Test Your Creative Reasoning Skills

How Flexible Is Your Thinking Today?

Dr. Dooriddle’s Creative Reasoning Test

Form C: The Crazy Relatives

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Most tests measure what you know.

This one measures something different:

your ability to make connections

your flexibility of thought

your power to generate possibilities

your skill at seeing relationships others miss

In school, many questions have one correct answer.

In life, many problems do not.

That is why creative reasoning matters.

In a world where facts are easy to retrieve, flexible thinking is more valuable than ever.

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Important Note

This is not an IQ test and not a measure of permanent ability.

It is a snapshot of one important set of trainable thinking skills.

Like muscles, these abilities can improve with use.

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How This Test Works

Each puzzle gives three clue words.

Your task is to think of a fourth word related to all three.

Connections may involve:

similar meaning

opposites

sound-alikes (homophones)

combined words

common phrases

imaginative associations

Sometimes more than one answer may work.

If you honestly like your answer better than mine, go with it.

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Sample Puzzles

CRIB / CRY / SIT = BABY

baby crib

baby cry

babysit

MOTOR / LANE / DIRT = BIKE

motorbike

bike lane

dirt bike

DRIVE / NAIL / FINGER = THUMB

thumb drive

thumbnail

thumb finger

TRUCK / NAIL / FOOT = TOE / TOW

(homophone play)

POT / PART / SHOVEL = HOLE / WHOLE

(homophone play)

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Begin the Test

Puzzles 1–5

1. NAIL / INDEX / PRINT = ______

2. PEPPER / SPEAR / GREEN = ______

3. MUG / TEA / BEANS = ______

4. HONEY / SPELLING / STING = ______

5. BASKET / FOOT / DANCE = ______

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Puzzles 6–10

6. WITCH / CASTLE / BEACH = ______

7. CASE / BED / FIGHT = ______

8. TANK / GOLD / TAIL = ______

9. MELON / BOTTLE / WELL = ______

10. HAND / TREE / DATE = ______

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Puzzles 11–15

11. INK / PIG / PLAY = ______

12. DEATH / BOAT / SENTENCE = ______

13. BUTTER / HOUSE / DRAGON = ______

14. CAP / PAD / JOINT = ______

15. ROOSTER / BLACK / SCARE = ______

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Puzzles 16–20

16. POT / PART / SHOVEL = ______

17. ENGLISH / FRY / TOAST = ______

18. UNDER / SLEEP / DUE = ______

19. WALL / SPARK / DRAIN = ______

20. DOOR / TRAFFIC / STRAWBERRY = ______

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Puzzles 21–25

21. MOON / HOUSE / BULB = ______

22. SANDWICH / MARINE / WAY = ______

23. STOCK / SUPER / FLEA = ______

24. CAMERA / PLANT / TROUBLE = ______

25. NUN / CHIP / KEY = ______

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Scoring Your Snapshot

Count the number you solved with satisfying answers.

0–5

Warming up. Creative reasoning grows quickly with practice.

6–10

Developing flexibility. You are beginning to see wider connections.

11–17

Strong flexible thinking. You often move beyond obvious answers.

18+

Highly flexible reasoning. You readily generate possibilities and connections.

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