Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) Test

For athletes, coaches, and people preparing for an evaluated performance, this assessment offers a structured way to examine how pressure is experienced before competition. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) Test can help a respondent distinguish bodily activation, performance-related thinking, and psychological readiness in relation to a particular event. A competitive anxiety test is most useful when answers refer to the situation immediately in mind.

What This Assessment Explores

The items focus on immediate pre-competition experience rather than broad personality. They ask about nervousness, tension, racing heart, sweating, stomach discomfort, self-doubt, fear of poor performance, concentration, confidence, relaxation, security, and coping with pressure. The questionnaire suits training, selection, matches, races, auditions, and other settings where performance is evaluated.

The result separates three dimensions. The CSAI-2 questionnaire presents them as follows:

• Self-Confidence (9–36) indicates a favorable psychological state during preparation; Low 9–22, Moderate 23–33, and High 34–36 are the displayed bands.
• Somatic Anxiety (9–36) reflects autonomic responses such as increased temperature, racing heart, muscle tension, and sweating; Low 9–12, Moderate 13–21, and High 22–36 are shown.
• Cognitive Anxiety (9–36) assesses appraisals, expectations, and thought patterns; higher scores may indicate negative thoughts, self-doubt, and negative self-instructions; Low 9–13, Moderate 14–26, and High 27–36 are shown.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each item uses four ordered response options, moving from an absent or weak fit to a strong or complete fit. Statements describe symptoms, concerns, or positive states, so the respondent should follow each item's wording rather than assume every statement represents anxiety. The questionnaire yields separate dimension scores; the displayed bands describe their levels, and no additional overall score or point-conversion rule should be inferred.

The evidence base is the published Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2), whose three-factor structure distinguishes the questionnaire's three domains. This online questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that instrument, not the original publication itself. Confirmatory factor analyses by Lane and colleagues and by Lundqvist and Hassmén examined the structure, including a Swedish version. Their findings support treating the domains as related but distinct, but do not establish independent norms for this online presentation.

A pre-competition anxiety assessment is context-sensitive because event stakes, recent training, mood, expectations, and self-awareness can influence self-report. The result is best read as a snapshot of current competitive experience, not a fixed trait or clinical conclusion.