Multiple Choice Question Design: Writing Distractors That Work
The correct answer is easy to write. The wrong answers are where question quality lives. Here is how I design distractors that make questions fair. Writing a multiple choice question seems straightforward. Write the question, write the correct answer, write three wrong answers, done. I used to think this way, and my questions were bad. The correct answer was fine, but the wrong answers, the distractors, were either obviously wrong or impossibly vague. Users could eliminate two distractors without knowing the material, which meant the question was testing test taking skills rather than knowledge. After studying psychometrics and working with assessment designers, I learned that distractor design is where question quality is determined. Here is. Every Distractor Should Be Plausible A good distractor is an answer that a reasonable person might choose if they did not know the correct answer. The distractor should be wrong, but not obviously wrong. It should represent a common misconception, a partial understanding, or a reasonable guess. If a distractor is so wrong that no one would choose it, it is not a distractor. It is filler. I test every distractor by asking: why would someone choose this? If I cannot articulate a reason, the distractor is not plausible enough. More guides are on the Quiz Hub Blog.