How can I train myself for SSB interview?
Originally Answered: What are the steps in SSB interview?
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SSB by RajKumar
OVERALL TIPS
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APPROACH TO SSB: A complete 5 days guidelines
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GOOD GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, GOOD EXPRESSION, A
FRIENDLY & HELPFUL NATURE WILL HELP A CANDIDATE GET SELECTED IN SSB &
ELSEWHERE.
IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH,
SPEAK FREELY IN HINDI OR HINGLISH. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS THE NEED, NOT
ENGLISH LANGUAGE. GENERALLY THE PROBLEM IS LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE INDUCED BY
LACK OF FLUENCY IN ENGLISH.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR SSB
APPROACH TO SSB
Group behavior starts as soon as you meet others
at the SSB Centre.
Candidates assess each other for their
competence, as well as sociability. This process is unrelated to the formal
assessment, but influences it.
Please go for the SSB with the conviction of
being selected, without any self doubts. This will positively affect your
personality & influence others accordingly.
Do not consider others as rivals, who have to be
beaten, for you to be selected. Approach with a philosophy:“let us all perform
well, & along with others, I should also get selected”. The usual
philosophy prevailing in the world, “I should get selected at the expense of
others” is unsuited for selection in SSB.
Having good general knowledge, expression & a
friendly nature positively impacts your social rating by peers, & will
positively impact your chances of selection as well. It will have an impact on
the tests as well. E.g In the group, before the tests, you start discussing
some current affairs topic. Most of the group will have superficial knowledge,
based on TV headlines news or news paper headlines. One or two may have deeper
analytical knowledge based on their having read editorials on the topic.
Naturally these candidates will be more respected by others.
5 DAYS SSB SCHEDULE
DAY 1 (REPORTING DAY)
As per the call letter, usually the reporting
time is in the afternoon& place is Movement Control Office (MCO), located
at the Railway Station. You will not find it difficult as there will be many
other candidates who will be scheduled to report on the same day, & you are
likely to find some of them.
For some entries reporting day and Screening day
are same, so please follow your call letters for correct information. In such
case reporting time is likely to be early morning, like 0700 hours.
On reporting day you are given a detailed brief
about the tests & instructions & timings for various things. PIQ(Personal Information Questionnaire) forms are to be filled (similar to the one
which I get filled).
Screening is the process designed to select
potential candidates, from all those who have reported for the particular
entry, for Stage 2 of testing, or complete SSB process. It comprises the
following:
OFFICER’S INTELLIGENCE RATING (OIR) TEST
It is similar to the intelligence tests of
reasoning (verbal & non-verbal) given in various competitive examinations
preparatory books & magazines. Reasoning ability, as well as speed of
reasoning is important. It is advisable to practice these to get a good score.
SCREENING TEST
PICTURE PERCEPTION & DESCRIPTION TEST (PPDT)
Requirement
It involves two aspects- first is writing a
story, & second is a discussion on the story.
You will be shown a black & white, hazy
picture for 30 secs.
You are required to write some particulars in the
available box in the answer sheet, which includes No of Characters, their Age,
Sex & Mood.
You have to identify the main character &
build the story around him/her. It is convenient to name the character (helps
in discussion stage).
You are required to describe what the scene in
the picture depicts (what is going on).
You have to visualize & write, what led to
the present scene (what happened in the past).
You have to foresee the future & write it.
(What will happen in the future).
The entire story has to be written in about 3
mins & submitted.
Tips for Story Writing:
Avoid
Pre-prepared Story. Some coached candidates
(generally ACC & SCO entries), come with a misconception that the time is
too less to make a story & hence come with a pre-prepared story & fit
it there. Often the main character in such stories is narrated as a young man
who joins the Defence Services & also gets a decoration! There is nothing
in the picture to suggest any of these things. There are several such “positive”
coaching academy type stories which can be easily found out by the assessors.
Such stories have an adverse impact on the clearance of the Stage 1 by the
subject candidate.
Stories Displaying Wrong Interpretation of
Positive Thinking. Experience shows that quite a few coached candidates are
over enthusiastic about “positive thinking” & display it in an unnatural
manner in their stories. E.g: In an
obviously tragic scene such candidates will state that the mood of the main
character is positive. Such stories can be easily found out & have an
adverse impact on the clearance of the Stage 1 by the subject candidate.
Abide
Write a natural & realistic story that comes
to your mind on seeing the picture. The moods, etc of characters should be
stated as observed.
