CBSE Rick rolls Students? Internet Reacts After Class 12 Exam Paper QR Code Directs to Rick Astley’s Legendary Meme Video

Key Points:

Never gonna give you up! CBSE appeared to tell its students through a QR code mishap in its Class 12 Maths question paper. The accidental mishap or deliberate prank has led to a widespread frenzy on the internet, with many saying that CBSE “rickrolling” its students was not on their 2026 bucket list. The incident prompted CBSE to issue a press release clarifying the Rick Astley prank.

On March 9, 2026, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) held the Class 12 Mathematics examination. Many students scanned a QR code on the question paper, which allegedly redirected them to a few seconds-long YouTube video of one of the internet’s favourite pranks “rickrolling.”

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The video featured singer Rick Astley’s 1987 hit Never Gonna Give You Up. Several social media users found it hard to believe and questioned whether the news was AI-generated. In response, students claimed that the incident was real and posted pictures of the question papers. The posts have gained millions of views on X.

Many users criticised CBSE and raised concerns regarding the veracity of the question papers. The Central Board of Secondary Education issued a press release following the accidental prank, stating that the question papers issued by the board were genuine. CBSE addressed the situation and said, “In a few question paper sets, it appears that when one of the given QR codes is scanned, it links to a YouTube video.”

“It appears that this has raised serious concerns about the veracity of the question papers among concerned students and their parents,” the statement read.

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The CBSE clarified that the security of the question paper remains uncompromised. They further stated that the matter had been taken seriously and that the board was taking the necessary steps to ensure that such issues are not repeated in the future.

Rickrolling is an internet prank in which singer Rick Astley suddenly appears dancing to his song Never Gonna Give You Up. The meme template is taken from the music video itself and gained widespread attention in 2008.

While users wondered whether the QR code on the question paper was fake or AI-generated, several responses claimed that the QR code directed users to the meme in many of the question papers. One user wrote, “I am not even surprised. Is the child going to use a phone during the examination? Maybe they ‘intentionally’ kept this so that the child can dance after coming home.” 

Another X user pointed out that the matter was a glaring example of how oversight has deteriorated over the years. They added, “Back in the day, education boards ensured strict protocols. Now we see students getting redirected to Rick Astley instead of crucial instructions. What happened to accountability?”

Another X user took a dig at CBSE, saying that two million students prepared for calculus but were instead faced with meme culture. “Getting Rickrolled in a board exam paper is wild incompetence by the Central Board of Secondary Education,” the user wrote.

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