Assessing the Construct Validity of a Life Skills Competency Test

The proliferation of minimum competency tests in recent years has not resulted in a critical analysis of their construct validity. The present study examined the dimensionality and construct validity of an urban life skills competency test. Results of a double cross-validation factor analysis identified one factor underlying performance. This factor was stable across three independent samples. It was also highly correlated with reading and math subtests of the ITBS. Thus, life skills competency may not be operationally different than traditional achievement tests. Additional validity studies are needed.