What does reliability refer to in an assessment context?

In the context of assessment, reliability specifically pertains to the consistency of a measurement over time. This means that if an assessment is administered multiple times under the same conditions, reliable assessments should yield similar results each time. Consistency is critical because if a test produces different results at different times, it becomes difficult to trust the scores, making it challenging to make informed decisions based on these results.

This characteristic of reliability ensures that the measurement is stable and dependable, which is essential for any credible assessment. While accuracy is important, reliability emphasizes the repeatability of results, irrespective of whether the measurements are inherently accurate or incorrect. Therefore, an assessment can be reliable without necessarily being accurate, but for it to be meaningful in practice, it should demonstrate both reliability and validity.