Pro Tips To Prepare for SSB Interview

An important part of the SSB examination is the SSB interview, also known as the Intelligence and Personality test, conducted by the Service Selection Board, Ministry of India. The SSB test is to analyze the candidate appearing in NDA and CDS exams. Furthermore, the candidates appearing in the entrance exam for entry into the Indian Armed Forces must clear the interview.

If you are interested in making your career in Indian Armed Forces, you must know “What is the SSB interview?” SSB interview procedure is the process of evaluating the candidates whether they are suitable for the service or not. The information available in this article is helpful for candidates appearing for interviews for CDS, AFCAT, NDA, TES, UGS, TGC, TA, INET, etc. The SSB procedure’s prime objective is to recruit physically and mentally fit candidates to deliver the duties of the Indian Armed Forces.

This article will help you to gain all the information regarding SSB 5 days procedure. It includes reporting, OIR test, PPDT, Psychology test, Group testing-1, Group testing-2, and Conference.

SSB Interview Process

It is a 5-day procedure in which the candidate is examined for their personality and intelligence. Besides that, the candidate also has to appear for a medical examination. The interview starts on Day 0, i.e. reporting and ends on Day 5, i.e. Conference. All candidates who have appeared for different defense exams, such as CDS, NDA, AFCAT, etc., must appear for SSB.

The interview is conducted by military institutions such as the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and Indian Army. It is organized to check the 15-character traits, also known as ‘Officer-like Qualities’, in the candidates. Mansa, i.e. thoughts, are analyzed through a psychology test, Vacha, i.e. speech, is analyzed through interview and Karma, i.e. deeds or actions, are analyzed via Group testing. In this article, you get the detailed 5-day interview process and pro tips that help you clear SSB:

Day 0 of SSB Interview– Reporting

• You must report to the SSB selection center mentioned in your call letter. An officer on board will receive you at the station.
• Then, you will be given instructions regarding your 5-day stay at the center. The board’s officer conveys the Opening Address to convey the entire important message.
• After the reporting process, document verification and form filling (PIQ forms) take place. Thus, you must carry original documents for verification and report at Moment Control Office.
• You must fill in personal details such as family background, educational qualification, etc. The interviewer might ask questions related to your details, and the psychologist of the board may analyze your answers.  For some entries, especially Air Force, Day 1 is referred to as screening day, and document verification and testing start on the same day.

Day 1 of SSB Interview – Screening

The next day of reporting is the Screening test. Candidates who successfully reported on day 0 and filled out the PIQ form must appear in the screening test. There are three rounds of intelligence tests in the screening test: the OIR test (Officer Intelligence Rating Test) and PPDT (Picture Perception and Description Test). Besides that, there are two papers in the OIR test, i.e. Paper 1 and Paper 2.

Officer Intelligence Rating Test (OIR Test – Paper 1 & Paper 2)

The Day 1 of the SSB interview involves the Officer Intelligence Rating Test, which consists of Verbal and Non-verbal tests. You will get two booklets containing 40 multiple-choice-based questions each. In addition, you have to complete the booklet in 22 minutes and 17 minutes, respectively. Besides that, there is no negative marking in the OIR test. The OIR test is conducted to judge reasoning ability and effective intelligence. Do not rush, be attentive, and then mark the correct answer.

Topics covered in OIR (Verbal and Non-verbal) test are:

Verbal	Non-verbal
Analogies	Blood relation
Locating hidden figures	Logical Venn Diagram
Figures	Completion of Series
Paper cutting	Interchanging 2 signs
Figure matrix	Reconstruction of test
Odd one out	One word substitution
Spatial ability	Coding-Decoding
Problem on dice	Shorter and Taller Problems
Visualizing patterns	Problem on Ranks
Problem on cubes	Identification of letters
Classification of data	Jumbled words

Picture Perception & Discussion Test (PP&DT)

The PPDT of the screening test is conducted in two parts, the first part is picture perception, and the second part is a discussion or description test.

In this test, you will be shown a picture for 30 seconds. You have to analyze the picture carefully and write a good story on that picture within 3 minutes. After that, the candidates are subdivided into a batch of 14-15. Then, the next step is a description or discussion test. Firstly, all the candidates have to narrate their story and discuss that picture for the CDS SSB interview or SSB interview for NDA, AFCAT CDS interview, etc. The screening test result generally includes marks on OIR and PPDT tests. Screening test of SSB CDS or SSB NDA is very important as it will take your candidature forward to the psychology test.

The screening test results will be declared on the same day, and the short-listed candidate will further appear for the psychology test the next day.

Day 2 of SSB Interview – Psychology Tests

The Psychology test is a battery of tests that would check the psychological stability of the candidate to become an officer in the Indian Armed Forces. It is designed differently so the board’s officer can check your immediate response. The time limit to solve the questions is very less so, you have to be quick in your response.

TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)

It could also be referred to as a picture story writing test identical to PPDT. In Thematic Apperception Test, the applicants will be shown approximately 12 images on the slide, and the last slide will be a blank picture. Each picture will be displayed for 30 seconds. So, the aspirants must write a story on each picture for 4 minutes. Your story could either be a reactionary story or a visionary story.

The pictures are shown individually, and you must write down the story. Besides that, the time limit set to pen down the story is very less so that the natural response of the candidates could be analyzed. The last slide is blank, and the aspirants must write any story of their choice in the 12th blank picture.

