The manner in which the items of an EQ test are constructed closely resembles the way in which the IQ test items are contrived.
Let us take an example. Imagine you are taking an ability-based EQ test. In this case you might be presented with an item like this:
Two boys, Adam and Jimmy, are playing basketball in the schoolyard. They suddenly start fighting over who should get the next shot at the basket. You happen to be walking by and see them fighting. You decide to:
a) Ignore them and keep walking;
b) Interrupt their fighting and get them to each explain to you the rules;
c) Yell at them to stop fighting;
d) Take the ball from them and tell them that if they don't behave, neither of them can have it;
e) tell them that you'll report them if they don't stop fighting.
The format of the question above, although from an EQ test, is similar to that of an IQ test. The difference between the two resides in the fact that a question from the latter must have a correct answer. As the test advances, the items are getting harder and harder and you might have the sensation that there is no single right answer, but this is because the questions demand you to use several skills. You can't get the calculator out of your pocket and get the result or to consult a dictionary to find out. On an ability-based EQ test, on the other hand, there is no clear separation among the degrees of "correctness" of the answers.