Hogan tests focus on personality traits and cognitive abilities that shape the way you approach problems, make decisions, and lead others.
The challenge in the hogan personality tests is knowing how to emphasize the traits and behaviors that indicate you are the right person for the role and minimize those that indicate otherwise. On the HBRI test, you will need to show you can analyze different types of information (verbal, numerical, shapes, etc.), recognize patterns, and reach accurate conclusions.
On this page you will become familiar with the 4 most popular hogan assessments: HPI, HDS, MVPI, and HBRI, with 14 sample questions addressing the challenges ahead of you.
Learn more about the Hogan Assessments with our full Hogan guide & test practice.
David, Hogan Assessment specialist at JobTestPrep.
Have a question? Contact me at: askdavid@jobtestprep.com
The Hogan Assessment includes several different tests. These are:
We will now go over each test and its questions:
In each of the Hogan personality tests, you might receive either true/false questions, or scale rating questions (“Likert scale”). The sample questions below represent the rating scale version that you are more likely to receive. The same explanations and tips can be applied to agree/disagree Hogan questions.
This is the most popular personality questionnaire given by Hogan. On the actual test, this questionnaire includes 220 items.
Each question presents a statement, with which you have to rate your level of agreement - from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
I avoid having to give speeches.
This statement assesses social confidence.
To answer it you should ask yourself: "Is high social confidence essential for the job? If so, the best answers would be 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree'.
When applying for management jobs, such as team leader, department manager, president, CEO, CFO, and other executive positions, you should show you are socially confident, dominant, and charismatic. Therefore, for these roles, the best answer here would be 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree'.
These sample questions demonstrate the #1 most important rule when answering personality questions: Is this personality characteristic essential for my role?
Only when you answer this question, you will be able to choose an answer that indicates you are the right person for the job. For this reason, it is extremely important to become familiar with different statements, the traits behind them, and the most optimal score for your position.
At a party, I would never approach someone I don't know.
This statement assesses sociability and friendliness.
These are essential qualities for candidates applying for sales, business development, diplomatic, or foreign relations positions. However, it is less significant when it comes to more individualistic jobs in which there isn’t much interpersonal interaction, such as programming or road toll collection.
If you aim for a sales position, it is best to choose to disagree or strongly disagree. For jobs that don't demand high interpersonal relations, you can also choose to agree.
💡 Note that in the modern job market, interpersonal skills are growing in importance in employers’ view, even for positions that do not explicitly require them. Therefore, the recommended choice on that scale greatly depends on the exact positions and the values of the prospective employer.
Remember! each of these questions is meant to assess your behavior at work. A great way to keep this in mind is adding the words “at work” to each question, even if asked about a different scenario. This will also help you stay more consistent throughout the test.
Try this trick when answering the following question:
When I am teased, I don't take it to heart.
This statement measures sensitivity and vulnerability.
These are essential qualities for candidates applying to positions like customer service, counseling, HR, and therapy-related positions, that require creating interpersonal connections and showing high empathy. For those positions, the best answer here would be 'strongly disagree' or 'disagree'.
However, for leadership positions such as managers, executives, and pilots, where you have to make rational decisions without being emotionally attached, the best answer would be 'agree' or 'strongly agree'.
HDS questions are identical to the HPI in their format, only they assess qualities that might benefit you at times but risk performance in times of high stress.
Sounds complicated? It becomes much clearer once you go through the sample questions below.
I lose my temper quickly but regain composure quickly as well.
This statement assesses self-control or excitability.
Highly Excitable individuals might have frequent mood changes and lose motivation quickly when things aren’t going as expected. Therefore, a very high score, in this case, is considered a “risk” behavior, better to be avoided for the majority of positions.
However, very low excitability might indicate a lack of an important sense of urgency, excitement, and drive for work. So, you should keep this in mind and show high motivation for work and learning on other questions that are not related to self-control.
Therefore, the optimal range here would be choosing 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree'.
We can see that on HDS questions each high score indicates a risk- characteristics that can detain job performance. For this reason, the measured traits are often referred to as “dark side” personality traits. However, these traits can also indicate possible shortcomings when scored very low.
Some qualities (like high self-control) are equally required by different positions. Let’s see an example for a different case:
I think 'outside the box'.
The main qualities behind this item are creativity and imagination.
