PI behavioural assessment test guide: 2026 alternatives

Why teams look for a Predictive Index alternative

The Predictive Index behavioural assessment is one of the most validated instruments in the market, and that's not the reason people look elsewhere. The usual reasons are the delivery model (certified partners, workshops and consulting priced on top of software) and the boundary of the data: behaviour is measured, but culture isn't, and the platform stops where the rest of the talent stack begins.

Disclosure: Compono builds one of the tools on this list. The entries are factual, we say who each tool genuinely fits, and we tell you when ours is not the right pick.

Predictive Index alternatives at a glance

The best Predictive Index alternatives in 2026

1. Compono

Validated work-personality assessment (eight types built for the work context, normed on Compono's own data) read at team level and connected to what PI doesn't measure: culture and climate. It's software-first, so the interpretation lives in the product rather than in workshops, and the data flows straight into hiring, engagement and development.

Best for: Teams that want behavioural insight plus culture measurement without a consulting layer.
See the detail: how Compono compares head-to-head.

2. Criteria

A pre-employment assessment suite covering cognitive aptitude, personality and skills tests, with solid science behind the instruments.

Best for: Teams that want validated testing added to their existing ATS.
Worth checking: Assessment data lives beside your hiring flow, not inside a platform.

3. TestGorilla

A skills-testing library with hundreds of ready-made tests, from coding to culture-add questionnaires.

Best for: Volume screening on specific skills.
Worth checking: Test-by-test approach; no unified people dataset.

4. Vervoe

An Australian skills-assessment platform built around realistic work samples and AI grading.

Best for: Show-me-the-work screening for practical roles.
Worth checking: Work samples over behavioural and culture fit.

5. Thomas International

A UK assessment provider whose DISC-based PPA is one of the few in that family actively marketed for recruitment, with BPS registration.

Best for: Teams wanting quick behavioural profiling with practitioner support.
Worth checking: DISC-family instrument; independent validity evidence for selection is debated.

A note on the famous type tools: MBTI and most DISC products are development instruments, and their own publishers caution against using them for hiring decisions. If selection is the job, use instruments validated for selection.

How to choose

Decide where you want the intelligence to live. If you value facilitated workshops and a partner relationship, PI's model is genuinely built for that. If you'd rather the product carry the interpretation, and you want culture measured alongside behaviour, shortlist accordingly. The wider screening question is covered in assessments vs video interviewing.

See the direct comparison in Compono vs Predictive Index, or talk to us for a straight answer on fit.

Frequently asked questions

Is the PI behavioural assessment valid?

Yes, genuinely: hundreds of criterion validity studies and EFPA certification. The comparison is about the delivery model and what sits beyond behavioural data, not the instrument's science.

What does PI not measure?

Culture and climate. Engagement is covered by one annual survey, and there's no culture measurement in the product line, which is usually the missing context for behavioural results.

Can I use MBTI or DISC instead for hiring?

Their own publishers say no: they're development tools, unstable on retest and weakly predictive of job performance. Use selection-validated instruments for selection.