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The concept of validity related to the ability of a test to predict future performance is known as predictive validity. This type of validity focuses on how well a particular assessment or measurement can forecast outcomes or behaviors in the future based on the results obtained. For example, if a test is designed to assess an individual's likelihood of succeeding in a smoking cessation program, its predictive validity would be established if the test scores correlate significantly with the actual success rates of participants in that program at a later time.

Predictive validity is crucial in many fields, including educational assessments and psychological testing, because it ensures that the instruments used are effective in not just measuring current knowledge or behavior, but also in forecasting future outcomes based on those measurements. This ability to predict is what distinguishes predictive validity from other types such as concurrent validity, which assesses how well a test correlates with a benchmark measure taken at the same time, and construct validity, which examines whether a test truly measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure. External validity refers to the extent to which study results can be generalized to settings, populations, or times outside of the study context, which, while important, does not relate directly to the predictive nature of test results.