how do psychologist ensure the reliability of a particular intelligence test

Question

anonymous · Answer

"Reliability" is all about "consistency." 

"Consistency" is getting the same thing, over and over again. 

If I give you an intelligence test, three times, 
you should get the same score on the test, all three times. 
Because that means that the test works. The test is accurate. It can measure intelligence, like it's supposed to. 

That's how psychologists know that an intelligence test is "reliable." 
It is consistent. 
And when we give the same test to the same person, over and over again, 
the score will be the same, each and every time.