In educational testing, what does the term "reliability" refer to?

In educational testing, the term "reliability" specifically refers to the consistency of test scores across different administrations. When a test is reliable, it produces stable and consistent results regardless of when it is taken or under what conditions. For example, if a student takes the same test on two different occasions, a reliable test would yield similar scores indicating that the measurement of the student's knowledge or skills is dependable.

This aspect of reliability is crucial in ensuring that the results reflect the true performance of the student rather than random fluctuations due to factors such as mood, testing environment, or other external influences. High reliability in testing enables educators and administrators to confidently interpret scores and make informed decisions regarding teaching strategies, curricular adjustments, and student evaluations.

In contrast to this definition, the effectiveness of a test in measuring knowledge pertains more to the validity of the test rather than its reliability. The ease of administration affects practicality but does not inherently reflect how consistently a test performs. Similarly, the variety of questions included relates to the comprehensiveness of the assessment but does not address the stability of scores across testing conditions.