How to Pass the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) – 2024 Guide
Updated May 31, 2024
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What Is the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI)?
There are several ways employers and recruiters can screen a candidate’s suitability for a role. One common tactic is to use aptitude tests.
One such aptitude test is the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI), one of the main Hogan assessments, which also includes the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), Hogan Development Survey (HDS) and the MVPI (Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory).
The HBRI assessment can be used to place someone in a job role or to assess a current employee for promotion within the company.
The HBRI tends to be used for positions in sales, marketing and management.
What Skills Does the HBRI Test?
The skills tested are mainly problem-solving and decision-making, using quantitative data in the form of text, stats and graphs.
The HBRI measures the candidate’s quantitative and qualitative reasoning via a 30-minute test containing 24 carefully developed questions.
The prospective employer or company wants to see that the individual can make important decisions with just a small amount of factual information using tactical reasoning in addition to analyzing past flaws and mistakes in data and finding a new, successful solution (strategic reasoning).
The HBRI test is computerized and is scored with a percentage.
HBRI Sample Questions (2024)
There are three main types of questions in the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory HBRI test. These may be grouped together or mixed up.
Practice the HBRI Test with TestHQ
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning questions may contain riddles or word puzzles, or even a comprehension test. The candidate will need to carefully read and understand the text to find the right answers.
Sample Verbal Reasoning Question
| Internship | Location | Salary | Percentage being employed by company after | Reputation of company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internship 1 | 10 miles away | Good | 90% | Not good |
| Internship 2 | 5 miles away | Great | 89% | Highly recommended by others |
| Internship 3 | 12 miles away | Highest paid | 50% | Good |
Your friend has been offered three internships. Each one is the same job role, but they all have different reasons for accepting the role. Based on the table above, which offer would you accept?
Practice the HBRI Test with TestHQ
Numerical Reasoning
Numerical reasoning questions list graphs, data, tables and charts. They ask the candidate to calculate something, such as a distance or a percentage.
Sample Numerical Reasoning Question
Your grandmother leaves you and your brother £500 each in inheritance money. You invest it in a savings account that gives you 2% monthly interest, whereas your brother opens an account with 1% monthly interest. After one month, how much more will you have than your brother if you both add the £500 to your respective accounts and do not withdraw anything?
a) £5 more
b) £2 more
c) £10 more
d) £50 more
Abstract Reasoning
Abstract reasoning questions are generally asking for an answer that involves looking at a diagram, image or drawing.
Sample Abstract Reasoning Question
What should Box 6 look like?
a) Same as Box 2, but with a shaded circle
b) Same as Box 5, but with a shaded circle
c) Same as Box 5, but with a shaded hexagon
d) Same as Box 2, but with a shaded hexagon
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How to Pass the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory Test in 2024
Many people find these kinds of Hogan tests overwhelming. Nonetheless, it helps to be as prepared as possible to achieve the highest score that you can.
One of the challenges in answering HBRI tests is that some of the questions don’t have a right or wrong answer, so candidates don’t know what the company is looking for.
However, there are some things you can do to make the HBRI assessment test less overwhelming and improve your chances of success:
Step 1. Do Online Hogan Practice Test Prep
There are plenty of these available, for example, TestHQ.
Do as much Hogan test prep as possible before your assessment. Take practice tests that relate to each of the three main categories as well as specific HBRI practice tests.
There are timed ones, which generally do cost, but are useful for ensuring you can pace yourself in the test.
Step 2. Think About the Job Description and Position
When answering the questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer, although you need to answer honestly, think too about what the job role would entail and what someone in that position is likely to do.
Step 3. Focus On Your Business Mind
When answering the questions, it may be easy to answer them from a personal perspective. However, remember this is for a job role, so respond from a business viewpoint and choose the best solution or decision for the company, not necessarily yourself.
Step 4. Pace Yourself and Read Thoroughly
As with any test, it is important to read and understand the question before answering. Read it through a few times, and check your answers for misinterpretation. Don’t rush through the questions, but pace yourself. Doing plenty of timed Hogan test prep beforehand will help you with this.
