Psychologists use reliability and validity as measures of a test's quality, and for purposes of comparing different tests.
Reliability
Reliability means consistency or accuracy. Reliability is the ability of a test to produce consistent and stable scores. The simplest way to determine a test's reliability is to give the test to a group and then, after a short time, give it again to the same group. If the group scores the same each time, the test is reliable. The problem with this way of determining reliability is that the group may have remembered the answers from the first testing. One method of eliminating this problem is to divide the test into two parts and check the consistency of people's scores on both parts. If the scores generally agree, the test is said to have split-half reliability. Psychologists express reliability in terms of correlation coefficients, the statistical measure of the degree of linear association between two variables. Correlation coefficients can vary from -1.0 to +1.0. The reliability of intelligence tests is about .90; that is, scores remain fairly stable across repeated testing.
Validity
Validity is the ability of a test to measure what it has been designed to measure. Construct validity is the degree to which a test measures the concept it claims to measure. Predictive validity is the degree to which a construct is related positively to real-world outcomes. In general, most intelligence tests assess many of the abilities considered to be components of intelligence: concentration, planning, memory, language comprehension, and writing. However, a single test may not cover all the areas of intelligence, and tests differ in their emphasis on the abilities they do measure.
Criterion-related validity refers to the relationship between test scores and independent measures of whatever the test is designed to measure. In the case of intelligence, the most common independent measure is academic achievement. Despite their differences in surface content, most intelligence tests are good predictors of academic success. Based on this criterion, these tests seem to have adequate criterion-related validity.
Tests must be both reliable and valid.
Test-retest reliability is the consistency of scores on a test over time.
Internal reliability describes intelligence tests in which questions on a subtest correlate very highly with other items on the subtest.
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FAQs
The MC-FIRE acronym (Maintainable, Complete, Fast, Isolated, Reliable, and Expressive) may be a helpful acronym to remember these characteristics as you work!
What makes a test a good test? ›
Psychologists use reliability and validity as measures of a test's quality, and for purposes of comparing different tests. Reliability means consistency or accuracy. Reliability is the ability of a test to produce consistent and stable scores.
How do I choose the best answer for a test? ›
Incorrect answers almost always contain words such as always, never, all, none and every. Correct answers almost always contain words such as often, most, rarely, may sometimes be, can occasionally result in, and are often. Choose “all of the above” when two or more choices are definitely correct.
What are the qualities of a good test adequacy? ›
All good tests possess three qualities: validity, reliability, and practicality. That is to say, any test that we use must be appropriate in terms of our objectives, dependable in the evidence it provides, and applicable to our particular situation.
What are the 4 attributes of good test case? ›
A good Test Case satisfies the following criteria:
- Easily identifiable with its name;
- Simple and specific (any one in the test team should be able to execute the Test Cases without the author help);
- Reasonable probability of catching an defect;
- Traceable to requirements;
- Compliant to regulations;
There are three types of validity: content, criterion-related, and construct. Reliability means consistency - a test should produce similar scores if re-taken. Factors like length, difficulty, and objectivity affect reliability. A good test is also easy to administer, score, interpret, and economical for teachers.
What are two characteristics of a good test? ›
Hence, it could be concluded that all of the above i.e. validity, reliability, and usability are the characteristic of a good test.
What makes a test powerful? ›
A test's power is the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false; a test's power is influenced by the choice of significance level for the test, the size of the effect being measured, and the amount of data available.
What are the characteristics of a reliable test? ›
First, reliability refers to how dependably or consistently a test measures a certain characteristic. For an exam or an assessment to be considered reliable, it must exhibit consistent results. A test taker can get the same score no matter how, where, or when they take it, within reason.
Is C really the most common answer? ›
Myth 2: C is the best guess letter and is right more often than any other letter. C or H are right (and wrong) as often as any other answer choice. The only guess letter you don't want to use when you are completely guessing is E or K because they only show up on the math test.
The best strategy, and the one that will maximize your overall point gain, is to pick your favorite letter and fill it in for every blind guess. Whether that letter is A, B, C, or D doesn't matter—just be sure to stick with it every single time.
Is b or c the most common answer? ›
I'm sure you've heard this at some point “if you don't know the answer, always guess C. because it's the most common correct option”. That's just a myth, and generally there are no most common answers on multiple choice tests.
What are the five principles of a good test? ›
Brown (2004) stated that the principles of good test should satisfy for the conditions as follows:
- Validity.
- Reliability.
- Practicality.
- Authenticity.
- Backwash.
12 characteristics of good, automated tests
- Tests should help us improve quality.
- Tests should help us understand the system.
- Tests should reduce (not increase) risk.
- Tests should be easy to run.
- Tests should be easy to write and maintain.
- Tests should require minimal maintenance as the system evolves around them.
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- 5 Main Characteristics of a Good Psychological Test.
- Objectivity:
- Reliability:
- Validity:
- Norms:
- Practicability:
Positive Character Traits Education
- Courage.
- Trustworthiness, including honesty, reliability, punctuality, and loyalty.
- Integrity.
- Respect and courtesy.
- Responsibility, including accountability, diligence, perseverance, self-management skills, and self-control.
- Fairness, including justice and freedom from prejudice.
Specifically, test usefulness is understood as a function of six interrelated qualities showed in Figure 2: reliability, construct validity, authenticity, interactiveness, impact, and practicality.
What is the 5 test? ›
The Big Five personality test, also known as the OCEAN personality test, is based on the Big Five model that defines human personality as the combination of 5 personality traits or factors – Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion and Neuroticism (making the acronym – OCEAN).
