Reliability and validity of the six spot-step test in primary school children

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Six Spot-Step Test (SSST) for assessing agility in primary school children. A total of 300 children aged 6–12 years completed the SSST twice under physical education conditions. Convergent validity was examined against the 10 × 5 −m Shuttle Run Test and the Agility Test for Adults (ATA). The SSST showed moderate test–retest reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.77. Absolute reliability was limited: SEM% values were acceptable (11.9%–12.5%), but MDC% values were high (32.9%–34.6%), indicating poor sensitivity to change. Fair, significant correlations were observed between the SSST and the 10 × 5 −m Shuttle Run Test ( ρ = 0.27–0.31), whereas associations with ATA were negligible. Overall, the SSST demonstrated acceptable relative reliability but limited convergent validity and insufficient sensitivity to change, restricting its utility as an agility assessment tool in primary school settings.