Which evaluative measure indicates the degree to which a test assesses what it is supposed to assess?

Which evaluative measure indicates the degree to which a test assesses what it is supposed to assess?

• A. Reliability
• B. Stability
• C. Validity
• D. Internal consistency

Answer: (C)

Validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure. It answers whether the test actually taps the intended construct rather than something else. To show validity, developers look at different forms such as content validity (do the items cover the construct?), criterion validity (do the scores relate to other established measures of the same construct?), and construct validity (do the test results behave as theory predicts). In this item, the phrase “assesses what it is supposed to assess” directly aligns with validity, making it the best choice. Reliability, stability, and internal consistency focus on the consistency of results across time or items, not on whether the test is measuring the correct concept.

Validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure. It answers whether the test actually taps the intended construct rather than something else. To show validity, developers look at different forms such as content validity (do the items cover the construct?), criterion validity (do the scores relate to other established measures of the same construct?), and construct validity (do the test results behave as theory predicts). In this item, the phrase “assesses what it is supposed to assess” directly aligns with validity, making it the best choice.

Reliability, stability, and internal consistency focus on the consistency of results across time or items, not on whether the test is measuring the correct concept.