Which term describes how close a measured value is to the true value?

Which term describes how close a measured value is to the true value?

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

Answer: (B)

Accuracy describes how close a measured value is to the true value. If the true weight is 100 g and your measurements cluster around 100 g, those results are accurate. Precision, by contrast, looks at how tightly repeated measurements agree with each other, no matter how close they are to the true value. Reliability is about consistency across trials, and validity asks whether the measurement actually assesses what it’s supposed to measure.

Accuracy describes how close a measured value is to the true value. If the true weight is 100 g and your measurements cluster around 100 g, those results are accurate. Precision, by contrast, looks at how tightly repeated measurements agree with each other, no matter how close they are to the true value. Reliability is about consistency across trials, and validity asks whether the measurement actually assesses what it’s supposed to measure.