Arkansas Bar Examiner Official Charged with Tampering Test Scores

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. - Arkansas Bar Examiner official, Nancy Givens, was charged on Thursday, November 5, 2026, with criminal tampering of bar exam takers scores.

The Supreme Court of Arkansas issued a press release stating that Givens was charged with 65 counts of tampering and records deletion under Arkansas Code Annotated § 5-54-121.

The press release stated that Givens tampered with scores causing some test takers to receive higher scores than they were to otherwise receive and in at least one case, causing one test taker to fail the Arkansas Bar Examiner.

The Supreme Court of Arkansas' press release, which was signed by several associate justices and special associate justice, Cory Cox, revealed that the discrepancy was discovered by the Executive Director of the Supreme Court of Arkansas' Office of Professional Conduct and Programs, Robert Brech, and that the discrepancy was revealed in January 2026 when it was discovered that 11,400 files were illegitimately deleted or modified.

The release further stated that the Court moved to implement new testing procedures to ensure the Arkansas Bar Examine's safety and security and also noted that the affected individuals were scheduled to be notified of the discrepancies.

If found guilt, the former administrator may receive up to 650 years in prison. Each count carries a maximum 10 years penalty.