For researchers and organisations outside Poland
EQ-TIZE: an ability-based emotional intelligence test in English
EQ-TIZE is a performance test of emotional intelligence built on the four-branch model of Salovey, Mayer and Caruso. It was developed in Poland by EI Expert and has a full English version. We make it available to research teams and discuss its use with organisations abroad.
Propose a project Validation results- EQ-TIZE measures ability, not self-description: people solve emotional problems and their answers are scored against an expert key.
- It reports the level and profile of emotional intelligence across four branches (perceiving, understanding, using and managing emotions) and the Emotional Calibration Index (WKE).
- Validation study, N = 516 adults: McDonald's ω = .94 for the total score and .71 to .87 for the four scales; exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported four factors.
- All 44 scenarios and instructions are available in English. Norms currently refer to the Polish adult population.
- More than 700 people have taken the test so far. Papers are in preparation, and a study of about 1,200 young people in Poland is about to start.
What the test measures
Tasks and scoring
44 situational scenarios, half from working life and half from private life, with 132 response items in total. Each answer is scored against a consensus key set by 33 expert judges.
Level and profile
A total score and four scales that follow the ability model: perceiving, understanding, using and managing emotions. Results are expressed as sten scores.
WKE
The Emotional Calibration Index shows how response time relates to accuracy for a given person. It is our own indicator of emotional metacognition, reported alongside level and profile rather than as a fifth branch.
The test runs online. Response times are recorded because they are needed to calculate WKE.
Validation study (N = 516)
EQ-TIZE was developed in seven steps, from a literature review and a bank of 69 scenarios rated by expert judges to factor analyses. In the validation study 516 Polish adults, mostly working professionals with a mean age of 36 rather than students, completed a 56-task version; the 44 tasks with the best properties went into the final test.
| What we checked | Result |
|---|---|
| Reliability | McDonald's ω = .94 for the total score; .71 (understanding) to .87 (managing) for the scales |
| Factor structure | EFA and CFA consistent with the four branches of the model |
| General intelligence | low correlation with a reasoning test, so EQ-TIZE is not a proxy for general cognitive ability |
| Self-report EI | moderate correlation with a trait EI questionnaire: the two cover the same area but do not measure the same thing |
| Personality (IPIP-BFM-50) | no meaningful link with extraversion or emotional stability (r from −.02 to .11); the strongest link is with agreeableness (r = .32 for the total score) |
| Sample | 79% women, 86% with higher education, mostly residents of large cities; norms weighted to the Polish population structure |
The personality results matter in practice. A high EQ-TIZE score does not depend on being outgoing or calm by temperament, which is a common problem with self-report measures of emotional intelligence.
Norms and the NORM26 study
The current norms are based on the validation sample, weighted to the structure of the Polish population by sex, age and education (Statistics Poland data). Between September 2026 and March 2027 we are running NORM26, a normative study on a quota sample of about 4,000 Polish adults with a battery of measures for validity analyses. More than 700 people have taken EQ-TIZE so far, and each new wave of data makes the norms more precise. Results are being prepared for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and we will soon start a study of about 1,200 young people in Poland.
The English version has been prepared for research use. We do not yet have English-language norms, which is why studies with English-speaking samples are of particular interest to us.
How we can work together
Your own study
You want to measure emotional intelligence as an ability in your project, in English or Polish. We agree the scope, timetable and the way results are delivered individually.
Cross-cultural work
You would like to collect English-language data, compare samples across countries or adapt the test to another language. Tell us which population you have access to.
Organisations
You work with international teams and want to use EQ-TIZE outside Poland. Write to us and we will tell you which reports and services are available in English.
How to get in touch
- Write to kontakt@eiexpert.pl: who you are, what you plan to study and which group of participants you have in mind.
- We agree the details: language version, sample, dates, and which data and reports you will receive.
- You receive access to the online test and materials for participants.
- When data collection is over, we deliver the agreed results.
Research team
Frequently asked questions
Is EQ-TIZE available in English?
Yes. All 44 scenarios and the instructions have been translated into English and the test runs online. Norms and validation data currently refer to the Polish version.
Can EQ-TIZE be used in academic research?
Yes. We make EQ-TIZE available to research teams for their own projects. The terms, including which data are shared, are agreed individually.
How is EQ-TIZE different from a self-report EI questionnaire?
A questionnaire asks people how they see their own emotional skills. EQ-TIZE asks them to solve emotional problems and scores the answers against an expert key, so it measures what people can do rather than what they think they can do.
What are the psychometric properties of EQ-TIZE?
In the validation study of 516 adults, reliability was ω = .94 for the total score and .71 to .87 for the four scales. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the four branches of the Salovey, Mayer and Caruso model.
What is WKE?
The Emotional Calibration Index describes how response time relates to accuracy for a given person across the test. It is reported next to the level and profile of emotional intelligence and is an indicator of emotional metacognition. Full analyses are in preparation.
Planning a study on emotional intelligence?
Tell us about your project and the group you work with. We reply in English.
kontakt@eiexpert.plPolish-language pages: EQ-TIZE w badaniach naukowych · Metodologia EQ-TIZE