POSITIVE THINKING MEANS THAT EVEN IF THE PICTURE
SHOWS SOMETHING ADVERSE, OR TRAGIC, THE CANDIDATE FORESEES THAT IN THE FUTURE
THINGS WILL BECOME ALL RIGHT, WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER PLAYING A PROACTIVE PART
IN THE SAME.
THE MAIN CHARACTER SHOULD BE PROACTIVE & DO
SOMETHING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE EXISTING SITUATION.
Discussion Requirement
Candidates are organized in groups of 14-15 for
group discussion. Each candidate is required to narrate his story by turn.
After everyone has narrated his/her story the group is required to discuss the
same & arrive at a consensus story. The group is required to nominate a
leader who has to narrate the story on behalf of the entire group.
Tips for Discussion:
Narrate your story confidently in a clear voice
in about one minute.
Remain confident about being selected, remain
relaxed & do not feel pressurized to force your views on others, in the
fear that others will dominate you.
Never look at the assessors while narrating the
story, or during the discussion.
Listen to the speakers attentively.
Be polite, give your ideas & views only,
& do not argue with others.
IN CASE THE ENTIRE GROUP IS SHOUTING, AS HAPPENS
IN SOME REPEATER GROUPS, DO NOT TRY TO OUT SHOUT OTHERS, BUT AWAIT YOUR TURN
PATIENTLY.
Do not try to dominate the discussion by speaking
more. The quality of your views is more important than how much you speak.
Do not repeat your views.
Help the weak members to talk.
If the story of the majority of the group is
similar to yours, it is easy to contribute to the discussion.
In case your story is different from the entire
group, it is sensible to change your views & help the group in forming a
consensus story, rather than trying to guide the group towards your
perspective.
Results
of Screening: After the completion of
PPDT, you will get a break of 2-3 hours. Screening results will be declared
after it. Selected candidates are allotted with new chest numbers. Rest of the
candidates gets their TA and dropped backed to the railway station.
DAY 3 STAGE-2 OF TESTING
PSYCHOLOGY TESTS IN SSB
Understanding Psychology Tests in SSB
Personality assessment conducted in SSBs is based
on the science of Psychology. Psychology is not an absolute science, unlike the
physical sciences known to us. It implies that there are not always absolute
& definite yes, or no answers to problems, or situations.
The battery of psychology tests conducted in SSB
is based on Projective techniques.
Projective techniques work on the established fact that when we describe
ambiguous stimuli, we actually describe ourselves, & reveal our
personalities, the conscious part (of which we are well aware) & even the
unconscious part (of which we are unaware)! The unconscious part of the brain
is assessed by some as being 9/10
th
part & conscious only 1/10
th
part.
In Projective techniques, a person is shown
ambiguous stimuli (such as words, situations or pictures) and asked to
interpret them in some way. Such stimuli allow relative freedom in projecting
one’s own interests and feelings into them, reacting in any way that seems
appropriate. Projective techniques are believed to be sensitive to unconscious
dimensions of personality. Defense mechanisms, latent impulses, and anxieties
can be inferred from data gathered from projective techniques by expert
psychologists. Assessment by expert psychologists is an art & not a
science.
Assessment of an individual is done based on the
entire written tests & not piece meal, like separate assessment of WAT, TAT
& SRT. Personality of an individual
is one whole, the various inputs help to construct it.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT CANDIDATES?
PLEASE DO NOT WASTE UNNECESSARY TIME TO PRACTICE
ALL THESE TESTS. WORK TO GENUINELY IMPROVE YOUR PERSONALITY, LEAVE THE
ASSESSMENT TO THE EXPERTS!
Following
Psychology tests are conducted:
Thematic
Apperception Test [TAT]
Word
Association Test [WAT]
Situation
Reaction Test [SRT]
Self
Description Test [SD]
TAT
You will
be shown 11 black & white pictures in which the last picture is a blank
slide. Each picture will come just for 30 seconds and then disappear, after
that you will get 4 minutes to write the story based on that picture. After 4
mins another picture will come for 30 seconds and same process will be followed
till last slide {blank slide}. The tips for TAT are the same as for the story
of PPDT. Go prepared with the story for the blank slide.
WAT
You will
be shown 60 words back to back; each word will remain on the screen for 15secs.
In 15secs you are required to write a sentence which comes to your mind first
after reading that word. Likewise you have to write 60 sentences continuously
without any pause in between.
Tips:
It is not possible to go prepared with 60
sentences, as some coached candidates try to do & in fact succeed in
writing quite a few such sentences. This does not help, because only the
spontaneous response is consistent with the personality of the candidate. The
psychologist analyses the complete responses to construct a holistic &
consistent personality of the individual. Any prepared response will be
inconsistent with the complete battery of answers & hence will get ignored.
