12 Personality Tests Used in Hiring (and How Each One Scores You)

The personality tests used in hiring are not the fun quizzes you take online. They are structured assessments an employer uses to predict how you will behave at work: how you handle pressure, how you make decisions, how you fit a team. The most common ones you will meet are Hogan, DISC, the Big Five, MBTI, the Predictive Index Behavioral, Caliper, SHL's OPQ32, Saville Wave, 16PF, CliftonStrengths, Korn Ferry, and the Watson-Glaser-adjacent judgment tools some firms bundle in. This guide walks through 12 of them, tells you exactly what each one measures, and explains how the scoring works so you know what a hiring manager sees when your report comes back.

Quick takeaways

• Personality tests in hiring measure work behavior, not right or wrong answers, so there is usually no "pass" score, only a fit profile.
• The heavyweights employers actually use are Hogan, the Predictive Index, DISC, SHL's OPQ32, Caliper, and Saville Wave.
• MBTI and the Big Five appear too, but MBTI is used more for development than selection, and the Big Five underpins most serious workplace tools.
• Most report a profile across several traits or scales rather than a single number.
• Answer consistently and honestly; these tools flag contradictory answers, and a "faked" profile is often obvious.
• You cannot cram traits, but you can prepare by knowing the format and practicing the question style so nothing surprises you on the day.

How personality tests are scored (read this first)

Before the list, understand the scoring, because it is different from a cognitive test. On the CCAT or Wonderlic, more correct answers is a higher score. On a personality assessment, there is rarely a "correct" answer at all. Instead, your responses are mapped onto traits or scales, and the output is a profile.

Employers then compare that profile against a benchmark: the trait pattern they believe predicts success in the role. So "scoring well" does not mean maximizing a number. It means producing a profile that matches what the job needs, while staying honest enough that the test's consistency checks do not flag you.

Two more things worth knowing. First, most modern tools include validity or consistency checks that catch answers that contradict each other, so trying to game the test usually backfires. Second, many of these assessments are built on the Big Five model underneath, even when the report uses different language on top. Learn the Big Five and you have a mental map for most of the list below.

The 12 personality tests used in hiring

Here is the table view first, then each test in detail.

1. Hogan (HPI, HDS, MVPI)

Hogan is one of the most respected selection tools in corporate hiring. It comes in three parts: the HPI measures your bright-side, everyday personality; the HDS measures your dark side, the risks that show up under stress; and the MVPI measures your values and motivators. Scoring is by percentile against a norm group, so a hiring manager sees where you sit relative to other candidates on each scale. Hogan's dark-side report is the reason it is prized for leadership roles: it predicts how you might derail under pressure. See hoganassessments.com for the official framework.

2. Predictive Index (PI) Behavioral Assessment

The PI Behavioral is a fast, adjective-checklist test. You pick words that describe how others expect you to act, then words that describe how you really are. It maps you onto four core factors (dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality) and produces a "reference profile" like Maverick or Analyzer. It is widely used because it takes only a few minutes. Note that the PI Behavioral is separate from the PI Cognitive; many candidates are asked to take both. See predictiveindex.com for the official model.

3. DISC

DISC sorts your work style into four dimensions: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. You are usually shown groups of words and asked which is most and least like you. The output is a style profile, often a primary and secondary letter, that describes how you communicate and collaborate. Employers use it more for team fit and communication than for pass-or-fail screening.

4. Big Five (Five-Factor Model)

The Big Five is the research backbone of the whole field. It measures openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (sometimes reported as emotional stability). Many branded workplace tests are Big Five instruments dressed in proprietary language. Scores are given per trait, usually as a percentile. Conscientiousness is the single trait most consistently linked to job performance across roles.

5. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

MBTI sorts you into one of 16 types across four dichotomies (for example, introversion vs extraversion). It is enormously popular, but a careful note: most serious hiring teams use MBTI for development and team-building rather than selection, because it was not designed to predict job performance. If an employer hands you an MBTI, treat it as a fit conversation, not a gate. For the job-context version, see our guide on the MBTI for jobs.

6. Caliper Profile

The Caliper is a heavier, longer assessment built specifically to predict job performance. It measures a wide set of traits and competencies and ties them to role-specific benchmarks, so the report tells an employer how well your profile fits the demands of the job. It leans harder toward selection than DISC or MBTI and is common in sales and leadership hiring.

7. SHL OPQ32 (Occupational Personality Questionnaire)

The OPQ32 is SHL's flagship personality tool, measuring 32 workplace-relevant traits across relationships, thinking style, and emotions. You typically rate statements or pick which of several is most and least like you. The report is a detailed 32-scale profile, often compared against a role norm. It is one of the most common personality tests in large-employer graduate and professional hiring. See shl.com for the official structure.

8. Saville Wave

Saville's Wave assessments measure motives and talents together, on the argument that what you are good at and what you want are both predictive. Scores come as a profile across competencies and motivators. Wave is used for professional and managerial selection and is known for tying personality directly to workplace performance dimensions.

9. 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire)

The 16PF is one of the oldest workplace personality tools, measuring 16 primary factors that roll up into five global factors closely related to the Big Five. It reports a profile across all 16 and is used in selection, development, and even some clinical and counseling contexts. Its longevity is why it still appears in structured hiring.

