Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 3rd Edition

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 3rd edition (KTEA-3) is a popular battery for the assessment of students’ academic skills. Its manual includes a series of confirmatory factor analyses to support construct validity. Its five-factor model did not include all available subtests in the battery and required covarying residuals between certain subtests, which could suggest that it measures additional abilities beyond its specified factors. Further, its factors appear highly correlated which suggests the presence of a general factor. This investigation supplements the analyses in the manual with both an oblique rotation and a higher-order exploratory factor analysis using a Schmid-Leiman rotation within multiple grade ranges. Results suggest that the KTEA-3 is factorally complex. The Schmid-Leiman rotation indicates that it is a measure of both a general ability, and perhaps an additional naming facility factor.