emojis and disbelief.Another user shared the viral claim along with a screenshot of the paper, joking that the Central Board of Secondary Education exam had unexpectedly turned into a classic internet prank.The unusual claim spread rapidly online, with many users joking that students solving calculus problems had unexpectedly stumbled into the music video of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, one of the internet’s most famous prank links.
Why QR codes appear on question papers
QR codes are increasingly being printed on the boards of the exam papers for security and authenticity purposes. They assist in the verification and validation of the authenticity of the exam documents.These codes are generally intended for accessing the verification systems and other relevant information related to the exam process.
No official confirmation from CBSE yet
As of now, there has been no official statement issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education regarding whether the QR code actually redirected to the video, or whether the screenshots of the viral images are genuine.Though the authenticity of the claim still remains a mystery, this incident has already contributed a bizarre piece of humor to the otherwise serious board examination season, showing that even a mathematics examination can contribute to internet meme culture in a surprising way.
