Validation of the short French version of the test anxiety inventory among high school and university students

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Reference

Goulet J, Yale-Souliere G, Turgeon L. (2026). Validation of the short French version of the test anxiety inventory among high school and university students. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement.

Abstract

Test anxiety is a prevalent concern among students, affecting both their well-being and academic achievement. This underscores the need for brief, well-validated assessment tools. The present study aimed to validate the short version of the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-5; Spielberger et al., 1980) in French, a concise and reliable measure of test anxiety. Data were collected at two time points from two distinct samples in Quebec: high school students (n = 474; 72% female) and university students (n = 388; 92% female). Results confirmed the TAI-5’s strong construct validity, internal consistency, and measurement invariance across educational levels and time points. The TAI-5 also demonstrated good convergent validity, showing positive correlations with other anxiety symptoms and negative correlations with academic achievement. These findings establish the French TAI-5 as a reliable, valid, and time-efficient tool for assessing test anxiety in diverse student populations, offering researchers and practitioners a valuable instrument to address this important issue.

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