Construct validity asks if an assessment:

Construct validity is a critical aspect of assessment design, focusing on whether a test truly measures the concept or construct it is intended to measure. When an assessment has strong construct validity, it means that the inferences made based on the test results accurately reflect the knowledge, skills, or traits that the test aims to evaluate. This is essential for ensuring that the assessment can inform teaching and learning practices effectively.

For instance, if a test is designed to measure early literacy skills, strong construct validity would imply that the test effectively assesses various aspects such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension, rather than unrelated skills or knowledge.

In contrast, ease of administration, time constraints, or correlation with other tests may play roles in overall test effectiveness but do not directly address the core issue of whether the test accurately reflects the intended construct. Therefore, the focus on whether an assessment measures what it intends to measure is fundamental to evaluating its construct validity.