Validity asks which of the following?

• A. Does the test measure what it says it measures?
• B. Does the test have high reliability?
• C. Is the test easy to administer?
• D. Does the test produce the same results across settings?

Answer: (A)

Validity is about whether a test measures what it is intended to measure. In language assessment, you want the scores to reflect the actual construct of interest (for example, expressive language ability) and behave in ways that align with that construct across related measures and real-world language use. That makes option about measuring what it says it measures the best choice.

Reliability, by contrast, concerns consistency of scores across occasions, items, or raters, and it can be high even if the test isn’t measuring the intended construct. Easy administration relates to practicality, not validity. Producing the same results across settings speaks to reliability or generalizability, not the core question of whether the test measures the right construct.