Which reliability concerns consistency of scores across different items measuring the same construct?

• A. Intra-rater consistency
• B. Inter-rater consistency
• C. Test-retest reliability
• D. Internal consistency reliability

Answer: (D)

Internal consistency reliability focuses on whether the items on a single test that are designed to measure the same construct produce related scores. When all items tap the same underlying trait, responses should correlate with one another, yielding a coherent overall score. This is often assessed with statistics like Cronbach’s alpha or split-half reliability. If items don’t align with the same construct, the test shows lower internal consistency, suggesting some items may be measuring something different or adding noise.

Intra-rater consistency is about the same examiner scoring the same material consistently, not about the items themselves. Inter-rater reliability concerns agreement among different raters. Test-retest reliability looks at score stability over time with the same test. Therefore, the description best matches internal consistency reliability.