How emotionally intelligent are you, really?

Your EQ score is normalised to a population mean of 100 with a standard deviation of 15. A score of 100 means you are exactly at the population average. Scores above 115 represent above-average emotional intelligence. Scores above 130 place you in the top 2% of the population. Remember that self-report EQ tests are subject to self-awareness bias: people with low EQ may lack the self-awareness to rate themselves accurately.

Meta-analyses consistently find a small but significant gender difference, with women scoring 2-5 points higher on average. The gap is largest in the perceiving and managing branches. Socialisation theory suggests women are encouraged from childhood to attend to emotional cues. Neurological research shows some differences in brain regions involved in empathy. However, individual variation within each gender far exceeds the average difference between them.

The MSCEIT is the gold-standard performance-based EQ assessment. It presents tasks like identifying emotions in photographs and selecting effective emotional strategies. It takes 30 to 45 minutes, costs money, and requires professional administration. Our test is a self-report measure, meaning it asks you to rate your own abilities. Self-report EQ tests are faster and free but are subject to self-awareness and social desirability biases. Use your result as a starting point, not a definitive score.

Yes. EQ is a skill set, not a guarantee. Someone might excel at perceiving and understanding emotions but struggle with managing emotions under stress. Alternatively, they might have high EQ but carry insecure attachment patterns or unresolved challenges that override their emotional skills in high-stakes situations. EQ makes healthy relating easier, but it is one factor among many.

Empathy is a component of emotional intelligence, not a synonym for it. Specifically, empathy aligns most closely with branch one (perceiving emotions) and parts of branch three (understanding emotions). But EQ also includes the ability to use emotions strategically and to manage emotions effectively. You can be highly empathic but poor at regulating your own emotional responses.

Self-report EQ measures have a built-in paradox: the skill being measured (self-awareness) is also the tool being used to measure it. People with genuinely low emotional intelligence may lack the self-awareness to recognise their deficits. Research comparing self-report and performance-based EQ measures finds only moderate correlation (r = 0.2 to 0.3). This is why the result should be treated as a conversation starter rather than a definitive verdict.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions, both your own and those of others. The concept was formalised by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer in 1990 and popularised by Daniel Goleman in 1995. The Mayer-Salovey model treats EQ as a cognitive ability, similar to IQ but focused on emotional information processing. Unlike personality traits, which are relatively stable, EQ is a skill set that can be measured and improved through deliberate practice. Research has linked higher EQ to better mental health, stronger relationships, higher job performance, and more effective leadership.

They measure different things and predict different outcomes. IQ is the strongest predictor of academic performance and complex problem-solving. EQ is a stronger predictor of relationship quality, leadership effectiveness, and emotional wellbeing. In most real-world situations, both matter. Research by Joseph and Newman (2010) found that EQ adds predictive value beyond IQ and personality for job performance, particularly in roles requiring interpersonal interaction. A more accurate summary: IQ gets you into a career, and EQ determines how well you navigate the people within it.

Yes, and this is one of the most important findings in EQ research. Unlike IQ, which is largely stable after early adulthood, emotional intelligence shows meaningful improvement with targeted training. Adult training programmes focusing on mindfulness, emotional labelling, perspective-taking, and regulation strategies show measurable effects. The most trainable branch is managing emotions, as it responds well to cognitive-behavioural techniques. Even modest improvements in EQ have been linked to better relationship satisfaction and reduced workplace conflict.

Research suggests a modest increase in emotional intelligence through middle age, peaking in the 50s and 60s. Older adults tend to score higher on understanding and managing emotions, likely reflecting accumulated life experience and more effective regulation strategies. Perceiving emotions shows less age-related change. However, the age effect is small compared to individual differences, and a 25-year-old with high EQ will typically outperform a 55-year-old with low EQ regardless of the age trend.

The Mayer-Salovey model identifies four branches. Branch one, perceiving emotions, involves detecting emotions in faces, voices, body language, and even art. Branch two, using emotions, involves harnessing emotional states to facilitate cognitive tasks. Branch three, understanding emotions, involves knowing how emotions evolve, combine, and transition. Branch four, managing emotions, involves regulating emotions in yourself and others to achieve goals while respecting feelings. Each branch builds on the ones below it, and most people have an uneven profile across the four.