In order to meet the needs of French-speaking, Canadian NCLEX-RN candidates, NCSBN offers the NCLEX-RN examination in French. NCSBN translates two operational item pools each year into French. Following this forward translation by a translation professional with expertise in Canadian French, NCSBN works with Canadian regulatory bodies to identify a Canadian Translation Panel. The panel consists of three nurses proficient in English and French who review each translated item for accuracy and contextual equivalency. This method, referred to as a mixed method, process oriented approach, is supported in the literature as a preferred method for ensuring construct equivalence in health care measurement instruments.
Following the Canadian Translation Panel’s approval the French NCLEX Operational pool is administered to French Canadian NCLEX-RN Candidates. Once sufficient candidate response data is obtained, the items are subject to a separate Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis, to ascertain whether the items appropriately measure candidates’ nursing ability irrespective of the language in which these test items were administered. Items identified as possessing DIF are reviewed by the NCLEX DIF panel for presence of bias. In addition to the construct equivalence confirmed by the Canadian Translation Panel, the use of DIF analysis is supported in the literature as a preferred method to ensure measurement equivalence.
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