10. CliftonStrengths (Gallup)

CliftonStrengths, from Gallup, ranks 34 "talent themes" and reports your top ones. Rather than screening people out, it is usually used to place and develop people by their strengths. If you get one in hiring, the employer is more likely deciding how you would fit and grow than whether to reject you.

11. Korn Ferry assessments

Korn Ferry's suite blends personality, motivation, and competency measures, often used higher up the org chart for leadership and executive selection. The output is a competency-and-traits profile mapped to leadership models. It shows up most in professional and management hiring rather than entry-level screening.

12. Pre-employment "culture fit" and integrity questionnaires

Finally, many employers bolt on a shorter integrity or work-values questionnaire, sometimes bundled with a cognitive battery. These measure reliability, rule-following, and honesty tendencies. They are lighter than the tools above but still map your answers to a risk or fit score, and the same rule applies: answer consistently, because contradictions get flagged.

Which of these will you actually face?

For a corporate or graduate role, the realistic shortlist is Hogan, the PI Behavioral, SHL's OPQ32, DISC, Caliper, or Saville Wave. For a smaller company, DISC or the PI are the most common because they are quick. For leadership roles, expect Hogan or Korn Ferry. MBTI and CliftonStrengths, when they appear, usually signal a development conversation rather than a hard screen.

The through-line is that almost all of them are Big Five instruments underneath. If you understand the five factors and know the format of the specific test in front of you, none of them should feel like a black box.

How to prepare (you can, despite what people say)

You cannot change your personality overnight, and you should not try to fake a profile, because the consistency checks catch it. But "you cannot prepare" is a myth. What you prepare is the format and your composure, not your traits.

The best preparation is to work through practice versions of the specific test you have been assigned. Knowing the question style (adjective checklists for the PI, most-and-least statements for the OPQ32 and DISC, percentile scales for Hogan) means you answer decisively instead of second-guessing, which is exactly what produces a clean, consistent profile. Depth of practice matters here: rehearsing one sample is not the same as working through full-length practice sets that mirror the real format across every question type.

It also helps to know what a strong fit looks like for your role before test day, rather than discovering it in the moment. That format and role-fit guidance is exactly what PrepClubs builds each cluster around, using each vendor's own published structure (for example predictiveindex.com for the PI or shl.com for the OPQ32), and it is the same material 1,600+ students have used to prepare for their cognitive and aptitude tests.

That is the case for preparing with a real bank of practice material rather than a single free sample. PrepClubs pairs full-length mock assessments with topical drills for the major personality tests, so you can rehearse the exact format your employer uses before it counts. And because the free tier lets you try real practice questions first, you can confirm the material matches your test before you pay for anything.

FAQ

Do you pass or fail a personality test in hiring?

Usually neither. Most personality tests produce a profile, not a pass mark. The employer compares your profile against the trait pattern they want for the role. The exception is integrity or cut-e style questionnaires that can produce a threshold, but even those are about fit and risk, not a right-answer score.

Can employers tell if you fake a personality test?

Often, yes. Most professional tools (Hogan, OPQ32, Caliper) include consistency or social-desirability checks that flag answers contradicting each other or looking implausibly ideal. Faking tends to produce an inconsistent profile that stands out. Answering honestly and consistently is the safer strategy.

What is the most common personality test used in hiring?

There is no single most common one, but the Predictive Index Behavioral and DISC are the most frequent at smaller and mid-sized firms because they are fast, while Hogan and SHL's OPQ32 dominate large-employer and graduate hiring.

Is the MBTI used for hiring?

Rarely as a hard screen. MBTI was designed for self-understanding and team development, not to predict job performance, so responsible employers use it for fit and development conversations rather than selection decisions.

How long do these tests take?

It varies widely. The PI Behavioral takes a few minutes; DISC and CliftonStrengths take 15 to 30; Hogan, the OPQ32, and the Caliper can take 30 to 60 minutes or more because they measure many scales.

Are personality tests the same as cognitive or aptitude tests?

No. Personality tests measure how you behave and what you value, with no right answers. Cognitive and aptitude tests (like the CCAT, Wonderlic, or a numerical reasoning test) measure ability and are scored on correct answers. Many employers use both.

Are personality tests in hiring reliable and legal?

The well-built ones (Hogan, the OPQ32, Caliper) are validated tools with published research behind them, but no personality test predicts job performance perfectly, which is why responsible employers use them alongside interviews and skills tests, not as the sole gate. There are also legal guardrails: in the US, an assessment used in hiring must not create unfair adverse impact on protected groups, so employers are expected to use job-relevant, validated tools. For you as a candidate, the practical takeaway is the same: answer honestly and consistently, because a defensible profile is the goal.

Related on PrepClubs

• Hogan assessment practice test
• Predictive Index test format and timing
• DISC personality test practice
• SHL OPQ occupational personality questionnaire explained
• Big Five personality test practice

Practice the exact test you have been assigned

Once you know which personality test your employer uses, prepare with the real format rather than guessing on the day. PrepClubs pairs full-length practice assessments with topical drills for the major personality and cognitive tests, so the question style and pace feel familiar before it counts. Try the free questions first to confirm the fit, then get a cluster for $39 ($29 for the cheaper ones). And there is the 30-day Pass Guarantee: if you prepare and do not pass your real test, we extend your access at no cost. Start practicing on PrepClubs.