A study of the validity of the Korean Nurses' Licensing Examination

Abstract

This study tested the validity of subjects in the Korean Nurses' Licensing Examination (KNLE). To determine the validity of test items in the KNLE, the items testing each subject in the examination and all of the test items were compared. The homogeneity and proper degree of conceptual diversity of the items in the examination were tested by comparing the frameworks of the test items in the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and the KNLE. The validity of the KNLE was determined by examining the correlations between the scores that the same individuals obtained on the KNLE in 2002 and their college marks. This study showed that basic core items appeared repeatedly in the KNLE, and items in the examination were selected according to the importance of each subject examined. Therefore, a new test system based on united subjects should be considered to solve these problems. Further studies are needed to develop a framework for classifying the test items that should be included as united subjects through considering the job description and goals of study of nurses.