If you are applying for jobs that involve a regular routine, like data scientists, operation managers, or quality assurance engineers, the best answer would be a low imagination score, that is, 'disagree or' 'strongly disagree'.
However, dynamic positions like stock market traders, doctors, nurses, and pilots, require employees to quickly adapt to changes. So, for these jobs, it is better to choose 'agree' or 'strongly agree'.
In this question, we see that it is not enough to ask yourself what your job requires, but more importantly- is the risk of having this trait critical for my position? if so, you should avoid scoring high on those traits.
I always plan my expenses in advance.
The main quality behind this item is cautiousness.
In positions that involve management, like heads of departments, team leaders, campaign managers, and executives, it is essential to show initiative and the ability to take action. So, the best choices would be 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree'.
For jobs that require a high level of accuracy and are more constructed, like customer service representatives, team members, and mechanical engineers, it is best to choose 'agree' or 'strongly agree'.
The MVPI test is also a behavioral questionnaire, but it focuses on personal values and goals that guide your decision-making. On the actual test, this questionnaire includes 200 items.
Each question presents a statement, with which you have to choose whether you agree, disagree, or are undecided.
I would like to be an artist.
The main value behind this item is Self-expression and Aesthetics.
This indicates that appearance and aesthetics are important to you, which can be beneficial for job outcomes in any position. However, paying too much attention to aesthetics and appearances can hold back meeting deadlines and come at the expense of understanding things in depth, so be careful not to score too high on this trait.
You must promote yourself to reach higher.
The main value behind this item is Power.
This indicates a high desire for success, accomplishments, and status. This is an essential mindset for management positions, executives, team leaders, sales representatives, and any job that requires a drive for accomplishment. So, for these positions, the best answer is 'agree'.
However, high levels of power-seeking may be experienced as aggressive by people around you, so be careful not to come across as too high on this scale. For jobs that require working in a team, it is much more important to get along with people rather than getting ahead, so the best answer for those is 'disagree'.
I expect my good work to be recognized.
The main value behind this item is Recognition.
Choosing 'agree' indicates that you rely on other people’s approval and are motivated mainly by what other people say. It is considered an undesirable quality, better to be avoided in any position, especially positions that require working independently and leading. So, the best answer here would be 'disagree'.
Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory questions assess how candidates identify and solve business-related problems, of three types:
On the actual test, you will be required to solve 24 questions within 30 minutes.
The correct answer is (A) since this pie chart represents the same information as the bar chart in the question.
In this question, you are presented with a pair of charts and asked to find which of the answer options creates an equivalent pair with the chart on the right. This means the relationship between the missing pie chart to the bar chart on the right has to be the same as the relationship between the pie chart and the bar chart in the given pair.
Notice that both of these charts represent the same information. Even though there are no specific numbers in the pie charts to make sure, all parameters (A, B, C, and D) are the same in relation to one another in both charts. For example, in both, D is the largest and C is the smallest.
A good way to solve this question is to find in the chart a prominent feature and look for the same feature in the possible answers. For example, in this case C and D in the bar chart are identical and significantly smaller than the other bars in the charts. The only pie charts in which there are two identical and significantly smaller sections are A and B, and only in A those sections are labeled C and D.
Based on the previous years, what would be the best estimate for the 2018 total company's income?
The correct answer is (A) - 140,742.
To solve this question, you have to calculate the change in percentage between years according to the formula:
According to the pattern, from 2017 to 2018 the total income will rise by ~5.2%.
💡 Another way of calculating the change in percentage between years is using the formula:
To calculate the total income of 2018, use the formula:
Therefore, the total income of 2018 would be estimated at:
Previous research established that “financial socialization” is the process through which children learn about finance, mainly from their parents. Most of the research concerning this process focuses on two aspects: the example parents set, and what they directly teach their children about money.
A new study suggests that a third aspect is no less important: the practical experience parents provide their children with money. There are various ways parents can give their children this practical experience: by giving them a regular allowance, by paying them for performing tasks that go beyond their regular chores, by offering cash rewards for good grades, or by encouraging them to save for a special purchase or a charitable donation. Some or all of these can be applied simultaneously, of course. The amount of money is not important – what matters is that the kids will have practical experience with money while the stakes are still low.
