This reduces the number of questions you can put on a test, therefore reducing the reliability of the test. For example , in the Tuckman question above, the information on Poole's model had nothing to do with the information sought by the question. Avoid lifting phrases directly from text or lecture. This becomes a simple recall activity for the student. Use new language as frequently as possible.
Most literature recommends writing the correct answer before writing the distracters.
This makes sure you pay enough attention to formulating the one clearly correct answer. Answer options should be about the same length and parallel in grammatical structure. Too much detail or different grammatical structure can give the answer away. Four choice items are the most popular, and never give more than five alternatives. Distracters must be incorrect, but plausible.