Legal Definitions - content-valid test

A content-valid test is an examination given to job applicants that closely relates to the skills required for the job. This type of test is often used in employment-discrimination cases to prove the validity of an examination.

For example, if a company is hiring a secretary, they may give a typing or computer literacy test to ensure the applicant has the necessary skills for the job. This is an example of a content-valid test because it replicates major portions of the job.

However, a grammar test would not be considered content-valid for a firefighter position because it only measures a small portion of the job's duties. While firefighters may need to write reports, a grammar test is too narrow to be considered content-valid.

Overall, a content-valid test must measure or replicate a representative sample of the job's duties to be considered valid.