September 2014 OIIQ Exam

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 30, 2014

I'm not sure why you're surprised that the OIIQ exam would be poorly translated, or that you aren't getting a straight answer from them about the first language of the examiners. Québec is a law unto itself and has been for centuries. They are not required to provide services in English for any reason at all, despite the law requiring The Rest of Canada provide services in French to anyone who asks for it... Just look at the Air Canada-7Up story as an example. That one went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Air Canada doesn’t need to pay flyers for not serving 7Up in French, Supreme Court of Canada rules | National Post

The fact that most of those who failed their exam are Anglophones isn't a shock to those of us who have lived in Québec. Call it whatever word fits (xenophobic comes to mind) but that it how Québec has always operated. No NCLEX in Québec? Also not a big surprise. If The Rest of Canada wants to do something, they're going to do the opposite. Because they can. They want to make it as hard as it possibly can be for English-speaking people to live and work there. And they're succeeding.

Petitions and publicity aren't going to get anyone anywhere. All it's doing is making them pat themselves on the back for a job well-done. Sorry to be so blunt, but I've lived in Québec as an adult trying to find work and have been treated like something they would scrape off their shoes.

This situation is exactly why so many Canadian members of allnurses.com have vocally advised those wanting to emigrate to Canada NOT to go to Québec. There are quite a few people who didn't heed that advice and will find out the hard way that they might have listened. I know this isn't the kind of response you were looking for, but there's no point in putting lipstick on a pig... in the end it's still a pig.

susandylandavid · Nov 30, 2014

Please pardon my ignorance. I was born and raised in the states. I have been living in Quebec for about ten years now. Everything from importing a car to getting a job here has been horrific like nothing I have ever seen before. Although I keep trying to find the positive in all of this, it all boils down to the same thing. Exactly what you have resumed in your post. I had not read all of the posts on this website. I am still getting used to this website and reading the many posts. I will share the information. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

amiira808 · Jan 20, 2015

I was born in Quebec, and have been fluent in both French and English since I was 6 years old. I chose to study Nursing in English because it's my mother tongue.

I wrote the OIIQ exam in September 2014, and I have to say that the translation was absolutely abysmal. I failed with just 2 points below the passing grade; I firmly believe I should have passed. MANY of the questions left me wondering what they were asking of me, and thus I took longer than usual with the exam and questioned many of my answers greatly. It was completely unfair, and the reaction of the OIIQ is absolutely infuriating.

I paid the additional ~$200 for the review, but when I called the OIIQ they told me that I would only receive an answer in February 2015, and that the deadline to register for the next exam is January 29th, 2015?!?! Furthermore, they told me that "it's rare that there is a significant grade change with the exam reviews" - that said, this is also a "rare" situation because the September was the FIRST of its kind (no practical exam, just written)!! I was told that I had to register for the March exam, lest they take my absence as a failure, but should my review show that I DID pass in September I would be reimbursed in full. I asked for this in writing, and I'm still waiting. That was 1 week ago.

I am completely disheartened.

susandylandavid · Jan 20, 2015

I also requested the revision.

susandylandavid · Jan 20, 2015

I also had to pay for the exam fees, again, without knowing the results of my revision. It's unfair to say the least. T******* blames our failure not to translation issues but instead because she says that English students did not attend the OIIQ training session. I called there today. I was informed that this so-called training session does not exist. I was instructed to contact my school. I feel like we are being laughed at.

susandylandavid · Jan 20, 2015

Furthermore, in one of the news stories the OIIQ says that they would be very surprised if one of the test questions said "what is your most hypothesis" well, I had to add this in my comments when I went to review my exam booklet. We are also being treated as liars.