The Predictive Index® test (or PI test; definition here) is the world’s most widely used behavioral and cognitive assessment tool for making recruitment and management decisions more reliable.
Available in French and accessible online, the Predictive Index test enables HR directors and executives to objectively identify a candidate’s or employee’s motivations, behaviors, and cognitive abilities.
Find out how the test works, how to interpret it, and how to take it in France with Proactive Signs, a certified partner of The Predictive Index®.
What is the Predictive Index® test?
The Predictive Index assessment is a scientific evaluation tool designed to measure two essential dimensions of a person in a professional context:
🎯 Behavioral profile
their motivations, how they interact, make decisions, manage stress, and communicate.
🧠 Cognitive ability
how quickly they learn and how easily they grasp new concepts in a work environment.
Developed in 1955 by Arnold S. Daniels in the United States, the PI test is now used by more than 10,000 companies worldwide. It meets the most rigorous scientific standards: APA, SIOP, and ITC.
Unlike an IQ test or a general-purpose personality questionnaire, the Predictive Index test is specifically designed for the workplace. It provides objective data to support reliable decisions regarding hiring, career development, team building, and management.
The 2 parts of the Predictive Index test
The Predictive Index test consists of two separate but complementary assessments.Behavioral Assessment
PI Behavioral Assessment · ~6 minutes · untimed
The PI Behavioral Assessment is a multiple-choice questionnaire that measures four key factors of workplace behavior : Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, and Formality.
The combination of these four factors allows the individual to be categorized into one of the 17 Predictive Index reference profiles, which provide a detailed description of dominant behavioral patterns in the workplace.
Cognitive Assessment
PI Cognitive Assessment · 24 minutes max · timed
The cognitive assessment portion of the Predictive Index test measures a person’s cognitive preferences. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions divided into three categories: verbal, numerical, and abstract.
The test is timed for a maximum of 12, 18, or 24 minutes. The score reflects both the speed and accuracy of the responses. This part of the PI test is particularly useful for assessing a candidate’s suitability for an operational role versus an expert role.
How does the Predictive Index test work?
The test is conducted entirely online, under standardized conditions to ensure the scientific reliability of the results.
Duration and Format
Available Languages
Contract Award Conditions
The 4 behavioral factors of the PI test
Behavioral assessment measures four key factors that, when combined, form each person’s unique behavioral profile.
Measures the need to control one's environment, influence others, and achieve one's goals.
Measures the need for social interaction, connection, and communication with others.
Indicates a need for stability, consistency, and a regular pace in the work environment.
Measures the need for compliance with established rules, standards, and structures.
💡 The unique combination of these four factors allows us to assign an individual one of the 17 Predictive Index® reference profiles, which summarize the major behavioral types observed in the workplace.
The 17 Detailed Predictive Index® Profiles
The Predictive Index groups behavioral profiles into 17 archetypes, which are in turn organized into 4 major families. Here are the details for each one.
Analytical Profiles
Strong formality, a thoughtful, structured and methodical approach to work.
Stable Profiles
Strong patience, a calm relationship with change, high execution quality.
Visionary Profiles
Strong dominance, an appetite for change and innovation.
These profiles are not definitive labels. Each person has a unique pattern across the four PI factors, and the profiles serve as a guide for understanding dominant patterns, not for defining a fixed identity.
Free Predictive Index Test: Is It Possible?
The official Predictive Index test is not free. It is administered through a certified Predictive Index® partner, which ensures that the test is administered in accordance with scientific standards and that the results are interpreted correctly.
Proactive Signs can arrange a demo session upon request for companies that would like to explore the tool before integrating it into their HR strategy.
Why take the Predictive Index test with Proactive Signs?
Proactive Signs is the leading certified partner of The Predictive Index® in France. Our consultants are trained in the PI framework and support HR directors, executives, and managers in:
- Administering and Interpreting the PI Test
- Integrating the Predictive Index into Recruitment Processes
- Training Managers in the Use of PI
- Organizing certification sessions in Paris, Lyon, and throughout France
We guarantee data confidentiality in accordance with the GDPR, and tailor the use of the Predictive Index assessment to the specific needs of each French company, whether it is an SME or a large enterprise.
We operate in France and around the world in French, English, and Italian.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Predictive Index Test
The Predictive Index test takes about 18 minutes in total: 6 minutes for the behavioral assessment and up to 12 minutes for the cognitive assessment.
Yes, the Predictive Index test is available in more than 70 languages, including French. It is recommended that you take the test in your native language.
No, the official Predictive Index® assessment is not free. It is administered through a certified partner such as Proactive Signs. Demos are available upon request.
Only consultants and companies certified by The Predictive Index® are authorized to administer and interpret the test. Proactive Signs is a certified partner in France.
Yes. The PI test complies with APA, SIOP, and ITC standards. Its scientific validity is supported by more than 500 studies and over 60 years of psychometric research.
The PI test measures four behavioral factors plus one cognitive dimension, while the DISC focuses solely on behavior. The Predictive Index is more comprehensive for strategic HR decisions.