The extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternate forms of the test, or on retesting

• A. Elicitors
• B. Qualitative Research
• C. Validity
• D. Reliability

Answer: (D)

Reliability is about consistency of scores. When a test yields similar results across different conditions, it’s considered reliable. This description points to several established ways to assess that consistency: splitting the test into two halves and checking if the scores align (split-half reliability), using different but equivalent versions of the test and comparing results (alternate-forms reliability), and giving the same test again later to see if scores stay stable (test-retest reliability). The focus here is on consistency across occasions or forms, not on whether the test measures what it’s supposed to measure. That latter idea is validity. Terms like elicitors or qualitative research refer to other concepts outside the idea of a test’s score consistency.