Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory 2026: a free timed HBRI practice test and a method for every item type
The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI) is Hogan’s timed reasoning test: multiple-choice business problems with one right answer each, reported in two subscales, Qualitative and Quantitative.1 It is the one part of a Hogan assessment you can clearly train for. Take 10 timed items free, at about 75 seconds each, with a worked answer and the trap for every item.
- How Hogan assessments work: guide and video8 min read
- HBRI simulation 1, cold (diagnostic)24 items · 30 min
- HBRI lesson: subscales, item types, pacing6 min read
- Qualitative reasoning: lesson and 3 drills3 × 12 items
- Quantitative reasoning: lesson and 3 drills3 × 12 items
- Test day, then HBRI simulation 224 items · 30 min
- 10 items, 5 Qualitative, 5 Quantitative
- 12:30, about 75 s an item
- Worked answer and trap for every item
- Score by subscale with a lesson to start
Free · no account, no email · HBRI-style items written for our course, not Hogan questions
What does HBRI practice look like in the course?
A policy with a gap, a business table, a rotation item and the 30-minute clock: a short tour of the reasoning part of the course.
Trailer · the reasoning path of Hogan Assessment Prep 2026
What does the HBRI test measure?
The HBRI measures how well you work through business problems: reading data, spotting what does not add up, and drawing sound conclusions from what you are given. Hogan reports it as an overall result plus two subscales: Qualitative (reasoning with words, rules and arguments) and Quantitative (reasoning with numbers, tables and charts).1 Unlike the personality inventories, every item has one correct option, so knowing the item types, having a method for each and getting used to the clock all raise the score.
| Subscale | What it covers | Item types reported by prep sources | In the course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative | Words, rules and arguments | Find the error in a rule or policy, syllogisms (“must be true”), verbal analogies1,3 | Lesson QL, 3 drills of 12; plus arguments, assumptions and conclusions |
| Quantitative | Numbers, tables and charts | Business tables and charts (percentages, outliers, rankings), money and distance word problems1,3 | Lesson QN, 3 drills of 12: percent change, margins, weighted averages, rates |
| Rotation | Shapes turned or mirrored | 2D and 3D rotation (reported; no reliable source on which subscale it counts toward)3 | 2 rotation items in each simulation |
How many questions are on the HBRI, and how long is it?
Prep sources report about 24 multiple-choice items in a timed 30-minute version.3 Hogan itself gives 25 to 30 minutes on its product page and about 35 minutes in its FAQ.1 At 24 items in 30 minutes you have about 75 seconds an item, the pace of this free test and of the course simulations.
HBRI facts at a glance (2026)
Checked October 26, 2026 against Hogan’s HBRI product page and blog; “reported” = prep sites and test takers- What it is
- Hogan’s reasoning test: multiple choice, one right answer per item. The other three Hogan instruments have no right answers.1,5
- Subscales
- Qualitative and Quantitative since December 2019; Tactical and Strategic are the older names.1
- Time
- 25–30 minutes on Hogan’s product page, about 35 minutes in Hogan’s FAQ; a timed 30-minute version is reported.1,3
- Items
- About 24 multiple-choice items (reported).3
- Pausing
- Not possible once started (distributor).2
- Results
- An overall percentile plus Qualitative and Quantitative; prep sources also describe four “thinking styles” but disagree on what they mean.1,3
- Not public
- Whether the HBRI adapts to your answers and how much speed counts beyond the time limit.
- Pass mark
- None set by Hogan: the employer compares results with a profile for the job.5
Tactical and Strategic, or Qualitative and Quantitative?
Qualitative and Quantitative. Hogan renamed the subscales in December 2019, but many prep sites and even 2026 videos still use the old names.1,4 What else you may hear about the HBRI:
| What you may hear | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Tactical reasoning” and “Strategic reasoning” | Older report names; the current subscales are Qualitative and Quantitative.1 |
| Separate verbal, numerical and abstract sections | Reported item types are grouped into two subscales, Qualitative and Quantitative; rotation items are reported too.1,3 |
| An “HBRI practice test” that asks about the HBRI | Quiz videos with questions about ethics or teaching contain no HBRI-style items at all.4 |
| An exact item count and time | Hogan’s own figures differ (25–30 vs. about 35 minutes); plan for about 24 items in 30 minutes.1,3 |
Reasoning test or personality inventories: what is in your invitation?
The HBRI often comes with one or more personality inventories. They work in opposite ways:
| HBRI (this page) | Personality inventories | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | One right option per item1 | No right answers; the Hogan Personality Inventory and the Hogan Development Survey use a 4-point scale without a middle7 |
| Clock | 25–30 min (Hogan), cannot be paused1,2 | About 15–20 min each, can be paused with autosave2,6 |
| How to prepare | Item types, methods, pacing: train it | Know the scales, answer consistently as your work self |
| In the course | Lessons HBRI, QL, QN, 7 drills, 2 simulations | Lessons and practice inventories with profile pages |
Everything in one view: the overview of the Hogan assessment and its four instruments.
Which HBRI item types come up?
Prep sources report the item types below, and they match the kinds of sample items Hogan published in 2016.1,3 Prep sources also report rotation items; the course trains them in the simulations.
How does the course train business reasoning?
Diagnose first, then train the weaker subscale, then rehearse on the clock. All items are HBRI-style practice written for the course.
4:21Lesson HBRI · pacing at 75 seconds an item
- 1Simulation 1
Cold diagnostic
24 items on one 30-minute clock, forward only: 11 Qualitative, 11 Quantitative, 2 rotation. The report shows each subscale and every item reviewed.
