HDS (Hogan Development Survey)
How to Pass the Hogan Development Survey (HDS)?
Looking to pass the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) with confidence? The key lies in self-awareness, preparation, and role alignment. The HDS doesn’t have right or wrong answers—it highlights behavioral tendencies that may emerge under pressure, such as overconfidence, perfectionism, or avoidance. Employers use it to spot leadership risks before they surface.
To succeed, reflect on how you behave under stress, understand the 11 “dark side” traits, and tailor your responses to align with the expectations of your desired role.
What Is the HDS?
The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) is a personality assessment tool that identifies 11 career derailers—behavioral tendencies that can emerge during times of stress, fatigue, or reduced self-monitoring. These traits are not flaws in character; in fact, many are linked to leadership potential when managed well. However, when overused or misapplied, they can become barriers to success.
The HDS is used by employers, leadership coaches, and consultants around the world to support:
Executive hiring
Leadership development
Succession planning
Risk assessment in high-stakes roles
Unlike clinical or diagnostic tools, the HDS is based on normative personality traits and is designed for use in professional, non-clinical settings.
The 11 Hogan Derailers: What They Mean
The HDS groups derailers into three overarching behavioral categories:
1. Moving Away From Others (Avoidant Behaviors)
These traits involve distancing from people and responsibility when stressed.
Excitable – Volatile and easily disappointed; enthusiastic but hard to please.
Skeptical – Distrustful and sensitive to criticism; often questions others’ motives.
Cautious – Risk-averse and overly worried about mistakes or failure.
2. Moving Against Others (Assertive or Aggressive Behaviors)
These traits involve dominating or controlling others.
Reserved – Aloof, uncommunicative, and socially distant.
Leisurely – Overtly agreeable but privately resistant and stubborn.
Bold – Overconfident and self-promoting; may disregard feedback.
Mischievous – Charming but manipulative; enjoys taking risks.
Colorful – Attention-seeking, dramatic, and easily distracted.
Imaginative – Creative but eccentric; may lose focus on practical details.
3. Moving Toward Others (Dependent Behaviors)
These traits involve pleasing others to gain approval.
Diligent – Perfectionistic and hard to satisfy; may micromanage others.
Dutiful – Eager to please authority figures; avoids conflict and difficult decisions.
Each derailer has both strengths and risks. For example, someone with a high Bold score may exude confidence and leadership charisma but might also ignore critical feedback or alienate team members.
Why Employers Use the HDS
Leadership derailment is one of the most expensive issues organizations face. Hiring someone who performs well under normal conditions but crumbles under stress can cost time, money, and reputation.
The HDS provides organizations with a science-based way to identify potential risks before they impact the workplace. It’s not about disqualifying candidates—it’s about understanding their tendencies and creating strategies for development and coaching.
Key Benefits:
Predicts leadership performance under pressure
Helps build self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Supports succession planning and promotion decisions
Guides executive coaching and development programs
Reduces the risk of high-cost leadership failures
Can You Prepare for the HDS?
You can’t “cheat” a personality test, but you can prepare strategically:
Understand the 11 derailers and their meaning.
Reflect on how you behave under pressure.
Identify patterns in past job experiences—when were you at your best? When did challenges arise?
Take a practice test to familiarize yourself with the structure.
Format and Scoring
Number of Items: 168 statements
Response Format: True/False
Time to Complete: Approx. 15–20 minutes
Scoring: Participants receive a percentile score for each derailer. Higher scores suggest a greater tendency for that trait to emerge under stress.
It’s important to note: high scores aren’t always bad, and low scores aren’t always good. For example, low Dutiful scores might indicate a strong ability to challenge authority—valuable in innovation roles. High Skeptical scores could mean a leader is vigilant and critical—a good fit for auditing or security.
Sample Hogan Development Survey (HDS) Questions
Each statement is answered with True or False. The goal is to reflect how you typically behave, especially under stress or pressure.