SRT
You will get a booklet with 60 situations written
on it. You are required to write your responses based on those 60 situations.
Time allotted will be 30 mins.
Tips: Answer spontaneously. The main character in
the situations should be a leader, who should try to resolve the problems
proactively for the betterment of everyone & not wait for things to happen.
SD
You are required to write opinion about you from
your parents, friends, teachers & yourself, and things which you would like
to develop in the future. Time allotted will be 15 mins.
Tips: You should go prepared. Write the truth.
Opinions of others, as well as yourself about you are basically a brief about
your strong & weak points. The strong points should be more than the weak
points. In case the reverse is true, it shows that you have not taken enough
action to improve yourself, despite being aware of your weaknesses.
OVERALL TIPS FOR PSYCHOLOGY TESTS:
THINK FAST; WRITE FAST, LEGIBLY & IN CORRECT
SEQUENCE.
IT IS NOT MANDATORY TO COMPLETE EVERYTHING, BUT
THE CANDIDATE WHO CAN COMPLETE EVERYTHING DEFINITELY THINKS FASTER & HAS
BETTER MENTAL STAMINA THAN THE ONE WHO DOES NOT.
DAYS 4 & 5: GTO TESTS
GTO tests are a series of outdoor tests, designed
to judge your qualities during group performance. Remember most of the tasks in
this series are group tasks. You are required to support the group with the
best of your abilities and not to compete with them in any manner.
SERIES OF TESTS:
GD:
Discussion is on two topics, one is a debatable
topic from current affairs & the other is on a social issue.
Tips: Are same as for PPDT discussion.
GPE: GROUP PLANNING EXERCISE
It is an important test in the GTO series. A
situation is given to you. It is supported by a map. Invariably a group of
persons has to go from one place to another, in a limited time & accomplish
an important task. In between problems are confronted which need to be
resolved, & in case a problem is unimportant & resolution will
prevent you from accomplishing the main
task then it has to be ignored, or resolved to the extent that the main task is
not jeopardized. A written, individual, solution has to be submitted. The group
has to discuss the plan, arrive at a consensus plan, and nominate a leader to
narrate the plan. It is a comprehensive test, which brings out the aspects of
logical thinking, ability to convince others with your views, accept ideas from
others which are better than yours, or are more acceptable to others.
Tips: Concentrate to understand the situation
well. Submit a comprehensive & well written plan. Be prepared to accept
others’ ideas. Do not try to resolve any intermediary problem which will
prevent you from accomplishing the main task.
PGT
In Progressive Group Task, the group is required
to cross some obstacles with the help of supporting materials like rope, plank,
wooden log etc. Some rules are required to be followed during this task. It is
a full group activity.
HGT
Half Group Task is similar to PGT but the number
of group members will be half, so you may get more chance to show your
potential.
IOT
In Individual Obstacles Task, you are required to
attempt 10 obstacles individually; each obstacle consists of some points from 1
to 10.
Tips: It appears to be mainly a test of speed
& strength, but is not so. Plan the sequence of crossing the obstacles with
a view to score maximum marks earliest. If you are in doubt about clearing an
obstacle attempt it towards the end. In case you have begun to cross an
obstacle, then do not leave it in between, as this displays lack of
determination & self confidence.
COMMAND TASK
You will
be a commander in this task, & are required to cross some obstacles with
the help of 2-3 subordinates. You can choose 2-3 candidates from your own group
whom you think can help you to clear the obstacles.
Tips: Choose subordinates based on competence,
rather than friendship. In case you are stuck, ask ideas from subordinates. CT
is assigned to each candidate based on his abilities. In case your CT is quite
difficult, then be happy, your IQ has been well rated.
SNAKE RACE/GROUP OBSTACLE RACE
All group
members will be competing with other groups. Members will be holding a snake
like rope; they are required to cross certain obstacles with the snake. There
are certain rules like all other tasks. It is a kind of race among different
groups.
Tips: Use your abilities to help the group finish
the race fastest.
INDIVIDUAL LECTURRETE
Each candidate has to speak for 3 mins on a topic
selected by him/her out of 3-4 topics.
FGT: FINAL GROUP TASK
FGT is similar to PGT.
