PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE EVALUATION OF TEST ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENTS

Test anxiety is a problem that affects students in Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate. The objective of the present study was to adapt the "Test Anxiety Questionnaire for (CAEX)" to Spanish students in Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and Baccalaureate. A total of 1,181students (51.8% females, M= 14.7, SD= 1.8), from public High Schools in the Region of Murcia were evaluated. Three factors were identified: Physiological anxiety, Avoidance behavior and Cognitive response to exams, which explained 53% of the total variance. The level of internal consistency on the subscales and of the total was.90,.49 and.94, respectively. The Omega coefficient was.85 or higher on every subscale. Also, Test-retest reliability ranged from .52 to.87. Furthermore, the convergent and discriminant validity of the CAEX-A was adequate. The CAEX-A has appropriated psychometric properties and can be used for the psychological assessment of test anxiety in Spanish students from 12 to 18 years of age.