Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) Test Practice


What Is the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI)?

The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) is one of the Hogan Assessments that assess your cognitive skills. The HBRI assessment includes 24 questions that involve concluding from complex sets of data. This allows employers to evaluate your reasoning style- your ability to analyze data, come up with solutions, and make effective decisions.

  • Is the HBRI testtimed?
    Yes, the HBRI test requires solving 24 questions within 30 minutes. There had also been an earlier unlimited version of the exam.

 

Play hbri video
hbri video

What Kind of Questions Can You Expect on the HBRI Test?

The HBRI test has 24 multiple-choice questions of three types: 

Numerical Reasoning Questions

Numerical questions include word problems and various math questions. These require being able to calculate percentages, dimensions, etc. based on data presented in tables, charts, graphs, and diagrams.

For example, try solving the following question:

hbri-math-question

Which regional municipal authority is not paid the correct property tax, compared to the others?

North
East
South
West
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is (D) West.

To determine which regional municipal authority is paid property tax different than the others, relative to the house value, calculate the percentage of the property tax from that house's value, using the formula: (Property tax / house's value) X 100:


North: (78,785/525,234) X 100 ~ 0.15 X 100 = 15%
East: (48,653/324,356) X 100 ~ 0.15 X 100 = 15%
South: (23,623/157,487) X 100 ~ 0.15 X 100 = 15%
West: (45,361/412,369) X 100 ~ 0.11 X 100 = 11%


The West regional municipal authority is the only one in which the property tax payment is 11% of the house's value, while in the other regional municipal authorities the property tax payment is 15%.

 

Abstract Reasoning Questions

Abstract reasoning questions require analyzing and manipulating 2-D and 3-D figures.

For example, try solving the following question:

Which of these sitting arrangement charts is identical to the original, but rotated clockwise?

Original:

hbri-abstract-question

Answers:

Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is (A).

In questions that require mentally rotating an object, it can be helpful to focus on a salient feature of the object and examine what happens to it as the object rotates. For instance, in this question, you can focus on the single desk – in the original chart, it is located at the bottom-right corner with the chair facing the upper side of the chart. Now, carefully examine what happens when the chart rotates:

  • If you turn the chart 90° clockwise, the desk moves to the bottom-left corner, and the chair faces right.
  • If you turn the chart another 90° clockwise, the desk moves to the top-left corner, and the chair faces down.
  • If you turn the chart yet another 90° clockwise, the desk moves to the top-right corner, and the chair faces left.

Note: The question asks you to rotate the original chart clockwise, but does not specify by how many degrees the chart should be rotated. This means it is not relevant, you can choose to rotate it either clockwise or counterclockwise.

 

Verbal Reasoning & Logic Questions

Verbal reasoning and logic questions require solving word analogies and logic riddles. 

For example, try solving the following question:

All high-level managers speak more than one language. Some people who speak more than one language have a higher than average IQ. Which of the following must true?
Some high-level managers have a higher than average IQ
All high-level managers have a higher than average IQ
All people who speak more than one language are high-level managers
None of the above
Correct Answer
Incorrect Answer

The correct answer is (D).

There are three groups presented in this question:
1.High level managers
2.People who speak more than one language
3.People with higher than average IQ

hbri-logic-question

 

Since the question is “which of the following must be true”, sentences (A) and (B) cannot be the answer – there is a possibility they are true, but there is also a possibility they are false (as groups 1 and 3 can overlap fully, partially, or not at all).

It is important to notice that a sentence that begins with "all", like “all high-level managers speak more than one language”, does not translate to the opposite, that all people who speak more than one language are high-level managers. This means that sentence (C) can also be true, but it’s not necessarily true.
After all three answers were eliminated, since none is true without a doubt, you can be sure the correct answer is (D) - none of the above.

You can solve more sample questions from HBRI or other Hogan tests, by taking our sample Hogan test.


Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory Sample Questions

Take a look at some other forms of Hogan HBRI sample questions and answers, taken from our full Hogan HBRI practice course:

 

hbri sample question 1

*Source - JobTestPrep Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory practice test.

Check your answer

The correct answer is (C).

The question asks you to find the most efficient way to get from Building 1 (Humanities) to Building 2 (Economics). The only factor discussed in the question according to which the efficiency level of the answer options can be compared is the time it takes to walk, versus cycle, between buildings. Thus, you can assume that by asking for the most efficient way to get from Building 1 to 2, the question actually asks for the fastest way to do that.

