Disclaimer

Disclaimer: These activities are designed to help you practice creative thinking skills similar to those found on creativity assessments. However, completing these exercises does not guarantee a passing score on any specific test. Creativity is personal and can be expressed in many ways, so do your best, have fun, and keep an open mind! And remember: You are more than a test score!

The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) is the most widely used creativity test in education. It assesses creative thinking through verbal and figural tasks that measure fluency, originality, elaboration, and flexibility.

How to Practice for the TTCT (or Similar Creativity Tests)

Since creativity tests reward originality, fluency (lots of ideas), flexibility (varied ideas), and elaboration (detailed ideas), students can practice with activities that build these skills.

Timed Creativity Drills

Set a 3–5 minute timer for idea-generation exercises. You must be able to think quickly under pressure.
The TTCT often has strict time limits.

1. Brainstorming Fluency & Originality

Take a common object (paperclip, brick, spoon) and list as many unusual uses as possible in 2 minutes.
Be wild —creativity tests value originality.

2. Picture Completion Exercises

Take an incomplete drawing (a squiggle, random shape, or partial line) and turn it into something creative.
The TTCT uses Figural Tasks, where students complete or expand drawings in imaginative ways.
The picture must also be given a very clever title.

3. Divergent Thinking Scenarios

Ask ChatGPT for some "What if?" questions:
- "What if humans had tails?"
- "What if we lived underwater?"
- "What if books could talk?"
Go for multiple, varied responses. There is not one "best" answer.

4. Forced Connections (Flexibility Practice)

Come up with two unrelated things (e.g., "a toaster and a giraffe") and create a story, invention, or product that connects them.
This will help you think across different categories—something TTCT rewards.

5. Elaboration Practice

Take a simple idea and expand on it with details.
Example: Instead of "A flying car," describe how it works, what powers it, what problems it solves, etc.

Exercises

Brainstorming Fluency & Originality

Unusual Uses – List as many creative uses as possible for a paperclip in two minutes.
What’s Inside? – Imagine you found a mysterious locked treasure chest. List all the wild possibilities of what could be inside.
Reverse Invention – What would happen if we lived in a world where pencils didn’t exist? List ten creative alternatives people might use to write.
Strange Laws – If you were in charge of a country, what are ten funny, weird, or useful new laws you would create?
Alien Objects – Imagine an alien dropped an object on Earth that no one has seen before. List ten possible uses for it based only on its shape.
Superpower Twist – If you could only have a superpower with a strange limitation, what would it be? (Example: You can fly, but only three feet off the ground.)
Impossible Animals – Name and describe ten new animal species that would be impossible in real life. (Example: A bird that can teleport instead of flying.)
Everyday Item Upgrade – Choose a common object (e.g., a backpack) and brainstorm ten ways to make it better with futuristic technology.
Extreme Weather – Imagine the world suddenly had a new kind of weather phenomenon. What would it be, and how would people adapt to it?
Backward World – If everything in the world worked backward, what are ten funny or strange things that would happen in daily life?

Divergent Thinking Scenarios

What If Gravity Stopped Working for 1 Hour Each Day? – How would people adjust their daily lives to this strange new reality?
A World Without Colors – Imagine a world where everything is in shades of gray. How would this change fashion, art, traffic signals, or even emotions?
Animals Take Over – One morning, all animals gain the ability to talk and make their own decisions. What happens next?
Invent a New Holiday – Create a brand-new holiday that people around the world would celebrate. What are its traditions, foods, and activities?
Stranded in the Past – You wake up in the year 1800 with only your backpack from today. What do you do, and how do you prove you’re from the future?
Money No Longer Exists – If the world stopped using money, how would people get what they need? What kind of new system would replace it?
A Plant That Grows Anything – Scientists discover a plant that can grow any object instead of fruit. What do people do with this discovery?
The Moon is Moving Closer – One night, the moon appears twice as big in the sky. What are the possible consequences on Earth?
Dreams Become Real – Everything you dream at night comes true the next morning. How would this affect your life? Would people try to control their dreams?
A Secret Door in Your House – You find a hidden door in your home that leads somewhere unexpected. Where does it go, and what do you do?

Forced Connections (Flexibility Practice)

Umbrella + Music – How could an umbrella and music be combined into a brand-new invention?
Shoes + Solar Power – Create a product that combines shoes and solar panels in a useful or creative way.
Backpack + Jellyfish – What if a backpack worked like a jellyfish? How would it function or look?
Clock + Tree – Design a unique way that trees could tell time like a clock.
Ice Cream + Books – How could ice cream and books be combined into something fun or useful?
Glasses + Wings – If eyeglasses had wings, what could they do, and how would people use them?
Bridge + Blanket – Think of a way to mix a bridge with a blanket for a creative new product or structure.
Basketball + Octopus – How could a basketball and an octopus inspire a new sport, toy, or invention?
Fireworks + Shoes – What happens when fireworks and shoes are combined into something unexpected?
Pencil + Cloud – If a pencil could work like a cloud, what could it do, and how would people use it?

Elaboration Practice

Expand the Story – You find an old, rusted key in the middle of the sidewalk. What does it unlock? Describe the place in vivid detail.
Superpower Upgrade – You can run extremely fast, but that’s not all. Add at least three unusual twists to this power that make it even more interesting.
Alien Planet – Scientists have discovered a new planet with life. Describe its landscapes, creatures, and a day in the life of its inhabitants.
The Mysterious Package – A package arrives at your door with no return address. Describe what it looks like, what’s inside, and how it changes your life.
Reinvent the Wheel – The wheel has been redesigned to be better than ever. Explain at least three improvements and how they change the way we travel.
The Floating City – A city has been built entirely in the sky. Explain how people get around, where they get food, and what challenges they face.
A Magical Pencil – Every time you draw something with this pencil, it comes to life. What rules does it have? What problems could arise?
Lost in Time – You wake up in a different time period. Describe what you see, hear, and experience in as much detail as possible.
An Upgraded School – Imagine school in the year 2125. What does the classroom look like? How do students learn? How have things changed?
Supermarket of the Future – Grocery stores now sell things that didn’t exist before. Describe three unusual new products people can buy and how they work.

Picture Completion Exercises

Example:

Your turn: