WPPSI-III in Sudan: Validity, reliability, and confirmatory factor analysis in khartoum kindergarten and primary schools

The study aims to determine the validity and reliability of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Third Edition (WPPSI-III) scores in a sample of kindergarten and lower primary pupils from Khartoum State, Sudan. It also aims to examine whether test’s factor structure in this sample replicated that of the original WPPSI-III. The study sample consisted of 384 kindergarten and primary school children in Khartoum State (females = 50% mean age = 4.14, SD = 1.37), selected using stratified random sampling across its seven localities: Khartoum, Jebel Awliya, Khartoum Bahri, East Nile, Omdurman, Ombada, Karari. For concurrent validation, the children additionally completed the Goodenough Draw-a-Man Test, and the Colored Progressive Matrices. WPPSI-III scores demonstrated high internal consistency across the subtest items. Confirmatory factor analysis indicators for total, verbal, and performance intelligence were all excellent. The scale also showed weak to strong score stability ranging from 0.25 (weak) to 0.88 (strong) based on the Spearman-Brown equation, 0.25 to 0.75 based on the Guttman split-half method. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient scores ranged from 0.54 to 0.93. The WPPSI-III and Goodenough Draw-a-Man Test scores concurrent validity scores were poor (0.05) to modest (0.31), and while those with the Colored Progressive Matrices test were poor (r = 0.04–0.18). These findings provide evidence to suggest that the WPPSI-III is appropriate for research use with kindergarten and lower primary school students in Khartoum State, Sudan.