FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)The Teaching Process and MethodsMedium
A written test is given to two different classes of student pilots on the same day, and both groups produce very consistent score patterns each time it is administered. However, the test actually measures rote memorization of numbers rather than the aeronautical decision-making skills it was designed to assess. This test can best be described as—
- AValid but not reliable
- BNeither valid nor reliable
- CBoth valid and reliable
- DReliable but not valid
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Reliable but not valid
Reliability refers to consistency of results, which this test demonstrates. Validity refers to whether the test measures what it is intended to measure; since it measures memorization instead of decision-making, it lacks validity despite being reliable.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The test is not valid, since it fails to measure the intended skill.
- B. The test IS reliable, since results are consistent; only validity is missing.
- C. The test cannot be valid if it measures the wrong construct.
Reliability vs Validity
Reliability is the consistency of test results, while validity is whether a test measures what it claims to measure. A test can be reliable without being valid.
- Reliability = consistency
- Validity = measures intended objective
- A test can be reliable but invalid, not the reverse
Memory trick: 'Reliable = repeatable, Valid = on-target' — a broken scale can be consistent but wrong.