What term describes a wrong answer option in a multiple-choice test that is designed to be plausible?

• A. Distractor
• B. Validity
• C. Backwash
• D. Phonology

Answer: (A)

Plausible wrong answers used in multiple-choice items are called distractors. A good distractor is believable enough to tempt someone who hasn’t mastered the material, which helps the item differentiate between students who know the content and those who don’t. This design makes the correct choice stand out because only those with the right knowledge can avoid being misled. The other terms don’t describe this idea: validity is about whether the test measures what it should; phonology is the study of sound systems in language; backwash (or washback) refers to the influence of testing on teaching and curriculum, not the nature of the wrong answer options.