Which type of validity is defined as being predictive of a future behavior or event?

• A. Concurrent validity
• B. Predictive validity
• C. Prescriptive validity
• D. Content validity

Answer: (B)

Predictive validity is the degree to which a test score can forecast future behavior or outcomes. It answers whether the measure can accurately predict what someone will do later, such as job performance, academic success, or other future criteria. This is a form of criterion-related validity because the criterion (the future outcome) is something you observe after the test.

In contrast, concurrent validity looks at how well the test score relates to a criterion measured at the same time, which tells you about current alignment rather than future prediction. Content validity is about whether the test items adequately represent the domain being tested, not about predicting outcomes. A term like prescriptive validity isn’t a standard category used to describe how tests forecast future events.