How can I think outside the box for unexpected questions in exams?

♥: How can I think outside the box for unexpected questions in exams?
One of my main weak points when doing exams is not being able to critically think for an unexpected, weirdly-phrased question. I always seem to fail on these types of questions, but I don’t know why. How can I be able to come up with an acceptable answer?

Answers and Views:

Answer by It’s Chloe Bxtch.™
I used to have this problem. Basically, nerves is also a major part of it. I am pretty sure if you were hanging out with friends and one of them asked you that question, you would be able to come up with an answer on the spot. Because the question is so unexpected, you end up thinking “I can’t answer this!” and the panic makes you not able to think.

You should pretend that a friend had just asked you that question, and if it is oddly phrased, underline key words in the question. Read over it again, if your mind is like mine, a lot of random, crazy-sounding answers will come up and you’ll probably think “That’s stupid/probably not right, I won’t write that down”. Chances are one of those “crazy” answers is actually right. Just pick the one that sounds most sensible to you, it’s better to write something down than nothing at all.

My dad also advised me to read newspapers more, and I also downloaded some mystery games on my iPod Touch. This way you’re thinking more and improving your mind’s strength, and having fun at the same time! 🙂