Gone are the days when intelligence was pegged primarily on one's math skills, verbal skills, logical reasoning, understanding of analogies, spatial skills, etc. While there are many benefits to knowing your cognitive potential , there are other forms of intelligence that mere IQ tests cannot measure.
Researchers have found that success in life or at work depends more on emotional intelligence and less on intellect.
While our intellect comes into play when we need to process information, make calculations, or resolve problems, emotional intelligence makes us more creative. It allows us to use our emotions to solve our problems.
Therefore, people with a high emotional intelligence quotient (EIQ) are better equipped to influence others, negotiate, win favors, and make friends. These skills, along with high self-esteem, make them more successful than their counterparts with lower emotional intelligence, even if their general IQ is average .
An EQ assessment will analyze several areas of your emotional intelligence, helping you learn more about your weaknesses and strengths. The good thing is that emotional intelligence is not static. By building upon your strengths and working on your weak areas, you can work toward achieving higher emotional intelligence.
This article will help you understand:
What is emotional intelligence? What an emotional intelligence test is, and the importance of EQ tests. The different components of an emotional intelligence test. Whether an EQ Test is the same as an Intelligence Test. How to interpret your emotional test results. What do your emotional intelligence test results tell you about your emotional intelligence? What is Emotional Intelligence? Also called emotional quotient (EQ), emotional intelligence is the ability to control, perceive, manage, demonstrate, and use your emotions positively to communicate effectively, defuse conflict, empathize with others, relieve stress, and overcome challenges. It also relates to the ability to perceive, decipher, and acknowledge the emotions of others.
Emotional intelligence and social awareness help you achieve career and personal goals, succeed at work and school, and build stronger relationships. Some experts argue that EQ is more important than Intelligent Quotient (IQ) when it comes to achieving success in life.
The term Emotional Intelligence was made popular in 1990 by one of the world's famous EQ academics, Daniel Goleman , in his book, "Emotional Intelligence." Goleman suggested that there is more to a person's success than high levels of IQ. He argued that emotional intelligence is twice as crucial as cognitive intelligence in predicting a person's job success.
What Are the Components of Emotional Intelligence? Daniel Goleman's theory of emotional intelligence identifies five components of emotional intelligence, namely self-awareness, empathy, motivation, self-regulation, and social skills.
Self-Awareness People with high EQ are aware and comfortable with their emotions, responses, reactions, and ability to act and cope with positive and negative situations.
Empathy Understanding your own emotions is not enough. A highly emotionally intelligent person should be able to understand and react to other people's emotions accordingly. The ability to identify a particular emotion or mood from a friend or colleague can go a long way in strengthening your relationship.
Motivation Internal motivation is good for your emotional intelligence as it helps you make clear decisions and be passionate about your actions. Motivated people have a positive outlook on different areas of their lives, including careers, interpersonal relationships, and mental health .
Self-Regulation As a human being, you will experience intense emotions from time to time. However, it is crucial to regulate and manage your feelings and impulses. Acting hastily can damage your relationships and lead you to make mistakes you could have avoided in the first place.
Social Skills Emotional intelligence also entails having good social skills. People with high EQ can communicate effectively and relate with others in social settings. They can handle pressure, build healthy relationships, and easily take on collaborative tasks.
Social intelligence and social competence play a big part in emotional maturity. These can be measured separately from a person's EQ.
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What is an Emotional Intelligence Test? An emotional intelligence assessment test measures your level of emotional intelligence based on how well you can perceive, interpret, evaluate, demonstrate, and control your emotions and how effectively you can relate and respond to other people's emotions.
Various assessments are available to measure aspects of a person's emotional awareness. These tests fall under either ability tests or self-report tests.
How Do You Test Emotional Intelligence: Ability Tests Ability tests involve having applicants respond to different life situations and gauging their skills based on their responses. In an ability test, applicants are given a set of questions, and the correctness of their answers is measured according to either expert or consensus scoring.
For instance, applicants will answer questions about emotional scenarios such as: "What is the possible reaction of an anxious employee to an increased workload?" Or they may be presented with a face picture and asked what emotion the face is expressing. Or they may need to solve emotional problems such as, "What is the appropriate response when a friend calls you crying over losing their job?"
How Do You Test Emotional Intelligence: Self-Report Assessments Other emotional intelligence tests use the self-report method. Respondents are given questions or statements and expected to answer by rating their self-management and emotional expression habits. For example, on a declaration such as "I have my emotions under control," a respondent can answer as agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree.
Self-report tests are the most used EQ tests. They typically measure personality attributes such as conscientiousness, agreeableness, and extroversion. These traits are also part of the Big Five personality test .
Is an EQ Test the Same as an Intelligence Test? Both IQ and EQ tests measure intelligence, not just the same kind of intelligence. IQ tests measure a person's intellectual ability . These include the ability to:
Comprehend and use language Plan and strategize Use logic to work out problems Learn and adjust to change Understand abstract ideas EQ tests measure people's ability to perceive emotion in themselves and others. It also gauges how you use that realization to guide your behavior.
People with high EQ find it easier to:
Identify their feelings and those of others Control their impulses Communicate effectively Extend empathy to other people Resolve conflicts with other people Withstand temptations Handle stress and adversity Is EQ Better Than IQ? As we have discussed, IQ establishes a person's academic capabilities and identifies individuals with high intelligence and mental abilities. On the other hand, EQ measures how well you can understand your emotions and those of others and use that understanding to make the right decisions.
