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The Hogan Development Survey (HDS) is a Hogan Assessments inventory that focuses on potential derailers that can appear under strain. Official Hogan materials describe this as the dark side of personality. This page sits under the Personality Tests hub. For everyday bright-side reputation, use the Hogan Personality Inventory guide. For suite orientation, use the Hogan Assessment overview.
HDS is not a clinical diagnosis tool and does not label personality disorders. Scale elevations describe workplace risk patterns that can disrupt relationships or performance when unmanaged. Interpretation depends on role, coaching context, and official reports.
These sample statements are original familiarization examples. They are not official Hogan items. Official Hogan materials and your invitation control current administration.
Key Takeaways
- HDS focuses on tendencies that can emerge under pressure, not everyday best-behavior reputation.
- Official Hogan materials describe eleven primary HDS scales.
- High is not automatically worse and low is not automatically safer for every role.
- HDS is distinct from HPI, MVPI, and HBRI.
- Do not invent an ideal low-risk profile or try to defeat validity processes.
What Is the Hogan Development Survey?
Official Hogan Assessments product materials describe HDS as measuring dark-side qualities that emerge in times of increased strain. Left unmanaged, those qualities can disrupt relationships, damage reputations, and interfere with performance.
Employers and coaches may use HDS for leadership selection support, leadership development, team risk awareness, and coaching conversations. Assignment details vary.
The Eleven Primary HDS Scales
Official Hogan materials list eleven primary scales and additional subscales. Primary names:
| Scale | Workplace risk theme (high-level) |
|---|---|
| Excitable | Emotional volatility around people and projects |
| Skeptical | Mistrust and cynical expectations |
| Cautious | Risk aversion that can block decisions |
| Reserved | Detachment from others' feelings |
| Leisurely | Passive resistance and private agendas |
| Bold | Overconfidence and self-promotion |
| Mischievous | Limit testing and impulsive risk |
| Colorful | Attention seeking and dramatic presence |
| Imaginative | Unusual ideas that can seem impractical |
| Diligent | Micromanaging perfectionism |
| Dutiful | Over-eagerness to please authority |
Do not treat these labels as psychiatric diagnoses.
Format, Timing, and Reports
Official Hogan marketing materials commonly describe about 15 to 20 minutes for HDS completion, multi-language availability, and administrator reporting. Exact presentation and report access depend on the employer process. Candidates are not always given the same report employers receive.
There is no public universal HDS pass/fail cutoff that guarantees selection.
Ethical Preparation
Answer from consistent real workplace behavior under pressure. Do not fabricate a low-risk persona. Do not try to defeat consistency or desirability indicators. Do not memorize supposed answer keys.
Optional Third-Party Practice
JobTestPrep Hogan-style personality practice can support familiarization with workplace personality statement formats as an independent commercial option. Free samples may appear beside paid content. It is not an official Hogan product.
Hogan Development Survey Sample Questions
The following sample questions are not official Hogan questions. They are practice-style examples designed to show the types of themes that may appear in HDS-style assessments.
Sample Question 1: Excitable
Statement: I become frustrated when people fail to meet my expectations.
This item may relate to emotional intensity, impatience, or frustration under pressure.
A strong agreement response may suggest passion and high standards, but it may also indicate risk if frustration becomes visible or disruptive.
Sample Question 2: Skeptical
Statement: I usually question people’s motives until they prove they can be trusted.
This item may relate to skepticism, mistrust, defensiveness, or political awareness.
High agreement may suggest strong risk awareness, but it may also suggest difficulty building trust.
Sample Question 3: Cautious
Statement: I avoid making decisions when there is a chance I could be criticized.
This item may relate to caution, fear of failure, or decision avoidance.
High agreement may raise concerns for leadership roles that require timely decisions under uncertainty.
Sample Question 4: Reserved
Statement: I prefer keeping my thoughts to myself, even when others ask for input.
This item may relate to emotional distance, limited communication, or independence.
High agreement may suggest privacy and independence, but it may be risky in roles requiring collaboration and visibility.
Sample Question 5: Leisurely
Statement: I dislike being pushed to work faster than I think is reasonable.
This item may relate to autonomy, passive resistance, or frustration with pressure.
High agreement may suggest independence, but it may also suggest difficulty responding to urgency or authority.
Sample Question 6: Bold
Statement: I am more capable than most people I work with.
This item may relate to confidence, self-belief, or arrogance.
High agreement may suggest strong confidence, but it may also raise concerns about humility and feedback acceptance.
Sample Question 7: Mischievous
Statement: I enjoy taking risks that others might avoid.
This item may relate to risk tolerance, excitement seeking, or rule-bending.
High agreement may be useful in entrepreneurial roles, but risky in regulated, safety-sensitive, or compliance-heavy environments.
Sample Question 8: Colorful
Statement: I like being the center of attention in group settings.
This item may relate to visibility, social confidence, and attention-seeking.
High agreement may be helpful for presentations and sales, but risky if it suggests poor listening or self-promotion.
Sample Question 9: Imaginative
Statement: I often come up with ideas that others find unusual.
This item may relate to creativity, originality, and unconventional thinking.
High agreement may support innovation, but may be risky if ideas are impractical or hard to implement.
Sample Question 10: Diligent
Statement: I find it difficult to delegate important work because others may not do it correctly.
This item may relate to perfectionism, control, and high standards.
High agreement may suggest quality focus, but may be risky for leadership roles requiring delegation.
Sample Question 11: Dutiful
Statement: I prefer to support my manager’s decisions rather than challenge them.
This item may relate to loyalty, compliance, and dependence on authority.
High agreement may suggest cooperation, but may be risky in senior roles requiring independent judgment.
How to Answer HDS Questions
Answer carefully and consistently. Think about how you behave under strain at work, not how you wish you appeared. Avoid extreme patterns chosen only to look safe.
For ranked-response or work-style sections, assessment test preparation may also be useful when you need extra drills under time pressure.
Related Guides
Official Sources
FAQ
Is HDS a clinical personality-disorder test?
No. Official Hogan materials position HDS for workplace derailer risk under strain, not psychiatric diagnosis.
Are there right or wrong HDS answers?
Items contribute to a profile. They are not scored like aptitude questions with one public correct answer.
Can I fail HDS?
An employer may judge fit. That is not the same as a universal public failing score.
Should I try to score low on every derailer scale?
No. Fabricating an ideal low-risk profile is not a reliable or ethical strategy.