Abstract

Reading comprehension and self-regulation skills are essential for academic success in higher education. This study presents the development and psychometric analysis of the University Reading and Comprehension Strategies Assessment (URCSA), a test designed to examine reading comprehension and metacognitive awareness in first-year university students. A total of 507 education students from a Chilean university participated. Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses of unidimensionality, difficulty, and item discrimination were evaluated. The results show sufficient evidence of internal validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the instrument to differentiate levels of reading skill. Findings concluded that URCSA is a useful tool for identifying strengths and weaknesses in strategic reading comprehension and metacognition in university settings. © 2025 Centro de Estudios de Promoción de la Lectura y Literatura Infantil, Universidad de Castilla-La Manc. All rights reserved.