Researchers believe EQ is better than IQ in determining an individual's success in relationships and the workplace. Employers use EQ to determine good team players, leaders, and people who work best by themselves. In fact, low emotional intelligence may be one of the biggest reasons why people with high IQs can also make dumb decisions and be “socially stupid.”
Why Take an Emotional Intelligence Test? We have now established that EQ is the ability to perceive your emotions and the emotions of others, understand why those feelings occur, and use that knowledge to make better decisions. It is also a fact that EQ plays a crucial role in your career, your relationships, and your general success in life.
Emotional Intelligence Improves Relationship Management Employers have realized that hiring intellectually smart and capable people in a work environment is not enough. They now know that to succeed at work, one also needs to have empathy, be able to read a room, stay calm under pressure, anticipate problems before they occur, and do all that without losing their cool or coming across as bossy.
In short, employers need emotionally intelligent employees. They also know that high emotional intelligence is a key trait of successful leaders. That is why many companies perform EQ testing during leadership recruitment before onboarding to ensure they place the right people in the right employee or leadership positions.
In relationships, performing an EQ test will help you know the areas you need to improve to become a better partner, colleague, or friend.
Whether you want to become a better leader, learn how to interact with others, or are simply curious about how emotionally healthy you are, your emotional intelligence test results are a stepping stone to a better you. There is no question that emotionally mature people are better at managing all of the relationships in their life.
What Is a Good Score on an Emotional Intelligence Test? The Emotional Intelligence Scale usually ranges from 45 to 160, with 90 to 110 being average and 120 and above being perfect. Individuals with below-average ratings (45 and below) have some challenges to address to improve their chances of success and overall functioning.
An average score indicates that the person performs effectively in the tested category. These people make a significant effort in understanding and empathizing with others.
Above-average EQ scores mean an individual shows excellent functioning. It shows that an individual is strong, well-developed, and efficient in the tested element.
How to Improve Emotional Intelligence So, once you have taken an emotional intelligence quiz online, what next?
While some people are naturally born with high emotional intelligence, others must learn and practice their emotional skills. But, emotional intelligence is not static ; it can be learned and improved over time.
One of the benefits of taking the BrainManager EQ test is that we provide resources to allow you to improve in the areas you feel you could work on based on your EQ score.
To get you started, here are some things you can do to improve your EQ.
Empathize While the ability to read other people's emotions is a more significant part of being highly emotionally intelligent, it is even more essential to empathize with them by putting yourself in their shoes. Think about how you would feel if you were in the same situation. That way, you will have a deeper emotional understanding of the situation and know how to react.
Practice Mindful Self-Awareness Learning how to recognize and even name your own emotions is essential. For example, are you able to easily control your feelings and reactions? How do you feel when faced with incredibly stressful situations? Also, how do you react to emotionally tricky situations?
It is also essential to identify what you are actually feeling. Is it really anger, or are you hurt or embarrassed? Being able to correctly label our feelings and the "why" behind the emotion is a sign of high emotional intelligence.
Reflect Having high EQ also means you can reason with your own emotions. How are your emotions influencing your behaviors and decisions? How do other people's emotions affect their decisions and responses to different situations?
Why are your feelings different from other people's feelings? Why is this person always in a terrible mood? Are there any hidden causes of these feelings? As you seek the answers to such questions, you will be able to understand the role emotions play in how individuals think and behave.
Improve Your Social Awareness Listening is one of the best ways to understand other people's feelings. Always take the time to actually hear what people are saying, whether verbally or non-verbally. Body language can tell a lot if you are keen to watch and listen.
Learn more about the traits of people with high social intelligence. Read: A re You Socially Intelligent ?
Ask for Feedback Finally, asking for feedback is an excellent way to monitor your progress. So, ask your co-workers, partner, friends, or family what they thought about your reactions to stressful circumstances, your empathy level, and your conflict resolution skills. A therapist can also offer much-needed feedback and guidance.
Do You Know Your Emotional Intelligence Score? Many experts agree that EQ is as important as IQ in determining an individual's success. Hiring managers are now asking potential employees to take an EQ test to establish their emotional intelligence and eligibility for specific jobs.
Even if you don't need to take an EQ assessment for work, there are many personal benefits to knowing your emotional intelligence score. These include:
Better self-awareness, social awareness, and emotional awareness Identify areas of weakness that may be impacting self-development, relationship management, and conflict-resolution skills Improved self-esteem and self-management skills Increase your personal competence in emotional expression and understanding Discover relevant information that can help you in leadership roles and when working within teams Learn areas where you can build upon your social competence. Now that you know the advantages of having high emotional intelligence, it’s time to take the EQ test to know where you lie on the emotional intelligence scale and learn whether areas need improvement.
The BrainManager online EQ test will help you identify what may be hindering your success and pinpoint specific behaviors and strategies to focus on that will help you improve your emotional intelligence.
One of the most significant advantages of taking your tests with BrainManager is that with the 7-day trial, you can take as many tests as you want for only $1.95! You also get access to the growing library of personal growth, self-improvement, and career development tools and resources.
So, go ahead and take the test and jumpstart your journey to a more fabulous you!