Step 5. Try to Be as Accurate as Possible
Remember to think about what the employer is looking for.
Step 6. Look After Yourself
Eat and drink well before your HBRI test, and try to get a good night’s sleep beforehand. This will ensure you’re at your best when sitting the test.
Step 7. Visit Online Forums
People who have already completed the test may have posted some advice that will help you to prepare.
The HBRI (Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory) is an assessment that is typically used in the recruitment process for sales, marketing, and management roles.
It focuses on problem solving and decision-making skills, with questions that use quantitative business-related data in the form of graphs and tables.
The HBRI asks 24 questions that must be answered within 30 minutes.
The original HBRI test was designed to be untimed. However, there is now a test available with a 30-minute time limit.
One of the most important things you can do to prepare for the HBRI assessment is to take practice tests.
Hogan test prep will help you to familiarise yourself with the style of questions that you might find as well as highlight any areas which may potentially be weaker.
The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory test is an aptitude test that looks at a range of skills including:
- Problem solving
- Decision making
- Use of quantitative data
- Abstract reasoning
Yes, the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory test is widely considered to be an accurate method of assessment within the workplace.
The 30-minute HBRI test contains 24 separate questions.
No. The HBRI test is a neutral test that is designed to accurately assess a candidate's aptitude.
The HBRI test is usually administered to individuals as a part of a recruitment process. As a result, there is usually no cost for those taking the assessment.
The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory scores are given as a percentage.
A percentage score of 70% shows that you performed to the same standard or better than 70% of the normative group and would place you at the high end of the scale.
Yes, the HBRI is a type of business reasoning assessment that is widely used within marketing, sales and management to identify the best individuals for job vacancies.
It is widely considered to be an accurate and reliable way of assessing aptitude and skill.
When you complete the HBRI, the recruitment team will receive a detailed report split into three sections:
- Overall Business Reasoning – presented as a percentage and compared to a norm group; a higher score demonstrates that you can process information quickly and are able to think carefully and critically before making a decision.
- Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning – this is slightly more complex, as it is not about being ‘the best’ at reasoning, the focus is on the way you make sense of information. Those with high qualitative reasoning skills tend to be able to make sense of complex information while those who have low qualitative reasoning skills tend to learn through experience. Similarly, those with low quantitative reasoning skills are more likely to make decisions based on instinct, while those with high quantitative reasoning skills are more likely to use relevant data to come to a conclusion.
- Cognitive Style – One of four styles is attributed to each test taker, and this is about how you like to learn and think. The options are Expedient Thinker, Contextual Thinker, Analytical Thinker, and Critical Thinker
The report will also provide some insights into your strengths and weaknesses. With all this detail, there is not really a ‘good’ score to aim for in the HBRI test – it depends on what criteria the recruitment team are using to select their ideal candidates, so the best thing you can do is aim as high as you are capable.
The HBRI produces a detailed report from your results in the test, and the report provides three separate sections about your business reasoning abilities.
In the Overall Business Reasoning assessment section, the scores are presented as a percentage against a sliding normative scale, with your result being described as either low, average, high or very high, as well as a percentage.
In the Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning section, your result is show as a quartile – you will be regarded as either high or low in each type of reasoning.
The Cognitive Style section describes the way you prefer to think, putting you in one of four categories depending on the way you have answered the questions.
There are 24 questions in the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI), and they must all be completed within 30 minutes in the newer timed version.
The original HBRI did not have a time limit, but usually takes candidates about 25 minutes to complete.
Both Hogan tests are in use at this time, and the one you will be taking will depend on the recruitment team.
The questions themselves are in three distinct sections – verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and abstract reasoning.
Final Thoughts
The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) test is an established assessment used by many employers and businesses throughout the country.
The employer is looking for specific capabilities and it is important to know what these are before taking the test.
Prepare with practice questions, and ensure that you are at your best during the assessment.
Remember if you are applying for a role that requires these specific abilities, it is likely you already have some skill in those areas. Relax, take your time reading the questions, and check over your answers to ensure success.
