Which term in SMART goals relates to consistency of outcomes across attempts?

• A. Reliable
• B. Relevant
• C. Robust
• D. Rigorous

Answer: (A)

Reliability is about outcomes that are repeatable and consistent across multiple attempts. When you repeat a task or measure progress, reliable results stay similar, so you can trust that changes come from real progress rather than random variation. This consistency across attempts is exactly what the term captures, making it the best fit for describing steady, dependable outcomes over time. The other terms describe different qualities—relevance is about alignment with goals, robustness is about strength under varying conditions, and rigor is about thoroughness or strictness—none of which directly target repeatable consistency across attempts.