Which term refers to the consistency of results across repeated measurements?

• A. Repeatability
• B. Validity
• C. Reliability
• D. Accuracy

Answer: (C)

Reliability is about how dependable a measurement is over time. If you repeat the same measurement under similar conditions, consistent results indicate high reliability. This means the instrument or method yields stable values across repeated trials.

Validity and accuracy address different concerns: validity asks whether you’re measuring the right thing, and accuracy asks how close the result is to the true value. Repeatability is a related idea that focuses on consistency under very short-term, identical conditions, but reliability covers consistency across repeated measurements in practice, including variations that might occur over time or with different setups.

So, the best fit for consistency across repeated measurements is reliability.