Factor Structure, Validity, Reliability and Gender Invariance of the Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Exams-related Anxiety (CAAE)

Abstract

The aims of this study was to validate the Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Exams-related Anxiety (CAAE, for its acronym in Spanish) in university students (n= 1024) of both sexes (66.4% women, and 33,6% men) and 20.34 years of mean age (SD: 1.78). For the study, the sample was randomly divided into two groups. With first subgroup 23 different structures were tested applying an approach based on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). The Bifactorial S-1 model, with a general factor and a specific cognitive factor, presented the best fit indices (TLI: 0,91; CFI: 0,93; RMSEA: 0,077). The model was replicated in the second sample. Its validity, reliability and gender invariance were confirmed.