Arkansas Bar Exam Scores Allegedly Altered Across Eight Tests

Arkansas authorities have charged former court administrator Nancie Givens with 65 felony counts of tampering with public records, alleging she altered bar exam scores and deleted files. Givens has pleaded not guilty, and the state Supreme Court said defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

An internal review found score discrepancies across at least eight Arkansas bar exam administrations from July 2020 to July 2025. Investigators say points were taken from some examinees and added to others in the same test administration, sometimes raising scores to the passing threshold of 270. At least one person who otherwise would have passed may have been given a failing score, and another examinee’s top score may have been reduced. About 11,400 files were deleted or made inaccessible; many contained exam applications, profiles and score sheets that court rules required officials to keep for 25 years.

The court said most people previously told they had passed did pass. Officials will contact affected examinees once their status is confirmed. State and federal authorities are working to recover data and assess the exams, while the court says further disclosures will be limited to protect investigations. New testing procedures and security measures were introduced for the February 2026 exam. The allegations have prompted concerns among Arkansas attorneys and legal scholars about whether people who did not pass may be practicing law and whether examinees were treated unfairly.