As the understanding of human psychology evolves, emotional intelligence is more widely discussed as a factor in personal and working life. One way to gauge an individual's emotional intelligence is through tests that assess their ability to identify, comprehend, and manage their own and others' emotions. What a score means depends on the test that produced it and the context in which it was taken. Understanding the meaning behind these scores can help individuals better understand themselves and improve their relationships and productivity.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence, or EI, encompasses the capacity to recognise your own emotions and those of others. It includes the ability to tell different feelings apart and label them accurately. Moreover, EI drives your ability to handle interpersonal relationships and navigate the emotional dynamics of social interactions.
One widely used model, popularised by psychologist Daniel Goleman, splits emotional intelligence into five components:
- Self-awareness: Recognising and understanding personal moods and emotions.
- Self-regulation: The ability to control or redirect disruptive moods or impulses.
- Internal (personal) motivation: Being driven by the work itself and enjoying the pursuit for its own sake.
- Empathy: Understanding the emotions of others.
- Social skills: Proficiency in managing relationships, building networks, and understanding social situations.
Tests do not all use this model. The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT 2) scores four abilities (perceiving, connecting, understanding and managing emotions), while the EQ-i 2.0 reports five composite scales of its own. Check which model your test is built on before reading the scores.
How are Emotional Intelligence Test Scores Defined?
Major emotional intelligence tests do not report a raw percentage. They compare your answers with a large norm group and convert them to standard scores. On the EQ-i 2.0, for example, every scale has an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, so a score of 100 means you scored in line with the norm group.
Most tests also give you part scores. The MSCEIT 2 reports a total EI score alongside a score for each of its four domains, and the EQ-i 2.0 gives a score for each of its five composite scales.
Interpreting Emotional Intelligence Test Scores
Your scores can show your relative strengths and areas for improvement. The EQ-i 2.0 manual splits standard scores into three ranges:
Above 110: In the upper quarter of the norm group on a test like the EQ-i 2.0. This points to a relative strength, not a guarantee of how someone behaves.
90 to 110: The mid range, where half of the norm group scores. This is a typical result.
Below 90: In the lower quarter of the norm group. The manual treats a low score as a possible area for development, to be checked against other information before drawing conclusions.
These scores are not definitive. They point to areas that may need attention, and the EQ-i 2.0 manual notes that a higher score is not always better.
How to Use Your Emotional Intelligence Test Scores
Interpreting your emotional intelligence test scores allows you to understand your emotional capabilities better and how they potentially impact different areas of your life. Here are a few ways to use your EI test score productively:
Self-improvement: By understanding your strengths and weaknesses in emotional intelligence, you can work towards improving areas where your EI is lacking. For instance, if you scored low on empathy, you may need to work on being more understanding and receptive to other people's feelings.
Career development: Skills such as staying calm under pressure matter in many jobs, so developing an area where you scored low may help at work. For instance, if you struggle with self-regulation, working on this might improve your ability to remain calm and composed in stressful work situations.
Relationship building: Relationships depend partly on how well you read and respond to emotions. If your social skills are lower than you'd like, focusing on this area can help improve your current relationships and help you form new ones.
Decision-making: Your ability to make decisions, especially under pressure, may be influenced by your level of emotional intelligence. Your results may show whether strong feelings tend to drive your choices, which is useful to know before decisions made under pressure.
The interpretation of your emotional intelligence test score can provide valuable insights into understanding your ability to cope with your emotions and those of others, which in turn can affect your personal development, workplace productivity, and relationships. Therefore, it's essential to understand what these scores signify and use them for personal and professional growth.
