What is an example of criterion-related validity?

• A. A test predicting future job performance.
• B. A test correlating with an unrelated trait.
• C. A test with low reliability.
• D. A test with no external criterion.

Answer: (A)

Criterion-related validity assesses whether test scores relate to an external outcome that matters for what the test is used to predict or judge. An example is using a test to predict future job performance. You administer the test now and then later measure how well the person actually performs on the job; if higher test scores tend to go with higher job performance, the test demonstrates predictive validity, a form of criterion-related validity.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: correlating with an unrelated trait doesn’t show relevance to the external criterion you care about, so it wouldn’t support criterion-related validity. A test with low reliability isn’t consistently measuring the same thing, which undermines any validity. A test with no external criterion has nothing to compare to, so you can’t establish criterion-related validity.