Instruments

The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) are the most widely used tests of their kind since testing only requires the examinee to reflect upon their life experiences. These tests invite examinees to draw and give a title to their drawings (pictures) or to write questions, reasons, consequences and different uses for objects (words). These instruments have been used for identification of the creatively gifted and as a part of gifted matrices in states and districts in the USA, especially in multicultural settings, and for special populations around the world. Published in two equivalent forms, Forms A and B, the Figural and Verbal TTCT can be used for pre- and posttesting.

The Figural TTCT: Thinking Creatively with Pictures is appropriate at all levels, kindergarten through adult. It uses three picture-based exercises to assess five mental characteristics: fluency, elaboration, originality, resistance to premature closure, and abstractedness of titles.  The Figural TTCT can be scored locally or by STS. Both methods employ the streamlined scoring procedure. Streamlined scoring provides standardized scores for the mental characteristics listed above as well as for the following creative strengths: emotional expressiveness, storytelling articulateness, movement or action, expressiveness of titles, synthesis of incomplete figures, synthesis of lines or circles, unusual visualization, internal visualization, extending or breaking boundaries, humor, richness of imagery, colorfulness of imagery, and fantasy.

With Figural TTCT Streamlined Scoring two different norm types are available: grade-related norms and age-related norms. Grade-related norms use one set of norms for each of the grades for which the test is appropriate, including the adult level. Age-related norms are based on the typical age for each of the grades in which the Figural TTCT may be used. The Figural TTCT is also available in Spanish.Appropriate for first graders through adults, the Verbal TTCT: Thinking Creatively with Words uses six word-based exercises to assess three mental characteristics: fluency, flexibility, and originality.  These exercises provide opportunities to ask questions, to improve products, and to “just suppose.”  The Verbal TTCT can be scored locally or by STS. If a school chooses to score the test locally, the Manual for Scoring and Interpreting Results provides an easy-to-use scoring method. The Verbal TTCT uses one set of grade-related norms for each of the grades which is age appropriate, including the adult level. Age-related norms are based on the typical age for each of the grades in which the Verbal TTCT may be used. They range from age six to eighteen years and beyond.

The TTCT website provides access to two versions of the TTCT (Figural and Verbal) and their companion manuals.  The Figural TTCT Norms-Technical Manual (required for local scoring) includes national norm tables with standard scores and national percentiles by grade and age for each score area. The tables also show national percentiles for average standard scores, as well as a creativity index developed from the five standardized scores and thirteen creative strengths. A Streamlined Scoring Guide is also required for local scoring.  The Verbal Norms-Technical Manual (required for local scoring) includes national norm tables with standard scores and national percentiles by grade and age for each score area. Both manuals are required for local scoring.