How the TEIQue works
You rate 153 short statements about yourself on a 7-point scale. The TEIQue measures trait emotional intelligence, meaning how you see your own emotional habits, not your ability on a test with right answers. It was developed by K. V. Petrides at University College London.
Your answers feed 15 facets. Thirteen of them group into four factors: Well-being (happiness, optimism, self-esteem), Self-control (emotion regulation, impulse control, stress management), Emotionality (empathy, emotion perception, emotion expression, relationships) and Sociability (emotion management, assertiveness, social awareness). Adaptability and self-motivation count only towards the global score.
Thomas says the TEIQue should be given by an accredited practitioner who can interpret the results, and it sits on its Assess Accredited platform. Employers such as Downer Group use it alongside the PPA, GIA and HPTI. If your invitation names a shorter Thomas emotional intelligence assessment taking under 8 minutes, that is a newer, separate measure.
How to answer the TEIQue
With no right answers, consistency and honesty are what make the profile useful:
- Read each statement carefully, but do not overthink it.
- Answer for how you usually are, not for your best or worst day.
- Use the whole scale. A profile of 4s says nothing, and 7s on every flattering statement looks like impression management.
- Expect some statements to feel similar. Several measure the same facet, and answering them consistently is what makes the result readable.
Tips for the real TEIQue
- Allow half an hour somewhere quiet and free of distractions, as Thomas recommends.
- Take it in your strongest language. Thomas lets you choose, and suggests the next most suitable one if yours is not offered.
- Expect the results to be interpreted by an accredited practitioner, and be ready to discuss them.
Practise the TEIQue on CogniPrep
Our TEIQue practice is a shortened form: 90 statements of our own instead of 153, on the same 1 to 7 scale and built to the same structure. They come one at a time, with no clock and no going back, and about a third are worded the other way round. At the end you see a global score out of 100 and which of the four factors came out highest and lowest. It is practice for the format and vocabulary, not a substitute for a practitioner’s interpretation.