A method for determining the presence or absence of an analyte in a sample, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising, the sample, a known amount of an internal control, an internal control probe that generates an internal control signal after specifically binding to the internal control or an internal control amplification product generated from the internal control, an analyte probe that generates an analyte signal after specifically binding to the analyte or an analyte amplification product generated from the analyte, provided that the analyte is present in the sample; (b) measuring a combined signal generated by the internal control probe and the analyte probe without distinguishing the internal control signal from the analyte signal; and (c) determining which of the following situations applies: (i) the sample does not comprise the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than an analyte cutoff value, the analyte cutoff value representing a signal that is higher than a signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, and the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to a validity cutoff value, the validity cutoff value representing the signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, (ii) the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value, the combined signal being greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value when the analyte is present in the sample, and (iii) it cannot be determined whether the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than the validity cutoff value, wherein the detectable maximum of the internal control signal is less than the analyte cutoff value, wherein the internal control probe and the analyte probe are each detectably labeled with identical detectable labels, such that the internal control signal and the analyte signal are emitted by identical detectable labels, and wherein the method does not comprise measuring the analyte signal or the internal control signal separate from the combined signal. (a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising, the sample, a known amount of an internal control, an internal control probe that generates an internal control signal after specifically binding to the internal control or an internal control amplification product generated from the internal control, an analyte probe that generates an analyte signal after specifically binding to the analyte or an analyte amplification product generated from the analyte, provided that the analyte is present in the sample; (b) measuring a combined signal generated by the internal control probe and the analyte probe without distinguishing the internal control signal from the analyte signal; and (c) determining which of the following situations applies: (i) the sample does not comprise the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than an analyte cutoff value, the analyte cutoff value representing a signal that is higher than a signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, and the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to a validity cutoff value, the validity cutoff value representing the signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, (ii) the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value, the combined signal being greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value when the analyte is present in the sample, and (iii) it cannot be determined whether the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than the validity cutoff value, wherein the detectable maximum of the internal control signal is less than the analyte cutoff value, wherein the internal control probe and the analyte probe are each detectably labeled with identical detectable labels, such that the internal control signal and the analyte signal are emitted by identical detectable labels, and wherein the method does not comprise measuring the analyte signal or the internal control signal separate from the combined signal. (i) the sample does not comprise the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than an analyte cutoff value, the analyte cutoff value representing a signal that is higher than a signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, and the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to a validity cutoff value, the validity cutoff value representing the signal measured from the internal control in the absence of the analyte, (ii) the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value, the combined signal being greater than or equal to the analyte cutoff value when the analyte is present in the sample, and (iii) it cannot be determined whether the sample comprises the analyte because the magnitude of the combined signal is less than the validity cutoff value, wherein the detectable maximum of the internal control signal is less than the analyte cutoff value, wherein the internal control probe and the analyte probe are each detectably labeled with identical detectable labels, such that the internal control signal and the analyte signal are emitted by identical detectable labels, and wherein the method does not comprise measuring the analyte signal or the internal control signal separate from the combined signal.