The Impact of Extended Time Accommodations on Differential Item Functioning in High-Stakes Licensure Examinations

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires licensure and certification programs to provide appropriate accommodations for candidates with disabilities. This study investigated whether NCLEX-RN® candidates with disabilities who tested under an extended time accommodation had an unfair advantage over candidates who tested under the standard condition and found that NCLEX-RN items of similar difficulty performed largely the same for the two groups. The study contributes to research by providing evidence to support the fact that the fairness of high-stakes licensure examinations is maintained when candidates receive extended time accommodations.