To determine whether you have met your goal, the goal must be something that can be measured. This means there is a(n) ______ somewhere within the goal.

• A. Number
• B. Timeline
• C. Quality
• D. Standard

Answer: (A)

Measurability comes from having a numeric target you can verify. When a goal includes a specific number, you can compare the actual result to that figure and determine whether you’ve reached it. This makes success objective and clear. For example, turning “increase sales” into “achieve 500 units sold this quarter” gives you a concrete target to hit and assess.

A timeline sets a deadline but doesn’t itself specify what counts as meeting the goal. Quality describes how good something must be, which can be subjective and not necessarily expressed as a concrete quantity. A standard is a benchmark, which can be numeric or qualitative, but the sentence emphasizes the need for a numeric measure to determine attainment.