WAT (Word Association Test)

This is the second psychological test in the interview process. In this test, 60 words are shown to the candidates over a screen for only 15 seconds. An example of the word displayed in WAT is BOMB. The aspirants have to write down a sentence immediately after seeing that word. The WAT test will analyze the subconscious behavior of the candidate.

SRT (Situation Reaction Test)

It is the third psychological test. In this, you will be provided with a booklet containing 60 real-life situations. Then, you have to analyze the situation and write your response/reaction based on that situation. The total duration for this activity or test is 30 minutes. It means you will get only 30 seconds to react to one situation. This test will judge you based on your response time over any situation in a fixed duration.

Here are some examples of SRT for SSB interview NDA:

1. He saw his girlfriend with another person.
2. She was driving home, and it suddenly began to rain.
3. In a debate/discussion with a colleague, he finds he is losing ground.
4. You suddenly fall ill before your final examination.
5. Severe drought occurred in the district.

SDT (Self-Description Test)

It is the last psychological test of Day 2. In this, the aspirants have to write about themselves. You have to write the opinion of your parents, teachers, friends and yourself about you. Besides that, you must also write about qualities you would like to develop or inculcate. The self-description test will reflect on your overall personality and what others think about you.

Day 3 of SSB Interview – Group Testing 1

The third day is for the outdoor and indoor activities that have to be conducted in groups. This test is also known as GTO Group Testing Officer Task.

• GD – First group testing activity is group discussion. Aspirants have to do group discussions on two topics for 20-30 minutes. Besides that, the topic of GD is generally based on a social issue or current affair.
• GPE – It is also referred to as Group Planning Exercise. In this activity, aspirants are clubbed in a group of 10-15 candidates. Then, a model of real-life problems with a story is given to the group. You have to solve the problem and write a plan of action or practical solution to the problem.
• PGT – In Progressive Group Task, you have to clear four obstacles in a group. You will get materials such as rope, wooden planks, wooden logs, etc., for help. As it is a group task, some rules are also there which you need to follow during the task.
• GOR – Group Obstacle race is also known as the snake race. In this race, each group has to compete against the other group, and there would be 6 obstacles in the race.
• HGT – It is similar to Progressive Group Task, but the number of members in the group is half; thus, it is known as Half Group Task. There would be only one obstacle in HGT.

Day 4 of SSB Interview – Group Testing 2

On this day, the SSB interviews various testing groups. Below are some important pointers-

• Lecturette – In this task, the aspirant has to select one of 4 given topics and give a lecture for 3 minutes.
• IOT – In Individual Obstacle Task, an aspirant must clear 10 obstacles within 3 minutes. In addition, the tasks are marked from 1-10 based on the difficulty level.
• CT – In the command task, you will be the commander. You have to select 2-3 subordinates from your group that you think may help you in the task. Furthermore, this task contains obstacles like HGT. You have to clear the circumstances with the help of your subordinates.
• FGT – in Final Group Task, the entire group will be re-aggregated together, and you will be assigned a task similar to PGT. Through FGT, you will get one more chance to prove or showcase your potential to become an officer in Indian Armed Forces.
• PI – The SSB PI interview is the main factor in deciding your recommendation for SSB. You will be asked about your educational qualification, family background, hobbies, everyday experience, strengths and weaknesses, as well as achievements, etc., in the Personal Interview. Besides, you must be well-prepared to face the Interviewing Officer because one wrong answer would tarnish your image, and you might not get recommended for a job in Indian Armed Forces.

Day 5 of SSB Interview – Conference

• It is the last step of the interview in which all the members of the SSB board will unite, and the assessor will initiate the conference with a closing address.
• At the conference, all the officers who have assessed the aspirants in the previous task will be present, and they will chat with the aspirants.
• The Conference is conducted to decide whether your recommendation is suitable for the post or not.
• Then, each candidate will appear in front of the SSB board members consisting of GTOs, the President, the Deputy President, all the psychologists, and the Technical Officer, and their total assessment is narrated. Lastly, the decision will be made according to the marks.

The SSB results will be declared an hour after the Board meeting. In addition, the selected candidates will be retained for the medical examination for 3 to 5 days. Lastly, the merit list will be displayed after the medical examination of the candidates. Then, the selected candidates can serve the nation as an officer after the training period.

Pro Tips to Crack SSB Interview

SSB schedule should be well-planned. You must prepare for the interview per the syllabus and schedule of the exam. Besides that, memorize your PIQ because the interviewing officer can ask you anything about your details. Rely on the best preparation books available in the market and practice the previous year’s questions. Be attentive during the tasks and practice writing quickly because the time allotted to complete any task is very less in the interview process of SSB. Besides that, being mentally and physically fit is also essential to clear all the interview rounds. A medical examination is also conducted last for the final selection.

• You should be confident enough to answer the interviewer without any doubt. Have faith in yourself, and don’t underestimate your capabilities.
• Be physically as well as mentally fit to overcome all the outdoor activities.
• You should be self-aware about yourself. Besides that, the examiner will also analyze your ability, aim, determination, etc. Include all qualities you know about yourself in the allotted task.
• Practice writing short stories and analyzing the pictures.
• Be aware of the social issues as well as current affairs. This would judge not only your knowledge but also your speaking skills in the Group Discussion.
• During GD, don’t argue with other aspirants, wait for your time to speak, and maintain professional body language.

Also read: NDA 2022: Admit Card, Interview Call Letter & Exam Center

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