Hogan Assessments
Updated 10 June 2021
Hogan Practice Test
In this article Skip to section
- What Are the Five Hogan Assessments?
- Successful Strategies to Pass Each Hogan Assessment
- The Hogan Personality Inventory Test
- The Hogan Development Survey
- The Hogan Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory
- The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory
- The Hogan Judgment Assessment
- Giving Yourself the Best Chance to Pass the Five Hogan Assessments in 2021
- Conclusion
In today's ever-increasing competitive world, employers are turning to personality tests in a bid to ensure that they are hiring the right people.
These tests are no longer just for large global corporations. Personality tests are far more accessible than ever before, and as such, have become a mainstream element for many recruitment processes.
Leading the way with personality tests are the Hogan assessment tests.
These tests are scientifically verified and provide employers with an accurate insight into a candidate's personality.
This information can be used as part of the decision-making process, giving employers an understanding of whether that person has the right technical skills and capabilities and can fit into an existing team seamlessly.
When used strategically, a Hogan assessment test can identify personality characteristics, motivational drivers and determine if you have leadership potential.
It can also be used to judge how you may perform in the workplace and whether your personality traits match those of your potential co-workers.
Employers are attracted to the Hogan assessment tests because they provide a comprehensive analysis of an individual’s personality. They can focus on both the 'bright' and the 'dark' sides of your personality.
For example, the qualities you display when you feel positive and in control and the qualities you show during times of stress or tension.
This means that an employer can predict how your behavior may change during periods of high pressure.
What's more, employers can rely on Hogan tests to eliminate any unconscious bias within the recruitment process. The tests are explicitly designed to eliminate discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, race, religion, etc.
This means that employers can feel confident that their recruitment plans do not discriminate against any protected characteristics.
What Are the Five Hogan Assessments?
To be as comprehensive as possible, the Hogan assessment system is broken down into five specific tests.
Each test will assess a different element of your personality and cognitive ability.
When analyzed collectively, the results of each Hogan test will provide an employer with a detailed and comprehensive understanding of who you are as a candidate.
This information can help employers determine how they can work with you to maximize your strengths and limit your weaknesses.
The five Hogan assessment tests are as follows:
| Hogan Assessment Test | Acronym | Purpose | What the Results Can Show |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hogan Personality Inventory | HPI | This explores the bright side of your personality. It shows your typical personality traits. | How you work/whether you have leadership potential. |
| The Hogan Development Survey | HDS | This explores the dark side of your personality. It shows how you react under stress and what triggers bad behavior. | The employee's risk factors. It shows what could derail their career or cause them to sabotage others. |
| The Hogan Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory | MVPI | This looks at a person's interests, motivations and core values. | It explains what a candidate wants to do and how they measure job satisfaction. |
| The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory | HBRI | This test looks at analytical reasoning. It helps employers understand a candidate's problem-solving capabilities. | How well that person may perform within the job role. |
| The Hogan Judgment Assessment | J | This relates specifically to decision-making. It's about learning how you make decisions, how you react to other choices, and how you overcome bad decisions. | How can you learn from constructive feedback and overcome challenges? |
Successful Strategies to Pass Each Hogan Assessment
When it comes to personality tests, it's impossible to fail. There are no right or wrong answers – after all, the recruiter wants to know more about you as a person.
But they can be daunting, especially if you've never participated in a personality test before.
If you are invited to take part in a Hogan personality assessment, you must know what the recruiter wants. By preparing for the test, you can feel more confident about answering each question and how the test is scored.
The Hogan Personality Inventory Test
Number of questions: 220
Completion time: 20 minutes
The Hogan HPI test provides an overview of your typical day-to-day personality.
It focuses on the 'bright' side of your personality, which means it looks at how you behave when you feel calm and confident.
As a result, the HPI test is a good indicator of how you behave in everyday scenarios and relate to others.
When Joyce and Robert Hogan devised the test, they based it on the Five-Factor Model of Personality (also known as the Big 5).
These five factors are:
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism (OCEAN)
When considered collectively, these five factors will help an employer identify whether you will succeed or whether you have leadership potential.
The Hogan Personality Inventory test consists of multiple-choice, standardized questions using a Likert scale.
The assessment is based on seven primary scales and six occupational scales. There is also a validity scale that will check your standard versus erratic or careless response patterns.
The seven primary scales are as follows:
| Primary Scales | Purpose | Desirable Attributes |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment | How you measure stress, your self-esteem, and your confidence | Resilience, optimistic, composed |
| Ambition | Your leadership potential, how you use your initiative, your competitiveness | Passion, drive, energy |
| Sociability | Are you an introvert or an extrovert? | Good team player, proactive |
| Interpersonal sensitivity | Are you likeable? How do you build relationships with others? | Diplomatic, friendly, welcoming |
| Prudence | Do you have self-discipline? Can you take responsibility when things go wrong? | Organized, dependable |
| Inquisitiveness | Are you a creative thinker? Can you think analytically? | Looks at the long term big picture |
| Learning approach | How often do you invest in Learning and Development? Are you aware of the latest trends? | Enjoys continual learning |
The purpose of this score sheet is to identify your strengths and your weaknesses.