The researcher stresses the importance of gaining experience with money while the stakes are low, and while the children are under their parents’ guidance. If a person has to deal with money for the first time when alone, and the stakes are high (saving up for a house, paying bills, and managing daily expenses, for example), much more expensive and fateful mistakes might be made. The same mistakes can be made when the stakes are low, when the child can learn from them, and later in life, when alone and the sums are high, the child will avoid those same mistakes because they have practice and experience.
Adapted from: 'Parents: To prepare kids financially, give them practice with money' published on Science Daily. Source
Which of the following is not presented as ways parents can teach their children about money?
The correct answer is (A).
Only (A), “rewarding them for good behavior towards their siblings”, is not mentioned in the text.
All of the other options are mentioned in the second paragraph as strategies parents can employ to teach their children about money management.
This kind of question requires you to read quickly, and more importantly, that you find the relevant information quickly.
A good strategy is to first read the question and try to pick up a few keywords to quickly find in the text so you won’t have to read it in its entirety since it is mostly irrelevant.
Which of these new factory layout charts is identical to the original, but rotated clockwise?
original:
The correct answer is (B).
This question requires mentally rotating a chart consisting of multiple shapes. On this type of question, it is helpful to focus on one of the shapes and examine it separately. For instance, in this question, you can focus on the L shape
In the original chart, it is located on the right side, and its thin arm is close to the ellipse and is pointing right. Now, carefully examine what happens when the chart rotates:
If you turn the chart 90° clockwise, the L shape moves to the bottom of the chart, and its thin arm is still close to the ellipse and points down. This is what happens in chart B.
If you turn the chart another 90° clockwise, the L shape moves to the left side of the chart, and its thin arm is still close to the ellipse and points left. In chart C, the L shape is located on the left side and its thin arm is pointing left, but it is not close to the ellipse, so this option should be eliminated
If you turn the chart yet another 90° clockwise, The L shape is identical to chart A: The L shape moves to the top of the chart, and its thin arm is still close to the ellipse and points up.
The correct answer is either A or B. To decide between the two, select another salient feature such as the rectangle with the trimmed corner, and examine what happens to it as the chart rotates. In the original chart, it is located at the bottom of the chart and its trimmed corner is adjacent to the L shape.
If you turn the chart 90° clockwise, the rectangle moves to the left side of the chart and its trimmed corner is still adjacent to the L shape. This is what happens in chart (B).
If you turn the chart another 90° clockwise, the rectangle moves to the top of the chart and its trimmed corner is still adjacent to the L shape.
If you turn the chart yet another 90° clockwise, the rectangle moves to the right side of the chart and its trimmed corner is still adjacent to the L shape. In chart (A), the rectangle is located on the right side of the chart but is not adjacent to the L shape, so this option should be eliminated.
💡 Another method of resolution is to describe the shape in words. You can say that the thick arm of the L shape is adjacent to the trimmed corner of the rectangle. Then, you can check which of the answer options matches this description. Only option (A) accurately matches the description, which makes it the correct answer. In option A the thick arm of the L shape is adjacent to a “full” corner of the rectangle. In option C it is the thin arm of the L shape that is adjacent to the trimmed corner of the rectangle.
The company you work for is designing new ads. All the new ads must be approved by the board. If some of the new ads are turning a profit for the company, which of the following must be true?
The correct answer is (D).
Answer (D) is the correct answer because it is the only one that must be true. Since all new ads must be approved by the board, it follows that the new ads that are turning a profit were also approved by the board. Therefore, it is true that some of the ads approved by the board are turning a profit.
Answer (A) is incorrect since the question states that only some of the new ads are turning a profit, not necessarily all.
Answer (B) is incorrect since the question requires that the answer must be true. While it is possible, realistically, that some of the ads are causing losses, we cannot know that from the presented information. The sentence “some of the new ads are turning a profit” does not necessarily mean that the opposite is also true (that some of the new ads are causing losses). It may be that the other ads are breaking even, or that all of them are turning a profit (since "some" means at least one, possibly all); there is not enough information to know. Since it is impossible to know for certain, the requirement to pick a statement that must be true, beyond a doubt, is not met.
Answer (C) is incorrect since the question clearly states that some of the ads are turning a profit, meaning it cannot be true that none of them are profitable.
We hope this page was helpful to you.
To take the hogan assessment tests at ease, knowing you are well prepared, get access to a lot more practice questions and full Hogan test simulations on our Hogan Assessments page.