This EQ test will help you assess your emotional intelligence.
(If you're not familiar with EQ, you can check the "Concept of EQ" section below.)
EQ, or Emotional Quotient, also known as Emotional Intelligence (EI), reflects the ability to recognize and understand both one's own emotions and those of others, distinguish and accurately label different emotions, and use emotional information to guide one's thinking and behavior, as well as the impact they have on others (Goleman, 1995; Mayer & Salovey, 1990).
According to Howard Gardner, a renowned theorist from Harvard, "Your EQ represents your understanding of others, what drives them, and how to collaborate effectively with them." In 1995, psychologist Daniel Goleman published Emotional Intelligence, introducing the concept of emotional intelligence to the world, highlighting the importance of understanding and managing emotions for personal success.
Emotional intelligence helps us empathize with colleagues, manage stressful situations in life, from work to family, and fosters the ability to connect with others, improve mental health, and achieve a more fulfilling life.
While EQ involves the ability to recognize and manage emotions, IQ (Intelligence Quotient) focuses on cognitive abilities and logic. EQ plays a key role in building relationships and resolving conflicts, whereas IQ mainly measures problem-solving ability, analytical thinking, and learning.
The ability to recognize one's own emotions and understand their impact. Developing self-awareness requires accurately assessing and adjusting your emotional responses.
The ability to control and manage negative emotions like anger or anxiety through techniques like meditation or taking a walk. This helps maintain composure and flexibility in any situation.
Demonstrating commitment and optimism toward achieving goals. Highly motivated individuals are persistent and don’t give up, even when faced with setbacks.
The ability to recognize and understand the emotions of others. Those with high empathy can build strong and effective relationships in both work and personal life.
Communication and leadership skills that help maintain positive relationships, manage conflicts, and collaborate effectively within teams.
Studies show that EQ not only influences personal success but also determines the quality of relationships and mental health. A study by Lynda Jiwen Song and colleagues (2010) revealed that EQ significantly contributes to academic achievement and social interactions among college students. They found that EQ plays an equally important role in social relationships, unlike IQ, which has less of an impact on a student's social life.
Unlike IQ, EQ can be improved through practice. Some methods include:
Training EQ not only enhances work performance but also helps build stronger relationships and personal development across all aspects of life.
Emotional intelligence starts with self-awareness and social awareness—the ability to recognize and understand emotions (and their impact) in both yourself and others. This awareness begins with reflection. You ask yourself questions like: What are my emotional strengths? Where do I fall short? How does my current mood affect my thoughts and decisions? What deeper factors influence what others say or do? These reflective questions provide valuable insights and are a sign of your emotional strength.
Pausing means taking a moment to think before speaking or acting. This simple act can help you avoid awkward moments or hasty decisions. In other words, pausing helps you avoid making permanent choices based on fleeting emotions.
While you can’t control the emotions you feel in a given moment, you can control how you react to them by focusing on your thoughts. By working to manage your thoughts, you avoid being enslaved by your emotions, allowing you to live in alignment with your goals and values.
No one likes negative feedback, but you understand that criticism is an opportunity to learn, even if it isn’t delivered perfectly. Even if the criticism is unfounded, it provides insight into another person’s thought process. This helps you ask yourself, “How can I improve?”
Authenticity isn’t about sharing everything about yourself all the time. Rather, it’s about speaking in a way that aligns with your values and principles. Not everyone will appreciate you sharing your thoughts and feelings, except for those who are truly close to you.
The ability to empathize includes understanding the thoughts and feelings of others, which helps you connect more easily. Instead of judging or forming prejudices, you put yourself in their shoes. Empathy doesn’t always mean agreeing with someone—it’s about striving to understand them, which fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships.
Everyone craves recognition and appreciation. When you offer compliments, you fulfill others’ need for acknowledgment, which builds trust. It starts by focusing on the good qualities in others. Then, by specifically pointing out what you admire about them, you inspire them to become the best version of themselves.
Negative feedback can hurt others' feelings. If you recognize this and adjust your criticism into constructive feedback, the recipient will feel supported instead of hurt. This approach helps them grow.
It takes strength and courage to apologize. Doing so shows humility—a trait that naturally attracts others to you. Emotional intelligence helps you understand that apologizing doesn’t always mean you were wrong; it means you value the relationship more than your ego.
Holding onto resentment is like wielding a double-edged sword. While those who hurt you move on with their lives, you prevent yourself from healing. When you forgive and let go, you stop allowing others to hold your emotions hostage, which allows you to move forward.
People often break promises or commitments when they feel it’s not worth it. We tend to think that missing a date with a close friend or breaking a small promise isn’t as harmful as missing a big contract deadline. But when you make it a habit to keep your word, whether big or small, you build a reputation for authenticity and reliability.
One of the best ways to positively impact others’ emotions is by helping them. Most people don’t care which university you graduated from or your past accomplishments. But actions like taking time to listen, help, and stand by someone build trust and inspire others to follow your lead.
You recognize that emotional intelligence has its dark side, such as when others try to manipulate your emotions for their personal gain. This is why you continue to refine your own emotional intelligence—to protect yourself from such negativity.
The clearest sign of self-awareness is being honest with yourself about your strengths and areas for growth. A person with high emotional intelligence understands where they excel and where they need to improve, allowing them to work more effectively within their capabilities.
You are ambitious and work hard, even when you don’t receive praise. If you’re someone who can motivate yourself and focus your attention and energy on pursuing your goals, this is another sign of a high EQ.
The smartest person isn’t always the most successful or fulfilled in life. Some individuals may have advanced education but lack social skills, which can hinder their ability to succeed in both their careers and personal relationships. Your IQ alone won’t propel you to the pinnacle of life. While a high IQ may help you get into college, it’s your EQ that helps you manage stress and emotions during high-pressure moments, such as final exams. IQ and EQ go hand-in-hand, and they are most effective when they complement each other.
Many models and definitions of EQ have been proposed, but the Ability EI Model and the Trait EI Model are the most widely accepted in scientific literature. EQ tests are generally based on these two models.
The Ability EI Model is typically measured through behavior-based EQ tests, while the Trait EI Model evaluates EQ by using self-report questionnaires, making it closely related to your personality. Additionally, scientists often use the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) to assess an individual’s personality.
A person with high EQ is someone who knows how to self-assess, understands their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of others, has empathy, and can remain calm and optimistic in life, even in the face of the most difficult challenges.
From this, we can see that individuals with high EQ naturally possess the qualities needed to be great leaders. That’s why it’s not surprising that today, EQ tests are considered just as important as IQ tests.
The issue is, people tend to excel in one area or the other—either an EQ test or an IQ test. Few people excel in both. However, if you do meet someone who excels in both, you’ll find it fascinating to see what they’re capable of!
Note: Although no EQ test can measure emotional intelligence with the same precision as IQ tests, the EQ Test below will give you the most accurate assessment of your EQ. This test is adapted from the internationally recognized EQ Test created by Daniel Goleman, author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence (1995).
This EQ Test is completely free. We wish you the best of luck in your test!