Creativity testing refers to evaluating and measuring an individual’s creative thinking abilities. Creativity is the capacity to generate original and valuable ideas, solutions, or expressions. It is essential in almost all professional fields, including art, science, business, and problem-solving. A creative ability test is designed to assess a person’s divergent thinking, originality, fluency, flexibility, and other aspects related to potential. In most cases, we pull together a diverse creativity test battery, but we also use the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) as a comprehensive assessment.
Call Us for Creativity Testing
We offer these assessments for adolescents and adults and can even give assessment batteries to small groups who want to maximize their potential in working together. A creative ability test battery can be used in various ways, so we invite you to contact us to learn more about how it might help you.
Creativity Testing Methods
There are many methods and approaches to creativity testing, but some common techniques include:
- Divergent thinking measures assess an individual’s ability to produce multiple solutions or ideas in response to a single statement or problem. Sometimes, these are timed, but often not, and are often judged more on the quality than the number of solutions named.
- A convergent thinking creative ability test measures an individual’s ability to find the best solution to a given problem. Similar to assessments of IQ, these often require some degree of creative or unconventional thinking.
- A self-reporting questionnaire assesses an individual’s imaginative accomplishments in various domains, including home, school, work, and social situations.
- Some well-established and proven measures, such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, measure fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration in creative thinking.
- Like a funny bit on the show “Whose Line is it Anyway,” the Acreative ability measure called the “Alternate Uses Task” asks subjects to devise as many alternative uses for a common object as possible.
- Story Completion Creative Ability Test: Participants are given a story beginning and are asked to continue the narrative creatively.
We often add a more standard personality assessment to help understand you better. The goal is to answer the questions you came in with by designing a unique and personalized battery.
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) are among the most widely used creativity assessments. Developed by psychologist E. Paul Torrance in the 1960s, they aim to measure an individual’s imaginative potential. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking is divided into two main types: the Verbal TTCT and the Figural TTCT. Each type assesses different aspects of ingenuity through various tasks and exercises.
Verbal TTCT
– Asking Questions: Participants are asked to think of questions related to a given stimulus.
– Guessing Causes: Participants generate possible causes for a specific problem or situation.
– Guessing Consequences: Participants come up with possible outcomes of a hypothetical situation.
– Improvement Tasks: Participants think of ways to improve a particular object or situation.
– Unusual Uses: Participants list unusual uses for common objects.
– Product Improvement: Participants are asked to improve a toy, using their imagination to enhance its features.
Figural TTCT
– Picture Construction: Participants use a provided shape to create a picture, adding details to make it a complete image.
– Picture Completion: Participants imaginatively complete incomplete figures.
– Lines Activity: Participants use a series of lines to create as many different pictures as possible.
– Circles Activity: Participants create pictures using a set of circles.
Scoring the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking evaluate four main aspects of creativity:
1. Fluency: The number of relevant ideas generated in response to the stimulus.
2. Flexibility: The variety of categories of ideas.
3. Originality: The uniqueness or novelty of the ideas.
4. Elaboration: The amount of detail in the ideas.
Benefits and Limitations of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
The main benefits of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking are that it can be used across different age groups, cultures, and languages; it covers multiple dimensions of creativity, providing a detailed profile of an individual’s creative thinking abilities; and extensive research supports the reliability and validity of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. The limitations are that some tasks may be influenced by cultural factors, potentially affecting scores for individuals from different backgrounds, and there is some degree of subjectivity involved in evaluating responses, particularly for originality and elaboration.
Overall, the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking offer insights into individuals’ creative potential and guide educational and developmental interventions.
Other Creativity Test Batteries
The creativity test batteries we choose from are standardized measures designed to assess various aspects of creativity, including divergent thinking, problem-solving, originality, and creative personality. These can provide a multi-dimensional view of an individual’s creative potential. Here are some commonly used creativity test batteries:
Guilford’s Structure of Intellect (SOI) Creativity Test Battery
- Components: Based on Guilford’s model of the intellect, focusing on divergent production.
- Examples: Word association tasks, picture construction tasks, and consequence scenarios.
- Purpose: Evaluate different dimensions, like idea generation (divergent thinking), problem-solving, and the ability to see multiple solutions.
- Use: Research and academic assessments.
Remote Associates Test (RAT)
- Components: Involves finding a common word that connects three seemingly unrelated words.
- Example: The words “cake,” “blue,” and “cottage” have the common link word “cheese.”
- Purpose: Measures associative thinking, a key component of ingenuity.
- Use: Often used in psychological studies on imaginative problem-solving.
Wallach-Kogan Tests
- Components: Includes several tasks designed to measure divergent thinking, such as:
- Instances Creative Ability: Listing as many uses as possible for common objects (e.g., a brick).
- Pattern Meanings Task: Creating meanings or stories from abstract patterns.
- Line Meanings Task: Drawing multiple interpretations from simple line drawings.
- Purpose: Focuses on fluency, originality, and the flexibility of responses.
- Use: Educational and psychological research.
