When constructing distractors, which practice is recommended?

• A. Include at least one distractor that reflects a common misconception.
• B. Make all distractors obviously incorrect.
• C. Include at least one option that is clearly unrelated.
• D. Keep distractors identical to the correct answer.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is to design distractors that help differentiate students who know the material from those who don’t. Including at least one option that is clearly unrelated to the stem gives you a built-in foil that cannot be mistaken for a correct concept. This helps ensure the item isn’t won by clever wording alone and encourages students to read the stem and evaluate each choice against what they know. It also provides a quick signal of whether a student is truly engaging with the content or simply guessing.

In practice, while other distractors should reflect plausible alternatives or common misunderstandings to differentiate levels of understanding, having at least one clearly unrelated option adds a safeguard for item quality and reduces the chance that every distractor is tempting for someone who doesn’t know the material.