It will use an additional six occupational scales to predict how you might perform within specific job roles.
These are:
- Service orientation
- Stress tolerance
- Reliability
- Clerical potential
- Sales potential
- Managerial potential
Example question:
1. If I've been working independently for a short period, I need to spend time around other people.
a) Strongly disagree
b) Disagree
c) Agree
d) Strongly agree
Strategies to Maximize Your Score on the Hogan HPI Assessment
There are a few ways that you can prepare for a Hogan HPI test. It is about testing your typical day-to-day behaviors. You should be aware of the seven primary scales and think about how this applies to you.
Take the time to research the company and determine its corporate culture. Use sites such as Glassdoor or LinkedIn to read what people are saying about the firm, and make sure you read any recent CSR reports to understand what it’s looking for in its employees.
Pay close attention to the job description. Make sure you are clear on what the job role entails and the latest information about the wider sector.
By being aware of what the company is looking for and having self-awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses, you can feel more confident that you may achieve a higher score.
The Hogan Development Survey
Number of questions: 170
Completion time: 20 minutes
In contrast to the HPI test, the Hogan Development Survey looks at the 'dark’ side of your personality. It wants to know about your bad behaviors and your negative character traits.
It's about understanding how ethical you are as an employee and whether you have any negative personality traits that could cause reputational damage.
By being aware of any risks, the employer can implement mitigating factors to prevent your negative traits (conscious or unconscious) from causing any workplace issues.
The HDS is scored according to eleven different character traits:
| Character Trait | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Excitable | Are you moody or irritable? Do you have a passion for learning? Do you get frustrated quickly? |
| Skeptical | Can you identify when someone is telling you the truth? How do you react when you are skeptical about something? |
| Cautious | Are you afraid of failure? How can you overcome challenges? |
| Colorful | Are you someone who needs to be in the spotlight at all times? |
| Imaginative | Are you seen as eccentric? Can you think of how other people perceive you? |
| Diligent | Do you expect others to adhere to your high standards? Are you detail-oriented? |
| Dutiful | Are you loyal and dependable? Can someone rely on you? |
| Reserved | Do you think about how others may perceive you? For example, could you be described as stand-offish or aloof? |
| Leisurely | Do you do things in your own time? Could you be viewed as stubborn or uncooperative? |
| Bold | Can you admit your mistakes? Are you self-assured or do you cross the line into arrogance? |
| Mischievous | Do you constantly test limits and push boundaries? |
You can expect a wide range of questions covering various scenarios that require a true/false response.
Example question:
1. I expect to take the credit for successful projects that I've worked on.
a) True
b) False
Strategies to Maximize Your Score on the Hogan Development Survey
No one likes to focus on their flaws, but in this case, it is beneficial to spend time thinking honestly about how you behave in the workplace.
- How would people describe you?
- What are you good at?
- Where could you improve?
Being aware of your deficiencies isn't about destroying your self-esteem or lowering your confidence. Instead, it's about understanding that no one is perfect.
Everyone has faults and knowing how to overcome those faults sets you apart from other candidates.
Before you take the test, be clear about your own weaknesses and threats. Then, try to use a personal SWOT analysis to identify any behavior patterns and consider how you might overcome them.
First Choice Strategies to Pass the Five Hogan Assessments in 2021The Hogan Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory
Number of questions: 200
Completion time: 20 minutes
The Hogan MVPI is about understanding your internal drivers and motivating factors. It's about knowing what you like to do and why.
The assessment allows an employer to understand your personal values fully, and the score can determine what particular role you are ideally suited to within the company.
With this knowledge, the employer can create a working environment that allows you to flourish and work to your full potential.
You will be scored according to 10 scales:
| Character Trait | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Recognition | Do you need recognition of your achievements or approval from your line manager/co-workers? |
| Power | Are you attracted to power and control? Do you have a desire to be in charge? |
| Hedonism | Are you attracted to fun, pleasure or enjoyment? |
| Altruism | Are you someone who can help others? Do you want to contribute to a better society for all? |
| Affiliation | Do you need to have regular social interactions with other workers? |
| Tradition | Do you have respect for tradition? Can you understand why things have traditionally been done in a certain way? |
| Security | Are you driven by stability and security? |
| Commerce | What is your business acumen? Can you identify potential money-making business opportunities? |
| Aesthetics |
What is your attention to detail? Do you care about the quality/appearance of work-related products or campaigns? |
| Science | Have you considered research and innovation? Are you able to think scientifically about how technology can aid the workplace? |
Along with these traits, the MVPI assessment will correlate your scores against five themes to make an informed prediction about how you may fit in with the existing team and company culture:
These are:
- Lifestyle
- Beliefs
- Occupational preferences
- Aversions
- Preferred associates
Strategies to Maximize Your Score on the Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory
Within this particular element of the test, the employer will be looking to find out more about your core values.
