There are many types of tests employers give to their prospective employees to help them understand the kind of person they are about to hire. When employers are looking for more accurate, science-based insight into the personality of their potential workers, they use the Hogan Assessment test.
Compared to most other cognitive skills and personality tests, this test is more complex and seeks to find finer details about an existing or prospecting employee. A candidate needs to take more time preparing for this test to understand its question structure and what an employer will be looking for.
Types of tests to expect
When preparing for the Hogan test, you must do thorough Hogan assessment practice and take a keen concentration in the following areas.
Personality skills
This section helps your potential employer to measure your best side of personality. When you are at your best, you can achieve maximum productivity and your employer will seek to tap into this moment and exploit it to the best.
There will be 5 sections under the personal skills test and they do not necessarily follow this format. Expect the development survey which helps investigate how you handle situations when on your darkest side.
The next section is the business reasoning test which tests your best performance in a real-life experience. Using data, graphs, diagrams, and numerical values, your problem-solving ability is tested to the maximum.
Another section is the values, preferences, and motives test which seeks to understand some of your unique values in terms of job security, affiliations, business, culture, and recognition. Through these questions, a company will understand how well you will fit into its unique culture and way of doing business.
Cognitive skills
This section tests your cognitive ability using a series of numerical and verbal reasoning questions. It helps test how you would react after the company or yourself makes decisions. You might react positively or negatively and each decision will affect the business positively or negatively.
Mainly, the test will be seeking to understand you in three areas which are your preferences in making decisions, learning, and reaction to decisions.
Who is the Hogan test designed for?
A company may choose to give the test to anyone they feel is likely to rise the ranks to higher positions within the company. Regardless of this decision, this test mostly targets candidates and employees in the higher ranks of general managers, managers, accountants, supervisors, consultants, and so on.
This is because, at the higher ranks, an individual’s decisions can adversely affect the business and have lasting effects. Therefore, such an individual must have an excellent personality and cognitive attributes for the good of the company.
How to pass the Hogan assessment test
Thorough preparation is the best way to help you pass this test and there are several ways to help you prepare.
Do a lot of practice
Studying many books might not help you pass this test but the best way is to take many sample tests online. There are several online resources you can use and this guide is one of the best resources. Taking more sample tests will help build confidence and you will be less anxious during the test day.
Aptitude tests will help in a greater way
Give priority to aptitude tests because they give weight to critical thinking questions, verbal skills, math, judgment, and reading skills. Once you get conversant with taking aptitude tests, you will stand a better chance to pass this test.
On the test day
On the test day, get ready mentally, wake up early and arrive at the testing center at least 20 minutes earlier. Stay relaxed and tell yourself that you will make it and pass this test. During the test, remember that the neutral answer is not always the right one.
Also, the extreme answer like strongly disagrees/agree might not always be the right answer. You are not always perfect and you might have some flaws. Regardless of these, do not try to display yourself as perfect. No one is ever perfect and your interviewers understand this very well.
If you are honest with your answers especially on the personality skills test, you stand a better chance of passing this test. However, be careful with some multi-choice questions that may have choices like “I can go to any length or breadth to achieve a goal.” It might portray that you would do even unethical things to achieve a goal.
After the test, relax, go home and hope for the best.
