my 2 cents:
1. Rotate the airplane pictures so they all are headed in the direction of the OBS setting. e.g., if OBS is set to 090, point all airplanes east.
2. Draw a line thru the VOR, perpendicular to the OBS setting (in this case, north-south). If you are headed toward that line, the CDI should say "TO"; if you are headed away from that line, the CDI should say "FROM". Throw away any little airplanes that are wrong.
3. If you are on the FROM side, you can read the radials directly. The CDI should show you which way to turn (from 090 heading) to intercept the 090 radial. e.g., if you are north of the 090 radial, the cdi needle should be deflected right.
4. If you are on the TO side, you need to figure the radial which is also the BEARING TO the station. It's the radial + or - 180. In this case the desired bearing to the station is 090, which is inbound on the 270 radial. If you are north of the 270 radial, you should get a "fly right" (right needle deflection) indicating you need to turn right to get to the desired bearing to the station.
That's for tests. For real flying:
1. If you are tracking to or from a VOR, the OBS and the DG should always be about the same (plus/minus wind correction). Make small adjustment by turning towards the needle. Watch the to/from reading. It's easy to fly over the VOR and not notice.
2. For cross fixes adjust the OBS to get a "FROM" reading (use the radial from the VOR), center the needle by turning the OBS while keeping FROM. Draw a line from VOR along the radial (what the OBS reads when the needle is centered, and FROM), you are on that line somewhere. If you pre-set a cross fix, always use the radial, then the needle will point in the general direction toward the VOR (that is, if the VOR is on your right, the needle will point right) if you are not yet at the fix. It will center at the fix, and will point away from the VOR (if the VOR is on your right, it will point left) after you pass the fix.
It's not as complicated as it sounds. Practice in front of a blackboard (make up your own problems similar to the test problems) for 20 minutes and it will seem like second nature.