Consensual Assessment Creativity Technique (CAT)
- Components: Involves participants creating a product (e.g., a story, drawing, or poem), which is then judged for creativity by experts in the field.
- Purpose: Provides a subjective but reliable assessment of creativity, focusing on the originality and quality of the product.
- Use: This creative ability test is common in art, literature, and performance studies.
Creativity Assessment Packet (CAP)
- Components: Consists of several subtests measuring different aspects of creative thinking:
- Activity Form: Self-report on creative activities and accomplishments.
- Creative Personality Scale: Evaluates personality traits linked to creativity.
- Creative Problem Solving: Tasks that require inventive thinking.
- Purpose: A broader assessment tool that combines self-report with task-based evaluation.
- Use: Often used in educational and occupational settings.
Divergent Thinking Creativity Testing (e.g., Alternative Uses Task)
- Components: Measures like the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) ask participants to devise as many uses as possible for an everyday object (e.g., a paperclip).
- Purpose: Assesses divergent thinking skills.
- Use: Common in research and assessments of cognitive flexibility.
Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ)
- Components: A self-report measure that asks individuals to list their accomplishments across various domains (e.g., visual arts, music, writing).
- Purpose: Assesses real-world achievements rather than potential or divergent thinking alone.
- Use: Used in psychological research and studies on ingenuity.
Considerations When Choosing a Creativity Test Battery
- Multidimensional Assessment: Some measures focus on divergent thinking, while others assess creative personality or real-world accomplishments. A comprehensive battery might combine multiple types of measures.
- Population: The choice can vary based on the target population (e.g., child assessments or gifted testing).
- Purpose of Assessment: Educational purposes, psychological research, or occupational assessments.
Benefits of Creativity Testing 
Testing for creativity can be used in many ways and, therefore, has a variety of benefits, including:
Identifying Talent with a Creative Ability Test
Many creative ability test batteries can help identify individuals with exceptional potential, and is often part of gifted and talented testing. This is particularly important in art, design, advertising, innovation, and research, where imaginative thinking is a valuable asset. Businesses and organizations often seek creative individuals who bring fresh perspectives to their teams. Creativity testing can assist in the selection process by identifying candidates who can contribute innovative ideas and solutions to the organization’s challenges. As an applicant, you could share the results even if the company does not formally conduct this evaluation.
Creativity Testing in Education
Creative ability test batteries can help educators understand students’ creative strengths and weaknesses in educational settings. This information can guide instructional strategies. It can also provide a more holistic view of student abilities beyond traditional academic measures. Regular creativity testing can help track a student’s progress and improvements in flexible thinking skills. Educators can use these measures to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance imaginative thinking skills. They can provide empirical evidence for the impact of these interventions.
Creativity Testing and Personal Development:
Creativity testing can provide individuals with insights into their creative thinking abilities. This self-awareness can be valuable for personal growth and development, helping individuals harness their innovative strengths and work on areas that need improvement. Creativity ability test batteries can highlight specific areas individuals can work on to enhance their abilities. This might involve improving brainstorming techniques, divergent thinking, or problem-solving strategies.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Innovative individuals often excel in cross-disciplinary collaboration. Organizations can foster interdisciplinary teamwork by identifying individuals with high potential. This leads to more well-rounded and innovative solutions. Creativity testing can promote diverse perspectives and leadership development within teams and organizations by recognizing and valuing different forms of expression and thinking.
Ingenuity Enhancement
It is important to note that ingenuity is a linear trait – no one has none and no one has an endless supply. The expression of ingenuity may vary significantly depending on personal experiences, education, environment, and other factors. Importantly, nurturing and enhancing this thinking can be achieved through various means, such as exposure to diverse experiences. This cultivates a growth mindset, engaging in certain activities and collaborating with others to exchange ideas. Breakthroughs can emerge through a combination of incubation and inspiration.
The Importance of Creativity
Recently, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of creativity in education, business, and family life. Many organizations seek to foster environments that encourage people to think outside the box and contribute innovative solutions. Fostering ingenuity can increase adaptability and resilience in a rapidly changing world.
All of this means that no matter what your creative ability test shows, it can be used as a jumping-off point. Where can you enhance your cognitive process, and what might help you overcome blocks and challenges to your creative process? Our psychological assessment report will help lay out some concrete steps.
Creativity Testing Example
John is a graduate student contemplating marketing career choices after he graduates in a few months. He wants to understand better his cognitive abilities and processes to decide what path to pursue. He comes in for a creativity assessment, and we discuss the benefits and limitations of this approach. We collaboratively set goals so that he could specifically understand the situations that will bring out his best efforts and those where he may not be quite as comfortable. We also set out to understand the kinds of teams he would fit well with.
John takes a creative ability test battery that examines divergent and convergent thinking, flexibility, and originality. We add fun tasks, such as alternate use assessments and story completion. Finally, John takes a standard personality measure to get general insights into his social likes and dislikes.
The creativity testing reveals that John is at his best when he can work in a team where people build off each other’s creativity. He also learned he does quite well when thinking outside the box and being original. He does well when humor and interactions between people are involved.
