A Cross-sectional Study of Emotional Intelligence in NEET and JEE Aspirants

Description

Ayan Mandal¹, Mona Srivastava², and Divya Mishra³ (Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh¹ and Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh^2,3)

Competitive professional examinations such as NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test) and JEE (Entrance Examination), which are used for entrance to medical and engineering colleges, respectively, are often accompanied by focused, prolonged efforts, pressure of uncertainties, parental expectation, peer competition, etc., which can affect both their mental well-being and cognitive focus. Emotional intelligence (EI)-the ability to recognise and regulate emotions-has been suggested as a key factor that supports coping and adjustment during such preparation. This study assesses emotional intelligence among students preparing for competitive examinations and differences by gender and exam type. This is a cross-sectional online survey that was carried out with 182 students using the Emotional Intelligence Test (EI) developed by Sharma and Ekta. The test evaluates five domains: self-awareness, emotion management, self-motivation, empathy, and relationship handling. There were no significant differences found among genders across EI domains (p> 0.05). Likewise, no meaningful differences were observed among students preparing for NEET, JEE, or both (p> 0.05). Most students preparing for competitive exams displayed average levels of emotional intelligence, with minimal variation by gender or exam category.