The STAI-C consists of two 20-item scales, one assessing state anxiety (A-State) and the other trait anxiety (A-Trait). The former quantifies short-term, situation specific anxiety, while the latter addresses feelings of anxiety in general. Responses to each item are on a three-point scale ranging from "hardly ever" to "often" true. Each scale produces a total score which can be compared with one another to determine the more problematic anxiety type.