Tips for PGT, HGT, CT & FGT: Initially it
will be difficult to understand the use of the helping material in crossing
obstacles. Do not worry, keep thinking & observing. Ideas utilized in
crossing one obstacle will have relevance in others as well. After PGT you will have better ideas for later
tasks. Each task has more than one solution. Please adhere to instructions.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW IN THE AFTERNOON OF DAY 4 OR 5
The Interviewing officer has your Personal
Information Questionnaire (PIQ) form, which provides him the base for your
interview. He starts talking in a relaxed manner to make you feel comfortable.
He then asks you a series of questions to which you are expected to answer in
the same sequence. He keeps asking small questions in between. He again asks
you a series of questions, to be replied as earlier.
Tips: Be relaxed & confident of being
selected. Write only truth in the PIQ form, without exaggeration. Listen
carefully to the questions, without getting excited. Answer the questions in
the sequence asked. Have good knowledge about your favorite subjects, sports,
hobbies, etc. If you say that you have read a book, or seen a movie, or TV
program, then you should know about it well.
Be prepared to explain organization of an event
from your hobbies, sports or extra -curricular activities, you have been
involved in.
DAY 6: CONFERENCE IN SSB
In the conference each candidate faces all the
SSB assessors together. Decision about selection of candidates is taken in the
conference by the assessors. Each case
is discussed in detail to take a deliberate decision. AS REGARDS YOU, IT IS
JUST A FORMALITY, AS DECISIONS ARE TAKEN BASED ON TESTS CONDUCTED EARLIER &
NOT CONFERENCE. Usually questions about food, experience & stay are asked
by the Interviewing Officer. Only short answers are warranted.
Is this answer still relevant and up to date?
How can I change my SSB interview centre?
How should I prepare myself physically for an SSB
interview for TES and CES?
What should I carry with myself for my SSB
interview?
How can I make myself fit for the AFCAT SSB?
How different is INA SSB from IMA SSB? Are there
any tips for my SSB interview?
Originally Answered: How do I crack the SSB?
You qualify the SSB by being virtuous. SSB is a
great test of personality but I will not say that the personality cannot be
modified. Infact all that the coaching institutes do is mask your personality
with a fake one and you are expected to wear the mask during the real testing
at the SSB. It is not even wrong because afterall there is indeed a shortage of
officers and they can be taught how to conduct themselves at the academy
itself.
Coming to the basic question, as someone who
cleared the SSB long back, I feel qualified to answer this one. I'll bring out
a few points. See if you can relate to them
1- Do not hesitate in doing stuff at the SSB-
This means when you are at the station before heading for the Board, approach
guys who you think are there for the same purpose. Similarly, at the SSB never
hesitate to talk. In the candidates line, in the Mess. Talk to your batch-mates
at all points of time except when you are being tested. This comes in handy in
builidng a rapport.
2- Have a gala time- Do not be a bore. Do no snub
others. Listen to fellows and go out with them. SSB is generally about making
friends with like minded people. A few of them get the bonus of getting
recommended to be an officer. But your main purpose should be to have some fun.
3- Be prepared, always- Prepared to Eat, prepared
to go out, prepared to listen to instructions and prepared to give a
lecturette. Never, shy away from any one of these when the opportunity comes.
4- Less virtual social networking, more in real
life- Try to minimise the use of the internet. Skip talking to the
college/school friends/ girlfriends/ boyfriends for a few days and instead give
attention to the people with whom you are spending the 5 days. I promise you
shall not regret it ever.
5- Language is not a problem- It hardly matters
if your English is not good. People generally confuse Communication with
proficiency in language. At SSB you are only required to communicate your ideas
freely. Language is never a barrier, English and Hindi are both acceptable (and
sometimes even Hinglish, if it explains a word better).
6- Act confident, stay grounded- It must be
implemented in all situations and for all circumstances. Your conduct and
confidence at the SSB makes your case hard to beat. If you make sure that what
you think and what you do is not wrong, logically and morally, then you do a
big favour to your chances at the SSB.
All these above aspects help you in making a
positive personality displaying the 15 OLQs gauged throughout the SSB. Read a
lot. No matter what you read. As long as you find it interesting. You must read
it. It helps if you have good knowledge of some topic. It makes your thinking
rational and also helps in the personal interview.
Hope you find it helpful enough.
I am feeling glad to represent myself… am
Rajkumar from haryana… i am also preparing myself for ssb interview which is
going to held in Kapurthla on 25 february 2019. At last wish you all the best
for bright future in defence Ministry
Deepak Tomar
I'm Deepak Tomar. I have completed my M.Tech in Computer Science and now i am working as a Govt. Employee in UP Police, I Love to help others and making friends, you can connect to me on facebook for any help- I will be happy to help you .
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