- 2Lessons QL and QN
A method per item type
Policy gaps, arguments, assumptions, rule logic and analogies; percentages, growth, margins, weighted averages and rates, with worked examples and traps.
- 37 drills
Three levels
Three Qualitative and three Quantitative drills of 12 items, 90 seconds an item (75 at level 3), plus a 12-item mixed drill. A worked answer after every item.
- 4Simulation 2
Dress rehearsal
One or two days before the real test, with the checkpoints from the lesson: item 8 by minute 10, item 16 by minute 20.
Reasoning plus personality inventories?
Many invitations add one or more inventories to the HBRI. The course start page asks which instruments you got and opens the matching path.
How long should you practice for the HBRI?
Fifteen focused minutes a day beat one long session. Pick your situation.
Diagnose, fix, rehearse.
Take simulation 1 today, then spend the days on your weaker subscale.
- Day 1HBRI simulation 1, cold, then review every item45 min
- Days 2–3Lesson and level 1–2 drills of the weaker subscale~30 min/day
- Day 4Mixed drill, pacing rules from the HBRI lesson25 min
- Day beforeHBRI simulation 2, then light review only40 min
Build both subscales.
Work through both lessons and all levels, and keep simulation 2 for the last days.
- Week 1Simulation 1, lesson HBRI, Qualitative drills levels 1–2~20 min/day
- Week 2Quantitative lesson and drills levels 1–2~20 min/day
- Week 3Level 3 drills of both subscales, mixed drill~20 min/day
- Link arrivesHBRI simulation 2, test-day lesson
Estimation first.
Most points are lost on the wrong row, the wrong base or the wrong unit, not on hard math. Train the routine.
- Day 1Lesson QN: percent change vs. points, the base20 min
- Day 2QN drill level 1, then review every trap25 min
- Day 3Margins, weighted averages, rates; QN drill level 230 min
- Day 4Estimation practice, QN drill level 330 min
What does the HBRI path cover?
The reasoning path of the course start page, in order.
Is a free HBRI practice test enough?
Ten items show the item types and the pace. What they cannot give you is a method for each type and enough timed volume to make the clock feel normal.
| Free practice | Hogan Assessment Prep 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Item types | A few, often only numbers | Policies, arguments, assumptions, conclusions, rule logic, analogies, tables, word problems, rotation |
| Names | Often Tactical / Strategic | Qualitative and Quantitative, as Hogan reports them today |
| Feedback | Right or wrong | A worked answer and the trap after every item |
| Volume | One short set | 7 drills of 12 and two 24-item simulations |
| Cost | $0 | $68 once, 90 days of access |
HBRI FAQ: items, timing, scoring
Is this HBRI practice test really free?
Yes: 10 timed items, 5 Qualitative and 5 Quantitative, no account and no email. You see your score by subscale, the lesson to start with, and a worked answer for every item.
What does HBRI stand for?
Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory. It is the reasoning test in Hogan’s set of instruments, next to three personality inventories.1
Are these real HBRI questions?
No. All items are HBRI-style practice written for our course, built from the item types prep sources describe and Hogan’s published sample types. Prepterminal is independent and not affiliated with Hogan.1,3
What is the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative reasoning?
Qualitative items are about words, rules and arguments: policy gaps, syllogisms, analogies. Quantitative items are about numbers: business tables and charts, percentages, money and distance problems.1,3
What happened to Tactical and Strategic reasoning?
Those were the older subscale names. Since December 2019 Hogan reports Qualitative and Quantitative; the old names appear only in older reports and outdated prep material.1,4
Can I use a calculator on the HBRI?
We found no reliable public rule. Check your invitation for anything about calculators or scrap paper, and ask the recruiter if it says nothing. Train estimation either way: it is often faster than typing.
Is the HBRI adaptive?
No reliable public source says. Our simulations therefore use the reported format: 24 items, 30 minutes, one sitting, forward only.3
What is a good HBRI score?
There is no fixed cut-off from Hogan. The report gives an overall percentile and the two subscales, and the employer compares them with a profile for the job.1,5 Aim to get as many items right as you can on both subscales.
Should I guess on the HBRI?
A blank cannot earn a point. When an item passes about two minutes, cross out what you can, pick the best remaining option and move on: easy items at the end are worth as much as the hard one in front of you.
Can you improve your HBRI score with practice?
Yes, more than any other part of a Hogan battery: knowing the item types, having a method for each and getting used to the clock all help. Do not retake the same simulation straight away, because remembered items inflate the score.
How should I pace the HBRI?
Aim for about 75 seconds an item: item 8 by minute 10 and item 16 by minute 20. Read the question before the data, and do not let one hard item eat five minutes of the easy ones at the end.
What do I get for HBRI prep, and for how long?
One payment of $68 opens Hogan Assessment Prep 2026: the HBRI, Qualitative and Quantitative lessons with videos, 7 drills, two 24-item simulations, and the personality inventories with practice profiles. Access lasts 90 days, with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Everything for the HBRI, plus the inventories around it
- Two HBRI-style simulations: 24 items on one 30-minute clock, forward only
- Qualitative and Quantitative lessons with videos, worked examples and traps
- 6 drills at three levels plus a 12-item mixed drill, a worked answer after every item
- Pacing rules and a test-day lesson: checkpoints, guessing, what to ask about calculators
- The personality inventories with practice profiles, if your invitation lists them
- A start-page finder that opens the path for your invitation
75 seconds an item. Train the method and the clock.
Take simulation 1 cold, train the weaker subscale, rehearse with simulation 2.
Get Hogan Assessment Prep 2026: $68P.S. Not ready to buy? Take the free 10-item HBRI practice test first, then decide.
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