On the Factor Structure of a Reading Comprehension Test

Abstract

To investigate the construct validly of a section of a high stakes test, an exploratory factor analysis using principal components analysis was employed. The rotation used was varimax with the suppression level of .30. Eleven factors were extracted out of 35 reading comprehension items. The fact that these factors emerged speak to the construct validity of the test. However the problem of over-factoring was obvious. This may be attributable to different paradigms of testing on which the items were based. In other words, the test constructer opted for passages from TOEFL, FCE and IELTS books with much alteration.