RSOM Faculty Development Guide: Start a Teaching Renaissance

Validity relates to the interpretation of results. Can an instructor make accurate assessments about a student’s knowledge and skills based on the student’s outcomes on any particular assessment? If the assessment tool is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring, it’s much easier for the teacher to recognize the knowledge and skills of each student.

Reliability focuses on consistency in a student’s results. If the assessment tool is reliable, the student should score the same regardless of the day the assessment is given, the time of day, or who is grading it. 

Below we look at three common question types used in medical education and see how they can be designed with high validity and reliability.