Therefore, it may be beneficial to spend some pre-test prep time focusing on your prospective employer's core values and identifying the scenarios where your values align.
You may find that using a Venn diagram could help you to see the clear commonalities between your values and those of your potential employer.
The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory
Number of questions: 24 Completion time: As fast as possible
Here, we delve into the cognitive ability tests. This particular assessment will identify how a person works.
It gives an insight into what an employer can expect from you when you begin working for them, and it looks heavily at your reasoning skills. It looks at both your tactical and your strategic reasoning skills.
You can expect to be provided with numerical, verbal and logical reasoning questions within the assessment. These will identify how you approach problems, interpret them and develop a solution.
This is a typical psychometric assessment tool. As such, you should prepare yourself by researching common practice questions such as inductive or deductive reasoning, word analogies or basic math calculations.
Within this area of the Hogan assessment test, there is no predetermined time limit. However, employers may choose to time you and see how your performance compares to other candidates.
This is to know whether you are a quick learner and how easily you can pick up new skills.
Strategies to Maximize Your Score on the Business Reasoning Inventory
If it's been a while since you were in formal education, you may need to reacquaint yourself with logical, verbal and numerical reasoning questions.
Often, it's not the question that's difficult. Instead, it's how it has been phrased and the comprehension of what you have been asked to do that causes issues.
The HBRI section of the Hogan test is broadly similar to many other aptitude tests. However, to ensure that you have the best possible chance of achieving a high score, we recommend that you take some time to complete some practice tests to remind yourself of the question styles.
In addition, there are numerous numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and logical reasoning practice tests that you can take online.
The Hogan Judgment Assessment
The final section is the Judgment Assessment. This is the Hogan test that allows employers to understand your cognitive ability per your personality's bright and dark sides.
The Hogan Judgment test focuses on verbal and numerical reasoning questions. It looks to assess how you make decisions, how you react to other people's decisions and how you behave when a poor decision is made.
The judgment test is split into three clearly defined areas:
| Character Trait | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Learning | How do you prefer to learn? Are you attracted to words or images? Do numbers and symbols help? This will identify how you interpret information. |
| Deciding | What are your primary decision-making processes? Are you affected by different personalities? Can stress impact your decisions? Are you aware of any bias that could impact your decision-making criteria? Do you follow your instincts, or do you rely on data-driven decision-making? |
| Adapting | How do you react to decisions? Can you control your emotions if you know it's a poor decision? How can you overcome challenges caused by bad choices? |
Strategies to Maximize Your Score on the Hogan Judgment Test
This section is about knowing how you cope with change and overcoming poor planning and decision-making scenarios. It's about understanding how you react to high-pressured, changing situations and how you can respond to critical feedback.
You may find it beneficial to practice exercises that focus on your weaknesses. It's also important to remember that no one can ever be successful at all times. It's how you overcome adversity that matters.
It's essential to know that 'failing well’ is just as important as succeeding. Sometimes you can become a far better employee and learn new attributes when you have been involved in something that hasn't succeeded in the way you may have hoped.
Giving Yourself the Best Chance to Pass the Five Hogan Assessments in 2021
When it comes to taking a Hogan assessment test, remember that there are no right or wrong answers. It's about allowing the employer to learn more about who you are as a potential candidate.
The majority of questions will be based on a Likert scale. If you're not sure of an answer, it can be tempting to choose the most neutral option – after all, no one wants to be viewed as arrogant or a doom-monger. However, your scores will be marked against a validity scale. The employers want to know what you think, not what you think they want to hear.
Too many neutral answers could position you as indecisive and insecure, whereas you want to be seen as confident and self-assured.
Remember that no one is perfect. Everyone has flaws. It's how you embrace and overcome your shortcomings that sets you apart from other candidates.
Employers will be looking to see if you are self-aware enough to identify your flaws and weaknesses. If you are aware of your limitations, you can implement techniques to overcome them and be a better worker.
If you are concerned by the prospect of taking a Hogan assessment test, then spend as much time as possible practicing. Use the information provided in this article to give you an overview of what to expect from the test.
Where possible, try to practice numerical, verbal and logical reasoning aptitude tests. You may find that you will feel calmer and more relaxed with a bit of practice when test day arrives.
Conclusion
It's important to remember that a Hogan assessment isn't about checking your capabilities. It's about using data analytics to see if your specific profile matches the particular job role.
Employers will use this information alongside your interview to make their decision. So even if you do not have an opportunity to expand on your answers within the test, your preparation should make your physical interview far more productive and give you a greater chance of success.