These creative ability test results suggest that John should pursue advertising and seek an agency with good team collaboration. More generally, they show John that he has chosen a good path by pursuing marketing, which builds his confidence.
FAQs
1. What is the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)?
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) are among the most widely used standardized tests to assess creativity. Developed by E. Paul Torrance in the 1960s, the TTCT comes in two main forms:
- Verbal tasks (e.g., asking the client to come up with as many uses as possible for a common object like a paperclip)
- Figural tasks (e.g., completing abstract shapes or drawings)
The test measures divergent thinking across four main criteria:
- Fluency (number of ideas)
- Originality (novelty of ideas)
- Flexibility (variety of categories)
- Elaboration (detail of ideas)
2. How Do You Test for Creativity?
There are multiple ways, depending on the domain:
- Divergent Thinking (e.g., TTCT, Alternative Uses Task)
- Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) – judges rate imaginative work based on expertise.
- Remote Associates (RAT) – measures convergent thinking by finding links between seemingly unrelated words.
- Self-report Inventories – like the Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ) or Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS).
- Performance Tasks – like artistic, musical, or writing assignments, graded by experts.
No measure fully captures creativity due to its multidimensional nature (problem-solving, imagination, innovation, expression, etc.).
3. What is a Creative Ability Test?
A Creative Ability Test is any assessment designed to measure a person’s capacity for ingenuity, especially regarding their ability to generate original, useful, or imaginative ideas. The term is not tied to one specific measure, but generally refers to a category of tools aimed at evaluating potential or talent.
Creative Ability Tests are used in:
- Educational assessments: Identifying gifted students
- Workplace and career evaluations: Hiring for roles requiring innovation
- Research: Studying personality and cognitive factors
- Clinical: Understanding cognitive styles in neurodivergent populations
Limitations
- Cultural bias: Some tasks rely on culturally specific knowledge.
- Context matters: Performance can be influenced by environment, mood, or test instructions.
- Not predictive of real-world success: High scores don’t always translate to innovation or creative productivity in life or work.
4. What Does a Creative Ability Test Measure?
Creative ability tests usually assess divergent thinking, and sometimes problem-solving, aesthetic sensitivity, or domain-specific creativity. Key components often include:
- Fluency: Quantity of ideas
- Originality: Novelty or uniqueness of ideas
- Flexibility: Variety of idea categories
- Elaboration: Detail and development of ideas
- Insight: Ability to connect unrelated elements
Each focuses on different facets of creativity, like artistic ability, verbal fluency, or idea generation.
5. How Well Do Tests Predict Creative Productivity?
Measures like the TTCT can correlate modestly with long-term creative achievements (e.g., patents, artistic success), but:
- Predictive power is limited – they often fail to capture domain-specific skills or environmental influences.
- Real-world creativity involves motivation, persistence, collaboration, and opportunity, which are not fully captured.
- Ingenuity is also influenced by context and domain (scientific vs. artistic creativity may look very different).
In short: Creativity tests can indicate potential, but do not strongly predict creative productivity or real-world success on their own.
6. How do you measure creativity?
This is complex because creativity is multifaceted, involving imagination, originality, flexibility, and practical application. Here are the main approaches to measuring it through psychological testing, depending on the context:
1. Divergent Thinking Meaaures
These assess your ability to generate many varied ideas from a single prompt.
- Examples:
- Alternative Uses Task: Name as many uses as possible for a brick.
- Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT)
- Measured traits:
- Fluency – number of ideas
- Originality – uniqueness
- Flexibility – variety of categories
- Elaboration – level of detail
2. Convergent Thinking Measures
These measure the ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas.
- Example:
- Remote Associates Test (RAT) – Find a common link between three words (e.g., “cake,” “blue,” and “cottage” → “cheese”).
3. Creative Achievement Measures
These assess real-world creative accomplishments.
- Example:
- Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ) – Self-report of accomplishments in domains like art, writing, music, science, etc.
4. Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT)
Experts rate creative works (like a poem, painting, or design) based on their professional judgment.
- Considered highly valid, especially in the arts or product design.
5. Self-Report Scales
These measure how often or intensely a person engages in creative thinking or behavior.
- Examples:
- Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS)
- Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale (K-DOCS)
6. Behavioral or Portfolio Assessment
In real-world or educational settings, creativity is measured by evaluating a portfolio of work or by observing problem-solving performance.
Creativity Testing Conclusions
It’s important to note that creativity is a complex and multifaceted trait, and an assessment cannot fully capture your potential. These measures are generally used as tools to provide insights into an individual’s strengths and areas for development. They are often combined with other types of psychological assessment, such as career testing, to provide a richer and more comprehensive view. We work with individuals as young as high school students and can also serve groups who will somehow combine their talents. We can provide the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking and other creativity test batteries.
These assessments are an important part of our practice, and it can be quite enjoyable and fruitful. We can administer these to individuals and groups, online or in person. We’d be happy to discuss further whether creativity testing suits you.
