Predictive Index has a strong following, particularly in North America, and the combination of a behavioural assessment and a short cognitive test covers two genuinely important predictors of job performance. The platform has also invested in its reporting and team analysis tools in recent years.
The things that most commonly push teams to look elsewhere are pricing (PI can be a significant investment, especially for growing companies) and the proprietary behavioural model, which doesn't map to standard Big Five frameworks and takes some training to interpret and communicate internally. If either of those applies, here are the alternatives worth considering.
Test Partnership
Test Partnership offers validated personality assessment grounded in the Big Five model alongside a full cognitive assessment suite, without the certification requirements or proprietary framework that can make PI harder to embed in-house. The personality questionnaire produces results that are easier to explain to hiring managers because they map to a well-understood, research-backed model rather than a proprietary one.
The cognitive testing is also more flexible than PI's single short cognitive test. Test Partnership offers both traditional and gamified cognitive assessments (MindmetriQ), which gives teams the option of a more engaging candidate experience alongside a format that is harder to game with AI assistance.
Thomas International
Thomas International occupies similar territory to Predictive Index: a behavioural assessment combined with a cognitive test, used widely across mid-market organisations. Thomas uses a DISC-based framework, which has similar scientific limitations to PI's proprietary model, but it is widely familiar to practitioners and relatively straightforward to use without extensive training.
For teams that want to stay in the behavioural plus cognitive space but want something more widely used in the UK and European market (where PI has less penetration), Thomas is a reasonable comparison.
Hogan
Hogan is worth considering if the main frustration with Predictive Index is the depth of personality measurement. Hogan's assessments, particularly the combination of the HPI (bright side personality), HDS (derailers), and MVPI (motives and values), are considerably more thorough than PI's behavioural snapshot and have a stronger evidence base for predicting performance in complex or senior roles.
The trade-off is that Hogan is more expensive and requires certified administrators, which limits self-service use. It is best suited to leadership selection and senior hiring rather than volume screening.
Criteria
Criteria offers a broader assessment battery than Predictive Index at a more transparent and typically lower price point. The cognitive test is well-validated, the personality measure is straightforward, and the platform is self-service without requiring training to administer.
For growing companies that find PI's pricing a barrier, Criteria provides reliable cognitive and personality screening without the cost or the proprietary framework complexity. It won't offer the same team analytics or talent management features that PI has built around its platform, but as a core assessment tool it is a practical and well-regarded option.
Conclusion and next steps
If the concern is the proprietary behavioural model or the training overhead, Test Partnership offers a clearer, more accessible alternative with validated Big Five personality and strong cognitive testing. For teams that want to stay in the behavioural space, Thomas is the most accessible option and Hogan offers more depth for senior roles. And if pricing is the primary driver, Criteria provides solid cognitive and personality screening at better value.
You can explore Test Partnership's personality tests and aptitude tests, or find out more about why organisations choose Test Partnership.
Sources: Predictive Index, Predictive Index on G2, Thomas International, Thomas International on G2, Hogan Assessments, Hogan on G2, Criteria, Criteria on G2.
Joshua Hancock
Digital Marketing Manager at Test Partnership. Over 7 years experience as a writer, content strategist, SEO and digital marketer.
