Emotional Intelligence: Can It Be a Predictor of Performance on Different Test Formats?

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and test format in the light of test fairness considerations. This study took this relationship into account to see if people with different levels of EI performed differently on different test formats. To this end, 90 English language learners in Iran were asked to complete Bar-On’s EQ test (1997) and a reading test which included four test formats (multiple choice, cloze test, c-test, summary writing). The results of the correlational analysis and regression equations indicate that EI constructs are in association with different test formats. Finally, the results were discussed in the context of language assessment and test fairness and some suggestions were made.