How is the Torrance Test Scored?

Scoring for the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) involves simple tests of creativity, divergent thinking, and other problem-solving skills. There are five separate measures to assess figural assessments of creativity:

• Fluency – The total number of interpretable, meaningful, and relevant ideas generated in response to the stimulus.
• Originality – The statistical rarity of the responses.
• Abstractness of Titles – Ability to synthesize and organize processes of thinking to see the picture more deeply and richly.
• Elaboration – The amount of detail in the responses.
• Resistance to Premature Closure – The ability to keep thoughts open and delay the closure of ideas to make the most original ideas possible.

Interpret Results for Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

• PDF Booklet of Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking Score Sheet and How to Interpret  (source: Scholastic Testing Service, Inc.)
• What’s in PDF booklet*:
  • Figural and Verbal, Forms A and B. It contains the following:
    • Figural
      • Understanding Figural Assessments of Creativity
      • Separate Norm-Referenced Assessments of Creativity (fluency, originality, abstractness of titles, elaboration, resistance to premature closure)
      • Criterion-Referenced Assessments of Creativity (Checklist of 13 Strengths)
      • Composite Assessments of Creativity (Average Standard Score, Creativity Index)
      • Sample Reports from STS Scoring Service
        • The Individual Student Report
        • The Alphabetical List Report
        • The Group Summary
    • Verbal
      • Understanding Verbal Assessments of Creativity
        • Separate Norm-Referenced Assessments of Creativity (fluency, flexibility, originality)
        • Composite Assessment of Creativity (Average Standard Score)
        • Sample Reports from STS Scoring Service
          • The Individual Student Report
          • The Alphabetical List Report
          • The Group Summary Report
        • Understanding Derived Scores Used in Interpretation of Creativity Assessments
          • Percentile Ranks (National by Grade, National by Age, Local)
          • Normalized Standard Score

*Source: Scholastic Testing Service, Inc.

Scoring the Figural TTCT

In the Figural TTCT, the test-taker completes three different activities: Picture Construction, Picture Completion, and Parallel Lines or Circles. These are scored based on five primary criteria:

• Fluency refers to the number of interpretable, meaningful, and relevant ideas generated in response to the stimulus. A higher fluency score signifies the ability to produce numerous ideas, reflecting the quickness and richness of thought.
• Originality is about the uniqueness of the responses. It’s calculated by determining the statistical rarity of an idea in comparison to standard norms. High originality scores suggest innovative thinking, the ability to develop unique, out-of-the-box solutions.
• Elaboration reflects the amount of detail or development added to the original idea. High scores in elaboration indicate the child’s ability to extend and expand upon ideas.
• Abstractness of Titles pertains to the degree of abstraction captured in the titles or captions provided for the completed figures. This score assesses the child’s ability to think beyond the obvious, capturing the underlying meaning or essence of their creation.
• Resistance to Premature Closure is a measure of the degree to which the child can keep an open mind while completing the task, signifying the ability to delay closure and consider multiple possibilities.

Scoring the Verbal TTCT

The Verbal TTCT involves tasks like asking and guessing, product improvement, and unusual uses. These are scored according to three main criteria:

• Fluency, as in the Figural TTCT, measures the total number of relevant responses provided to each question.
• Flexibility refers to the child’s ability to shift thought paths or perspectives. It’s calculated based on the number of different categories of relevant responses.
• Originality in the Verbal TTCT also evaluates the uniqueness of the ideas or answers, just as in the Figural test.

The total score for each criterion in both versions of the test is calculated and then combined to give an overall creativity score.

Understanding the Scores

After scoring, your child’s raw scores are converted into percentile ranks and standard scores based on norms. The norms are derived from a large sample of individuals of the same age or grade. Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99 and represent the percentage of individuals in the norm group who scored less than your child. For example, a percentile rank of 70 means that 70 percent of the norm group scored less than your child.

The standard scores are a conversion of raw scores into a common scale allowing for comparison among different individuals. The average standard score is typically set at 100, with a standard deviation of 15 or 16, depending on the test.

One important thing to remember is that these tests are meant to assess potential, not achievement. A higher score indicates a higher level of creative abilities compared to the norm group, not necessarily a higher level of intelligence or future success.

Using the Scores

TTCT scores can provide valuable insights for parents and educators, helping them identify children with high creative potential who might benefit from enrichment or accelerated programs. However, creativity is a complex

The scorer looks for evidence of creative strengths, thirteen in all. Ratings of (+) (for 1 or 2 occurrences) or (++) (typically for 3 or more occurrences).

The 13 criterion-referenced measures include:

• emotional expressiveness
• story-telling articulateness
• movement or actions
• expressiveness of titles
• syntheses of incomplete figures
• synthesis of lines (form A) of circles (form B)
• unusual visualization
• internal visualization
• extending or breaking boundaries
• humor
• richness of imagery
• colorfulness of imagery
• fantasy

For the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) an overall assessment score will be provided in two different ways: The Average Standard Score and Creativity Index.

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