You are told that cycling between two adjacent buildings takes half the time it does to walk from any building to the library (the circle in the middle). Note that walking between any two buildings (i.e. from one building to the library, and then from the library to the other building) takes twice the time it does to walk from one building to the library. Thus, if you mark the time it takes to cycle between two adjacent buildings as C, then the time it takes to walk between two building equals C x 2 x 2 = 4C. (If you find it confusing to use variables, replace them with real values. You can decide, for instance, that it takes 1 minute to cycle between two adjacent buildings. In that case, walking between two buildings would take 4 minutes.)

Now, you can go over the answer options and find how much time each takes:
(A)– Walk between two buildings = 4C
(B)– Walk between two buildings + cycle between adjacent buildings = 4C + C = 5C
(C)– Cycle between adjacent buildings + cycle between adjacent buildings + cycle between adjacent buildings = C + C + C = 3C
(D)– Cycle between adjacent buildings + walk between two buildings = C + 4C = 5C

Thus, the most efficient way is (C).

Tip: You can save time by eliminating answer options using common sense. Answer options (B) and (D) both include cycling between adjacent buildings in addition to walking between buildings, whereas answer option (A) includes only walking. Thus, you can eliminate (B) and (D) as they are less efficient than (A).

hbri sample question 2

*Source - JobTestPrep Hogan HBRI practice test.

Check your answer

The correct answer is (B).

There are a few factors which make product 2 the best one. One of them, the only one presented as a possible answer, is that it has low costs (manufacturing as well as licensing costs) compared to the other products, which means the correct answer is (B).

Answer (A) is incorrect. While product 1 does have high innovation, so does product 2, so they are equal in that matter and neither is better than the other. Answer (C) is incorrect for a similar reason, since both product 2 and product 3 have high quality.

Answer (D) is incorrect since product 2 is indeed the best choice – it has low costs and high quality, demand, and innovation, and is overall better than the other two products presented.


Looking for more HBRI practice questions & answers? Access our full online HBRI practice and get timed Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory practice tests, solving tips, guides, and tutorials.


How to Prepare for the HBRI Assessment?

Getting familiar with all the HBRI assessment questions, taking timed HBRI practice tests, and getting full answers and feedback can greatly improve your solving speed and accuracy in this complex test.

Our team of experts has created a unique online preparation for the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory, that hundreds of our customers found extremely helpful. Most importantly, it allowed them to complete this exam confidently, as they were familiar with and skilled in solving the type of questions they encountered on the actual Hogan HBRI test.

 
Note: If you’ve been asked to take both Hogan’s HBRI and HPI assessments, we recommend our bundle HBRI+HPI practice pack.

 

What Does the HBRI Measure?

Hogan is a cognitive ability test, like the Criteria CCAT, or Wonderlic tests. The HBRI score report provided by Hogan to the employer goes into great detail regarding your cognitive style, based on two components of critical reasoning:

  • Qualitative Reasoning – your ability to solve problems based on visual data, logic and verbal information.
  • Quantitative Reasoning- your ability to solve problems based on mathematical and spatial information.

The combination of these two reasoning styles is used to explain your general cognitive style. For example, if you score high on qualitative reasoning and low on quantitative reasoning, you would likely identify important problems, but minimize the implications of practical steps needed to solve them.

View all 4 cognitive style categories:
  • Expedient Thinker – typically analyzes problems opportunistically, chooses answers that are quick and easy, and makes intuitive rather than reflective choices, leading to poor-quality solutions.
  • Contextual Thinker – typically identifies important problems but ignores the obstacles to their solution and minimizes the importance of the detailed steps needed to solve them.
  • Analytic Thinker - typically focuses on a problem and the obstacles to its solution, without putting the problem in a larger context and evaluating the need for its immediate resolution.
  • Critical Thinker - This is the most effective type of reasoning style, that combines high qualitative and quantitative reasoning. It means you’ll effectively identify problems, evaluate the short- and long-term benefits of their solution, and implement the most effective ones.

Sharpen your cognitive ability skills with our Free Wonderlic Test Practice!

 

Hogan HBRI Sample Report

The Hogan business reasoning inventory assessment results are given to employers as three types of scores: qualitative reasoning score, quantitative reasoning score, and an overall business reasoning score.

The overall business reasoning score indicates your ability to solve complex problems, relative to other candidates. This is how it would look like:

hbri results


The higher the HBRI assessment score on your Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory,  the higher your chances are to stand out as a successful problem-solver and outshine your competition. 


Related Links

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Hogan Assessments- main page  

 

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