What constitutes a valid and reliable performance test?

• A. Validity ensures the test measures what it should; reliability ensures consistent results over time
• B. Validity and reliability are the same concept
• C. Reliability concerns test duration
• D. Validity concerns test difficulty

Answer: (A)

In performance testing, you want a measure that truly targets the skill or attribute you’re interested in and that yields stable results across trials. Validity asks whether the test actually measures the intended attribute. For example, a drill that resembles sprinting but mainly captures reaction time or deceleration might not reflect true sprinting ability in game conditions, so its validity is questionable. Reliability asks whether the results are repeatable when conditions are kept similar. If an athlete’s times vary a lot when retaking the same drill, the test isn’t reliable.

So a test that is both valid and reliable measures the right thing and provides consistent results over time, allowing you to trust changes in performance. The other statements miss important distinctions: validity and reliability are not the same thing; reliability isn’t about how long the test takes; validity isn’t about how difficult the test is.