The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that the Class 12 Mathematics board exam question papers are genuine and their security remains uncompromised, after concerns surfaced online about a QR code printed on some question papers.
The clarification came after social media posts claimed that scanning a QR code on the exam paper opened a YouTube video of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley, a prank widely known online as “rickrolling”.
The Class 12 Mathematics exam was conducted on March 9. Soon after the paper ended, screenshots of the question paper began circulating online, with students claiming that scanning the QR code printed on it redirected them to the music video.
The claim spread rapidly across platforms such as Reddit, where students shared screenshots and joked about the unexpected link appearing during a high-stakes board exam.
However, the situation remained unclear because several students said that the QR code in their exam centres only opened simple alphabet markers such as 'A' and 'Q', rather than linking to any external content.
This led to confusion about whether the viral screenshots represented a limited case, a technical error, or a misleading image circulating online.
In a notification issued after the exam, CBSE said that multiple security features are built into board exam question papers, including QR codes used to verify the authenticity of the document in case of any suspected breach.
The board acknowledged that in a few question paper sets, scanning one of the QR codes appeared to link to a YouTube video.
However, CBSE confirmed that the issue does not affect the authenticity of the question papers.
“The question papers are genuine. The security of the question papers remains uncompromised,” the board stated.
CBSE said the concerns raised by students and parents regarding the QR code have been taken seriously.
While confirming that the authenticity of the papers remains intact, the board said necessary steps are being taken to ensure such issues are not repeated in future examinations.
