Recent studies have shown that emotional intelligence (or EQ as it is often referred to) can have significant impacts on your career and personal life. The most common way to assess your EQ is by taking an IQ test, which tests your ability to apply logic to problems. But what if we asked you to evaluate someone’s kindness or their willingness to help others instead?

That would be more difficult to come up with than applying logical reasoning skills, so how could we possibly quantify this? That’s where the concept of emotional quotient comes in.

Just like with the IQ test, there are some theories about what makes up your EQ. Some believe it is just one thing while other theorists think it is made up of several different qualities. No matter what theory, though, all agree that being emotionally intelligent is important.

Interpretation of results on any given EQ test will vary from person to person depending on your own level of EQ. People who score higher than you probably know they are not very empathetic, whereas people who scored lower may feel overwhelmed when she…you get the idea!

This article will go over some tips on how to interpret your own EQ test and possible strengths and weaknesses. For every topic, I will include a link to another website dedicated to these concepts. Make sure to visit those sites for more information!

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Disclaimer: This article should not be used as guidance in making decisions related to employment or educational opportunities.

Ways to improve your emotional intelligence

Recent research has linked high levels of emotional quotient (EQ) with improved academic performance, job success, healthier relationships, and overall happiness. While there are some who claim that having low EQ is a good thing because it helps you deal better with others, most experts agree that lower-EQ people are more likely to suffer from mental health issues like depression or anxiety.

Research also shows that being emotionally intelligent can reduce workplace stress and increase employee productivity and engagement. This is why many employers now offer educational programs focused on emotional skills development for their employees.

Ways to become more emotional intelligent

Developing your empathy is one of the biggest ways to increase your emotional intelligence. You’re probably already giving most people lots of attention, but there are some special individuals in their lives that you should try to understand better.

This could be an acquaintance who seems to constantly put others down or someone at work who doesn't seem to appreciate his/her job very much. Or it could be family members who don’t seem to get along well.

By understanding what makes other people feel good and bad, they will perceive how things ought to be done and will strive to do them. This will make them feel happier and give them motivation to perform their jobs effectively.

You can also learn how to control your emotions by recognizing why you're feeling a certain way. For example, if you're hungry then eat something, if you're tired go to bed early, and if you're angry take a few minutes to calm yourself down.

Take the test

In general, you can expect to take an emotional intelligence (EI) test anywhere between six and ten minutes per person. There are some variations in how companies choose to structure their questions, but most use a similar format.

Most EI tests have you assess your ability to recognize, understand, manage, and utilize emotions of others. Some tests also include questions about what emotions other people show when they’re interacting with you or yourself.

However, be aware that while some versions of the test ask about someone else’s emotion, the ones we recommend only ask about yours. This is because it uses your own feelings against you!

We will go into more detail along with our recommendations below. For now, just know that this test isn’t intended to diagnose mental health conditions, but rather see how you score compared to others who took the same test.

Analyse your results

It is important to understand that not all tests for emotional intelligence have the same format or are given the same level of importance. What matters most is how you interpret the test, what categories you assess in and how you evaluate the answers.

There are several different theories about what makes someone have high emotional intelligence. You cannot simply take these theories as fact though because each one has its pros and cons depending on who creates it and why.

What does matter however is whether you feel the test was objective enough and if the questions were relevant to you as a person. This means they should be applicable to people with low, medium or high levels of emotional intelligence!

Interpretation can sometimes mean comparing yourself to others, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you are less intelligent than other people. It may just show that you are more influenced by certain things compared to others.

That is totally normal and part of being human! We’re all unique individuals so don’t compare yourself to anyone else when trying to determine your EQ.

Make a action plan

In fact, there are several good reasons to believe that EQ is important to your career success. Developing your emotional intelligence can boost your productivity and efficiency at work, help you manage relationships more effectively, and even enhance your overall happiness.

While some people may consider it a “soft” skill, research shows that having high levels of empathy helps keep workers productive, healthy, and confident in their workplace.

In fact, a recent Harvard Business School study determined that lack of empathy was one of the top three reasons why employees leave their jobs. (Side note: The other two major causes were because they felt undervalued or overworked.)

If this sounds familiar, you might be able to check out our article here on the most common cause of employee resentment. It's also possible that you have an asset that others don't!

By now, you've probably noticed that many professionals show little-to-no emotion during times of stress. If you're not sure if that's you, though, you can ask yourself how often you feel happy, sad, angry, or disappointed. You may find that you're not as aware of your emotions as you think.

That said, developing your emotional intelligence isn't easy. It takes practice, so don't expect to suddenly feel like Anakin Skywalker after reading through all five types of emotions once.

Instead, try practicing each type of EI on the daily level for better results.

Practice self-awareness

A second way to assess your emotional intelligence is by practicing something called “self-awareness.” This involves paying attention to yourself and how you feel in various situations.

You can do this simply by noticing what you are doing at any given time, and also noting how you feel about those things.

For example, if you notice that you are getting hungry, then you should go eat something – however, if you noticed that you were hungry before, you probably won’t want to just yet!

By being aware of your feelings, you will be able to avoid making poor decisions due to tiredness or hunger. You will also be able to identify potential problems early, which helps prevent them from becoming bigger issues.

Self-awareness is an important part of emotional intelligence because it gives you insight into your own emotions and behaviors. It allows you to understand your reactions to others and life experiences, and learn from them.

Learn to be authentic

Just because something is popular does not mean it works for everyone. There are many theories about what emotional intelligence (EI) means, and none of them have been proven to work better than the others.

Some say that people with higher EI are just more able to control their emotions so they seem less affected by other peoples’ actions. This could make them seem less sensitive or in tune with how others feel.

Others believe that being emotionally intelligent simply means you use emotion as a tool for solving problems and understanding situations.

Yet another theory says that people who show greater empathy have higher EI. Having empathetic qualities can help you understand why other people act the way they do, but it is not necessarily related to having lower self-control.

Be honest with your peers

Many people tend to overestimate their emotional intelligence (EI) and underestimate others’, which is why there are some things you should never say or do in front of an EI test. For example, someone who has low self-confidence might want to know how other people perceive them, so they could learn more about this trait.

However, if you are not sure what answer to give, it is best to be neutral. It would be better to say something like “It’s hard to tell whether that person has high or low self- confidence” instead of saying “They seem very confident today!” or “Wow, he/she looks really insecure now.”

This is because most people have different levels of self-confidence at all times, and it is difficult to determine when someone is over or under estimating themselves. Some days, even those with high self-confidence may feel down, while other days they can succeed despite feeling less confident.