Validation of the Utrecht Mathematical Competency Scale (UMCS) for pre primary school students

The purpose of current research was to validate the Utrecht Mathematical Competency Scale (UMCS) to assess the developmental level of early Mathematical competence in children of ages 4/5 to 7/5 years. Concurrent validity was confirmed with two different embedded figures task. Participants were 720 children divided into six age groups. Applying the principal component analysis showed that a one – factor solution gives the best interpretation of the data. Using a two way analysis of variance showed that the age of students (but not gender) was statistically significant concerning their developmental level. The results of this study support the research findings obtained by many other researchers in this field.