One key criterion for whether Emotional Intelligence (El) truly fits the definition of "intelligence" is that individual branches of El should converge. However, for performance tests that measure actual ability, such convergence has been elusive. Consistent with theoretical perspectives for intelligence, we approach this question using El measures that have objective standards for right answers. Examining emotion recognition through the voice that is, the ability to judge an actor's intended portrayal and emotional understanding that is, the ability to understand relationships and transitions among emotions we find substantial convergence, r = .53. Results provide new data to inform the often heated debate about the validity of El, and further the basis of optimism that El may truly be considered intelligence. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.