Assessment Reliability and Validity

Assessment reliability refers to the consistency of a test or measurement — if you take it multiple times under similar conditions, it should produce similar results. Validity, on the other hand, determines whether the assessment accurately measures what it claims to measure. A reliable test that isn’t valid may give consistent but incorrect results, while a valid test accurately captures the intended trait or knowledge. Both are essential for trustworthy assessments: reliability ensures consistency, and validity ensures accuracy.