Which concept describes the stability of scores across testing occasions?

Which concept describes the stability of scores across testing occasions?

• A. Reliability
• B. Validity
• C. Washback
• D. Phonology

Answer: (A)

Reliability. When a test yields similar scores across different testing occasions, it shows consistency in measurement. This stability is what reliability captures, often examined through test-retest reliability, which looks at how closely scores correlate from one administration to another. In contrast, validity is about whether the test measures what it is intended to measure, washback concerns the test’s influence on teaching and learning, and phonology deals with the sound system of a language. So the idea of scores remaining stable over time points to reliability.