New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of validity in assessments?

1. To ensure tests are consistently administered

2. To confirm that tests are fair and unbiased

3. To assess whether tests measure the intended skills accurately

4. To improve future assessments

The correct answer is: To assess whether tests measure the intended skills accurately

The purpose of validity in assessments is fundamentally about measuring the accuracy and relevance of what is being tested. When a test is valid, it means that the assessment is truly measuring the skills or knowledge it is intended to measure. For example, if a reading assessment is designed to evaluate comprehension skills, it should accurately assess a student’s ability to understand and interpret text rather than rewarding unrelated abilities such as rote memorization or guessing. This focus on the alignment between the intended learning outcomes and what the assessment actually measures underscores why validity is critical in educational testing. While aspects such as consistency of test administration, fairness, and the improvement of future assessments are important, they are connected to other facets of assessment, such as reliability and fairness. Validity, however, specifically addresses the core issue of whether the assessment serves its intended purpose effectively.