Sample Questions by Derailer Category
1. Excitable (Emotional volatility under pressure)
“I often get very enthusiastic about new ideas but quickly lose interest when things don’t go as planned.”
(True/False)
2. Skeptical (Distrust and defensiveness)
“I find it hard to trust others’ intentions, even when they say they’re trying to help.”
(True/False)
3. Cautious (Risk aversion and fear of failure)
“I prefer not to make decisions until I’ve considered every possible risk.”
(True/False)
4. Reserved (Emotional distance and detachment)
“I usually keep to myself and don’t share much with coworkers, even if we’re on the same team.”
(True/False)
5. Leisurely (Passive resistance and stubbornness)
“I’ll agree with others to avoid conflict, but I tend to do things my own way.”
(True/False)
6. Bold (Overconfidence and entitlement)
“I believe I’m better than most people I work with, even if they have more experience.”
(True/False)
7. Mischievous (Charm with risk-taking behavior)
“Rules are meant to be bent, especially when they slow things down.”
(True/False)
8. Colorful (Attention-seeking and drama)
“I enjoy being the center of attention, even if it distracts from the task at hand.”
(True/False)
9. Imaginative (Unusual thinking and eccentricity)
“People sometimes find my ideas strange, but I think they’re just ahead of their time.”
(True/False)
10. Diligent (Perfectionism and micromanagement)
“If something isn’t done exactly my way, I feel the need to redo it myself.”
(True/False)
11. Dutiful (Overly eager to please and avoid conflict)
“I often say yes to tasks even when I disagree with them, just to keep my manager happy.”
(True/False)
Overview of Hogan Assessment Tests
| Test Name | Purpose | Traits Measured | Format | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPI Hogan Personality Inventory | Measures normal personality and job fit | Adjustment, Ambition, Sociability, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Prudence, Inquisitive, Learning Approach | 206 true/false questions (15–20 min) | Hiring, development, team fit, leadership screening |
| HDS Hogan Development Survey | Identifies derailers and risk factors under stress | 11 derailment traits (e.g., Excitable, Skeptical, Bold, Reserved, Leisurely) | 168 true/false questions (15–20 min) | Leadership development, risk mitigation |
| MVPI Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory | Measures core values, motivators, and cultural fit | 10 values (e.g., Recognition, Power, Hedonism, Altruism, Security) | 200 items (15–20 min) | Culture fit, career planning, team alignment |
| HBRI Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory | Assesses cognitive ability and reasoning | Tactical Reasoning (Numerical), Strategic Reasoning (Verbal) | Multiple choice (25–30 min) | Roles involving analysis, decision-making |
| Judgment Hogan Judgment Assessment | Evaluates decision-making and learning style | Information Processing, Decision-Making Style, Reaction to Feedback | Interactive scenarios | Executive hiring, leadership training |
| Hogan 360° | Multirater leadership feedback | Self and others’ ratings across leadership behaviors | Questionnaire sent to peers/managers | Executive coaching, leadership benchmarking |
FAQ
The HDS measures 11 “dark side” personality traits, grouped into three behavior categories:
Moving Away: Excitable, Skeptical, Cautious
Moving Against: Bold, Mischievous, Colorful, Imaginative, Reserved, Leisurely
Moving Toward: Diligent, Dutiful
These traits are not negative by default—but when overused, they can cause problems at work.
The test contains 168 true/false questions and usually takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It’s untimed and can be taken online.
No. The HDS is not a pass/fail test. Results are presented in percentiles that show how much a person displays each trait compared to others. High or low scores are interpreted based on the specific job role or leadership level.
Yes, preparation helps! While you can’t “study” for it like an academic test, you can:
Understand the 11 derailers
Reflect on your behavior under stress
Take a Hogan-style practice test to build self-awareness
✅ Start your free HDS-style practice test now at 24Practice.com
Our HDS-style practice test helps you understand the format, question types, and how to manage your behavioral patterns for real-world job success.
