It started with a seemingly harmless question: “Japan did more good than harm to China in the period 1900-45.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer.” Combined with two historical readings, it seemed like a nice item to measure critical thinking among Hong Kong history students.

Not Just the Students Weighed In

That question blew up like an old WWII bomb forgotten beneath Nathan Road, with plenty of collateral damage for the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. Using “Japan” and “good” in the same sentence is an absolute no-go for many Chinese, and points a finger toward more recent troubles between China and Hong Kong. (Background story linked above is quite interesting.) But how critical should an official critical thinking question be?

The Education Bureau in Hong Kong ordered the controversial question to be removed and the independent assessment authority agreed to investigate. So what went wrong? Maybe it was just an ill-considered test question. Maybe it was a deliberately provocative question. Either way, it pays to remember the test takers—and the dangers of hidden ordinance for translators when adapting instruments for non-English speakers.

Know Your Audience

Good test development involves creating a testing instrument that will reliably measure what it sets out to measure—and without the presence of detours and rage-creators, political or otherwise. But the careful calibration that it requires has many layers.

When you do a sensitivity analysis, it isn’t just about inappropriate language. You also have to be conscious of the cultural appropriateness of the question. This is as critically important in the original language as when it’s translated and adapted into the target language. After all, good translation isn’t a word-for-word exchange—you need to be sensitive to cultural norms and expectations in order to effectively convey the message.

A Reminder

This isn’t the first time that an exam question has generated controversy and I can guarantee you that it won’t be the last. However, it’s a good reminder of how important it is to ensure the cultural appropriateness of one’s test questions, both in the original source language and in the target language. It’s a way to help test takers feel more confident about the exam they’re being asked to take. And to help keep bad PR at bay.

Doing Assessments the Right Way

The explosive matter experts at Responsive Translation are here to help keep you and your clients out of the Hurt Locker. We specialize in the translation, adaptation, validation and review of educational assessments for diverse linguistic and cultural audiences. Headquartered in New Jersey but operating remotely, we’re certified for ISO 9001 and support organizations around the globe.

For more information, please contact 646-847-3309 or [email protected].