Validity is defined as

• A. The extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to
• B. An accurate measurement of the traits
• C. Results should be the same regardless of the rater
• D. All of the above

Answer: (A)

Validity is about whether a test actually measures what it’s designed to measure or predicts the outcome it’s intended to forecast. This focuses on whether the test’s results reflect the real construct or criterion it aims to assess. The idea of accurate measurement of traits speaks to precision or accuracy of the measurement itself, not whether the instrument is measuring the correct thing. Reliability, such as inter-rater consistency, concerns whether results are stable across evaluators, not whether the test measures the intended construct. Since reliability and accuracy describe different qualities from validity, the statement that captures validity best is the extent to which the test measures or predicts what it’s supposed to.