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Translation of the items is often required when a test is administered nationally so that candidates have the option of taking the test in either official language. Translated tests must meet appropriate quality standards. For this reason, Canada’s Testing Company employs a translation coordinator to evaluate the translation provided by translators to ensure that it meets the defensibility needs of the test product. The translation process includes an equivalency review of the items following the translation. Since so many tests contain specialized terms (e.g., specialized medical terms), the translation process includes a validation step with content experts.
In order to avoid repeatedly translating the same items several times, it is most economical for the translation activities to take place after the items are in their final form. Therefore, the planning process for the testing program must include adequate time to translate items. Translation must also be done on registration guides, instruction guides to candidates, invigilator guides, scoring information, candidate reporting matters and all ancillary matters that relate to a test. If there are inquiry telephone lines, e-mails or website instructions for candidates, these too must have bilingual support to maintain the required level of defensibility for the testing program.
There are accommodation issues where candidates may have received their education in one language but work in another language and who request having both the English and the French version of the test available at the time of writing. Canada’s Testing Company has considerable experience to advise and address bilingualism issues arising in a testing program.
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