How long does this quiz take?

This quiz takes about three minutes to complete.

Are my responses private?

Yes, all answers are anonymized and confidential.

Can I take this test more than once?

Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your results may have changed.

Will this quiz diagnose empathy problems?

No. This test is informational and designed to offer insight into perspective-taking skills, not a clinical diagnosis.

Can my results help me improve communication?

Yes. Understanding your strengths and gaps in perspective-taking can help you improve listening, communication, and relationship skills.

This empathy test measures how accurately you recognize and interpret other people’s thoughts and viewpoints.

Cognitive Empathy Scale

How well do you understand what others are feeling and thinking? Find out here.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | Last Updated: December 16, 2025

Reviewed by Jourdan Travers, LCSW

Understanding how other people think and feel is a core part of healthy communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence. This perspective-taking empathy test focuses on your ability to intellectually recognize emotions, intentions, and viewpoints—even when someone’s experience is very different from your own.

Rather than measuring how deeply you emotionally absorb another person’s feelings, this assessment looks at how accurately you can read social cues, infer mental states, and make sense of others’ reactions. These skills play an important role in friendships, romantic relationships, and professional environments where clear understanding matters.

If you’re interested in how empathy connects to other areas of emotional awareness, you may also want to explore the Emotional Quotient Inventory or the Highly Sensitive Person Questionnaire, which examine related but distinct aspects of emotional functioning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this quiz take?: This quiz takes about three minutes to complete.
Are my responses private?: Yes, all Cognitive Empathy Scale answers are anonymized and confidential.
Can I take this test more than once?: Yes, you can retake the test any time to see how your Cognitive Empathy Scale results may have changed.
Will this quiz diagnose empathy problems?: No. This test is informational and designed to offer insight into perspective-taking skills, not a clinical diagnosis.
Can my results help me improve communication?: Yes. Understanding your strengths and gaps in perspective-taking can help you improve listening, communication, and relationship skills.

Perspective-Taking Empathy Test: Take The Quiz

Step 1: Rate Your Perspective-Taking Ability

For each statement, indicate how much you agree on a scale of 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). For best results, answer honestly and trust your first instinct.

1. I can tell when family members are pleased based on how they speak.

2. I can usually recognize disappointment by observing someone’s demeanor.

3. I can imagine another person’s happiness when they describe it to me.

4. I can usually tell why people close to me are in a good mood, even if they don’t explain it.

5. I’m able to recognize when someone feels remorse or guilt.

6. I can pick up on positive emotions through a person’s behavior and expressions.

7. I can recognize feelings of embarrassment or shame from subtle cues.

8. I understand what characters are experiencing in engaging stories or films.

9. I often sense when someone is unhappy before they put it into words.

10. I understand why teasing or joking can hurt certain people.

11. I can understand someone’s point of view even when I strongly disagree with them.

Step 2: Enter Your Demographics

Provide your age, gender, region, and first name for a detailed report comparing your results to others.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Submit Your Cognitive Empathy Scale Answers

After completing all questions, click below to send your responses to Mark Travers, Ph.D. All answers are anonymized and confidential.

References

Raine, A., Chen, F. R., & Waller, R. (2022). The cognitive, affective and somatic empathy scales for adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 185, 111238.

Disclaimer

This scale is designed for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.