Your Self Atlas

Territory · Emotions

How you handle your emotions

Your emotional intelligence across four domains — self-awareness, self-management, empathy and social skills. And it can be developed.

This test measures your perceived emotional intelligence (what science calls trait EI) across four domains, inspired by the models of Mayer and Salovey, Goleman and Petrides: self-awareness, self-management, empathy and social skills. There are 24 statements, with reverse-scored items to reduce bias. It reflects your self-perception — not an ability test — and, unlike IQ, emotional intelligence can be developed throughout life. A self-knowledge estimate, not a diagnosis.

Meet the 4 domains

24 questions · ~5 min · free

Territory of Emotions

Perceived emotional intelligence

Your emotional matrix

The four domains cross two questions: is the emotion yours or someone else's, and are you perceiving or managing it? The stronger the color, the higher your result in that domain.

In meIn others
Perceive ▸ Manage

Domain by domain

You across areas of life

How your strongest emotional domain tends to show up day to day — what to lean on and what to balance. A developmental estimate, never a verdict.

How to develop your strength →

See this in Your Atlas →

How it's calculated — and the science

The idea of emotional intelligence was born with Salovey and Mayer (1990) and gained its four-branch model (perceiving, using, understanding and managing emotions) in Mayer and Salovey (1997). Goleman (1995) popularized four practical domains that cross two dimensions — emotions in me × in others and perceiving × managing: self-awareness, self-management, empathy and social skills. That clear structure is what we use here.

There are 24 statements (6 per domain), with reverse-scored items to reduce the bias of those who tend to agree with everything. Each domain becomes a percentage and the average forms your overall index. Important: because it is self-report, we measure your emotional self-perception — what the literature calls trait EI (Petrides & Furnham, 2001), different from ability EI, which requires performance tasks. And the good news: emotional intelligence can be developed — it is not a fixed ceiling like IQ.

Reliability · limitsThis measures your self-perception, not your actual ability — those who know themselves little may over- or under-estimate. It is a mirror to reflect with, not a competence grade. Low domains point to where to grow, never a flaw. Reference: 2026.
Model · the scienceBased on the models of Mayer & Salovey, Goleman and Petrides' trait EI, with original items inspired by the constructs. Emotional intelligence is trainable: the result is a starting point for growth.
Important · read firstA tool for self-knowledge and personal development; it does not replace a formal psychological assessment by a licensed professional. The result is an estimate, not a diagnosis. If you are struggling, reach out to a qualified professional — you can find helplines at findahelpline.com.

Author's note

“Emotional intelligence” became a buzzword and lost its meaning along the way. I tried to give some precision back: instead of a magic “EQ” number, I separated the skills you can actually train — noticing, understanding and regulating emotion. If a question made you think “it really depends on the situation,” good: it does.

Vinicius Fonseca · Spotted something off or have a suggestion? tell me.

Frequently asked questions

Does this test measure my “real” emotional intelligence?

It measures your emotional self-perception (trait EI, from Petrides) — how you see yourself. It differs from an ability test (ability EI), which uses performance tasks. Excellent for getting to know yourself and deciding what to develop, but not a measure of capacity.

Can emotional intelligence be developed?

Yes. Unlike IQ, emotional skills improve with practice: noticing what you feel, regulating impulses, reading others and handling relationships are all trainable throughout life.

Is having a low domain bad?

No — it is simply where you have the most room to grow. Almost no one is high in all four at once, and each domain develops with attention and practice.

Is it free?

Yes, 100% free, no sign-up or email. Your result appears instantly and is saved only in your browser.

How long does it take?

About 5 minutes. There are 24 statements on a 1-to-5 scale.

Continue your atlas

See how the way you handle emotions talks to how you act and what you value in Your Atlas.

See all tests →

Learn more — sources

Want to go deeper? Tap a source to open the official reference.

By Vinicius Fonseca · Reviewed against open and academic sources · Updated July 2026 · Methodology