What aspect does face validity assess in a test?

Face validity assesses whether a test appears to measure what it is intended to measure, based on subjective judgment. This means that when individuals or experts review the test and consider its items, they should feel that the questions or tasks reflect the construct the test aims to assess. For instance, if a test is designed to evaluate mathematical skills, face validity would be strong if the majority of the test items vividly represent mathematical problems—making it seem appropriate for the intended purpose.

While face validity is important for the initial acceptance of a test by users and participants, it does not evaluate the actual efficacy or accuracy of the test in measuring the construct—this is where other forms of validity, such as construct validity or criterion-related validity, come into play. Therefore, its focus is primarily on superficial aspects rather than deep theoretical congruence or empirical substantiation of results.