Relationship between reliability and validity

1. Answer: d. valid/reliable/reliability/valid

• Explanation: A valid test measures what it is supposed to measure, while reliability refers to the consistency of the test results. A test can be valid without being reliable, but if it shows some degree of reliability, it indicates that it is at least somewhat valid.

2. Answer: a. to a large extent reliable

• Explanation: Validity implies that the test accurately measures what it claims to measure, which generally suggests a high level of reliability as well.

3. Answer: d. reliable/practical

• Explanation: Longer tests tend to produce more reliable results due to the increased number of items that can average out random errors. However, shorter tests are often more practical for administration and take less time.

4. Answer: b. If a test is valid, it is to some extent reliable.

• Explanation: Validity requires reliability; a test cannot be valid if it does not produce consistent results.

5. Answer: a. without necessarily being valid

• Explanation: A test can yield consistent results (high reliability) but still not measure what it is intended to measure (low validity).

6. Answer: c. practicality, validity, reliability, and comprehensiveness

• Explanation: These four criteria are essential in developing effective language tests, ensuring they are useful and measure what they are intended to measure.

7. Answer: c. valid/reliability

• Explanation: Tests should first be valid (accurately measure what they intend) before efforts are made to enhance their reliability (consistency of results).

8. Answer: c. The greater the reliability of a test, the less validity it usually has.

• Explanation: This statement is incorrect; greater reliability does not imply less validity; in fact, a reliable test is often expected to also have good validity.

9. Answer: a. the standard error of measurement

• Explanation: There is an inverse relationship between reliability and the standard error of measurement; higher reliability typically leads to a lower standard error.

10. Answer: a. construct

• Explanation: Reliability can be viewed as a specific type of construct validity since both concepts relate to the accuracy and consistency of what a test measures.

11. Answer: b. 0.40

• Explanation: Coefficients below 0.40 are generally considered low in terms of both validity and reliability in testing contexts.

12. Answer: b. Availability

• Explanation: While availability can be important, it is not traditionally considered a characteristic of a good test compared to validity, reliability, and practicality.

13. Answer: c. If a test is valid, it is to some extent reliable.

• Explanation: This statement correctly reflects that validity implies some level of reliability; if a test accurately measures its intended construct, it must produce consistent results.

14. Answer: b. to some extent reliable

• Explanation: If a test demonstrates some degree of validity, it suggests that the results are consistent enough to indicate that the test measures what it claims to measure, thus being at least somewhat reliable.