Five Days SSB Interview Procedure

The selection process at the SSB is based on highly scientific and well evolved techniques, which aims at assessing the personality traits of an individual in the context of the requirements of the Defence Forces. The SSB recommends the candidate as a potential officer material, who after rigorous training in the Military Academy and the unit into which he is commissioned, can be suitably groomed into an officer. The experience, maturity and familiarity with the service conditions, enable him/her to subsequently discharge the service obligations appropriately. The SSB’s adopts three different techniques to assess the same personality traits of the candidate at his conscious, sub-conscious & non-conscious levels. These techniques are as listed below:-

(a) Interview Technique
(b) Group Testing Technique
(c) Psychological Technique

It is interesting to understand, that though the above three techniques are divergent in their application and tools of assessment, these converge to quantify the acceptable shades of the same personality traits desired to be possessed by the candidate. The requirement of applying the three techniques to a candidate is to provide a three dimensional view of his personality. It may be compared to viewing a object from its three different sides, so that an overall complete picture is available, when assessment of the three assessors is finally put together. Further, certain traits and qualities are more prominently discernable through a particular technique, eg, physical stamina, through GTO’s technique, as compared to other two techniques. Hence, the ‘grey areas’ of one technique are confirmed by the inputs received from the other assessors during the final Board Conference.

Schedule of Testing at SSB
The selection process entails a five day testing schedule (for all those candidates, who have been recommended in the Stage-1 testing conducted on Day-1). The reporting day to the SSB, as given in the Call up letter, is not included in the said five days and is meant for documentation / settling down.

(a) Day-1 is called the Stage-1 of testing and entails the following tests:

(i) Intelligence Test or a test of reasoning, similar to the ones that you find in magazines like Competition Success, etc. The test is timed and hence, practice of attempting these tests in your spare time will considerably improve your performance.

(ii) Picture Perception and Description Test, in which a hazy picture is flashed, and the candidates are expected to write a short story regarding the characters identified by them in the picture within a restricted time. The requirement in this test is that the story should present a positive perception and convey a purposeful action by the main character of the story, which he executes for the larger good of the society.

(iii) Later, discussion on the story perceived by each candidate is conducted in groups of about 15 candidates each. The aim of the discussion is to broadly identify candidates who have the potential for being considered for the Stage-II of testing. All candidates who meaningfully contribute towards the formation of the commonly agreed group story get recommended. A word of caution here, candidates who do not participate, even if they have performed well in the other tests listed above, are unlikely to be recommended.

(iv) Result of Stage-1 is announced and only recommended candidates are retained for Stage-II tests, the others are dispatched on the first day itself. Generally, about 70% candidates are retained.

(b) Day-II is devoted towards the conduct of Psychology tests. These are conducted indoors and adequate briefing is given by the Psychologist prior to commencing each test regarding the requirements and the method of attempting. The tests are designed to illicit responses from the candidates at their subconscious level and with the imposition of a time constraint for each test, it is difficult for a candidate to obscure his actual personality traits. Hence, it is cardinal that much before you proceed for your SSB, you inculcate positive attitude in your life, remain contended and look at the world around you, filled with opportunities and hope. It is imperative that you maintain a positive frame of mind and be realistic in your responses. The art of positive thinking has to be developed over a sustained period of time and must become second nature to your behavior. The details of the tests conducted by the Psychologist are discussed in the subsequent Chapter (only in main guide), however, these are listed, as below: 

(i) Word Association Test (WAT)
(ii) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)
(iii) Situation Reaction Test (SRT)
(iv) Self Description (SD)

(c) The interview by the Interviewing Officer may be conducted either after the conduct of Psychology tests on Day-I or on subsequent days depending upon the total number of candidates to be interviewed and the availability of the Interviewing Officer. The interview is conducted in a very conducive atmosphere and the candidate is put to complete ease by the interviewing officer. Once the IO feels that he has established a reasonably comfortable rapport with you by interacting with you regarding your family background and interests, he will ask you questions pertaining to general awareness and may ask you to describe the organization of an event based on the interests and hobbies mentioned by you in your Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) Form. He is also likely to check your ability to withstand stress by putting you through stressful and intriguing situations. The best method of facing the interview is to be completely honest and do not try to hoodwink the IO. Also, be well acquainted with current affairs and improve your general awareness before proceeding for the SSB. The interview generally lasts for about 45 minutes. The detailed modalities of the conduct of the personal interview are enunciated in a later Chapter ((only in main guide)..

(d) Day-III &IV are designated as GTO-I & GTO-II Days, on which, the Group Testing Officer conducts a battery of nine very interesting outdoor and indoor activities. These tasks are designed to be stressful and compelling, so that it urges you to willingly participate. Since, these tasks are conducted in a very cordial and encouraging atmosphere, you will find yourself getting completely involved and as a result give away your true characteristics that you normally do not share with others. Once again, the imposition of time restriction and certain binding rules ensure that your responses to the situations are instinctive and not preplanned. The detailed description of the conduct and the nuances of each task is discussed in the succeeding Chapter (only in main guide). The GTO tasks that you will be put through during GTO-I/II Day are listed below:

(i) Group Discussion

(ii) Group Planning Exercise
(iii) Progress Group Task
(iv) Group Obstacle Race
(v) Half Group Task
(vi) Lecturette
(vii) Individual Obstacles
(viii) Command Task
(ix) Final Group Task

(e)Day-V is earmarked for the Board Conference, during which, for the first time all the three assessors sit together and discuss every candidate thread bear before proclaiming their final verdict on the fate of the candidate. Generally, those candidates whose assessment by the three assessors has not been congruent, for the reasons already discussed above, come up for deliberate discussion.


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Read More:
OFFICER LIKE QUALITIES (OLQs) FOR ARMED FORCES - "DO YOU HAVE IT IN YOU?":

SCREENING - PROCEDURE AND GUIDELINES
HOW TO WRITE A DEFENCE MECHANISM STORY IN TAT 
HOW TO WRITE SELF DESCRIPTION 
How to achieve optimum level in GTO outdoor group tasks "Guru Mantra" 
PROCEDURE, SKILLS AND TIPS FOR WRITING THE SRT - SITUATION REACTION TEST  

Regards

Hosla

B.A, M.A (Psychology)

Specialist of GTO Tasks

Mob: 7015202663, 9541185701

Ambala Cantt, Haryana