Latest US bar exam scandal brings a new twist: criminal charges

A new U.S. bar exam scandal is taking a criminal turn in Arkansas. Prosecutors said they charged Nancie Givens, former executive director of the Supreme Court of Arkansas’ Office of Professional Programs, with 65 felony counts of tampering with a public record. Givens pleaded not guilty, and the court said investigators found evidence she allegedly took points from some bar examinees and reassigned them to others on exams administered between 2020 and 2025, raising some test takers above the minimum passing score. In at least one case, the changes moved a passing result to failing. The Arkansas Supreme Court also said investigators uncovered deletion or modification of about 11,400 files and electronic communications before she left in February, aimed at concealing conduct. Pass-rate trends and prior state problems provide context.