Scheme of Selection in SSB

8/8/2019 Scheme of Selection in SSB

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SSB Tips Rohan Sharma

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Scheme of Selection in SSB Interview:

The existing scheme of selection was initially designed in the US army, after the second World War. The system was adoptedin the selection of officers in Army, Navy and Air Force for induction through National Defense Academy, Army Cadet Corps,Officers Training Academy, Indian Military Academy, Air Force Academy or Naval Academy.The selection process has the following stages/components.

(a) Psychological/Intelligence Test. (b) Group Testing Officer's (GTO's) Test. (c) Personal Interview. (d) Medical Examination.

It is evident that the interview is mainly confined to first three stages of examination while the fourth one concerns themedical examination of only those who get through in the SSB interview comprising of first three components. Evaluation of acandidate is made by three independent examiners. The psychological test is carried out by a psychologist and GTO test isgiven by a Group Testing Officer (GTO). Personal interview is carried out by the interviewing officer who usually is also thePresident of the Board.

The interview being an integrated process, culminates with the conference on the final day when all the three examiners gettogether to give the final assessment of the candidate. If there is any doubt on any aspect of the personality of the candidate,a few questions are put to him/her and the evaluation is done accordingly. All the candidates who manage to obtain minimumprescribed marks are declared selected. There is no quota or percentage fixed about the number of candidates to be selectedand the selection purely depends on the performance of the individuals. The selected candidates then have to undergo acomprehensive medical examination to be finally recommended for selection.

Through this series of features on careers an effort is being made to acquaint the candidates, particularly the freshcandidates, with the techniques of SSB interviews and strategy to be adopted to overcome this final hurdle to a challengingcareer in the defense forces. In the first part of this series, psychological tests are being dealt with in detail.

The scheme of selection is almost same for Army, Navy and Air Force with the only difference that in case of interviews forthe flying branch of Air Force, an additional aptitude test is given to the candidates right at the beginning. The interviewusually lasts for four to five days and the arrangements for free boarding and lodging are made for the candidates. Moreover,the candidates appearing before the Board for the first time are entitled to claim traveling allowance for to-and-fro journey upto the selection centre.

Questionnaire

Immediately on arrival at the Selection Board a questionnaire is given to all the candidates in which, in addition to personal

details, including educational qualifications and details of family, hobbies, games and other extra curricular activities, detailsabout other important happenings in life, friends, ambitions, etc are also sought from the candidates. This questionnaireusually forms the basis for interview. This part also assumes importance, considering the fact that it is of importance to apsychologist to know what a candidate thinks of oneself.

Psychological Tests

(a) Intelligence Tests: First and important part of psychological tests is the intelligence test. There are two types ofintelligence tests. In the first, usually 80 questions are required to be answered within 30 or 35 minutes. The time is lesser forthe second in which 60 questions on figures are required to be answered in 20 to 25 minutes. This test presumes that evenunder adverse circumstances an intelligent person will be able to answer more number of questions accurately. The questionsare objective type with multiple choice answers.

To attempt maximum number of questions correctly, the candidates are advised to attempt those questions to start with,about which they are fully sure. The questions which need some more time to answer, must be skipped initially and if afterattempting other questions there is some time left, it can then be devoted to the left-out questions. Exhaustive practice inthese tests, which appear regularly in the Competition Master, can be of great help in attempting the intelligence testseffectively. A candidate who achieves a good score in these tests may get the benefit of being placed higher in the order ofmerit if he/she finally makes it in the interview.

(b)Word Association Test: This test aims at judging the personality traits and basic psychology of a candidate. It bringsout attitudes, thoughts, desires, feelings and even negative aspects of one's personality. For testing the word association,candidates are shown a word of common usage for about 15 seconds, during which time candidates are supposed to write asentence. After 15 seconds are over, another word is exposed for 15 seconds, the process continues and candidates are askedto write 50 sentences. The words are easy and of day-to-day usage. Time given to the candidates is so short that they have


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to write down the very first thought that comes after seeing the word. The psychologists analyze the personality traits,attitudes and feelings on the basis of these natural reactions of the candidates to specific words.

There can be no readymade solutions to the word association test. However, with a little bit of practice the candidates canchoose correct sentence. The pessimistic, negative, pervert and counter-productive feelings must be avoided whereas positivefeelings of success, honesty, respectfulness, uprightness, optimism, humanism, etc should be highlighted. For example, theword "failure", can be used as "Failure cannot always be avoided", or "Failures are the pillars of success". Whereas the formersentence depicts pessimism and defeat, the latter sentence shows how a negative word can also be used in a positive

manner. On similar lines the candidates must prepare himself beforehand for words like defeat, death, disease wrong, etc. Itmust be ensured that the sentences used are small and convey some positive aspect of one's psyche. Due care must be takento ensure that the sentences do not depict the feeling of fear, insecurity, anxiety, cowardice, etc. To do well in this test thecandidates must practice with several sets of words and do the self appraisal.

(c)Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): This technique, also called picture story writing, is one of the most importantaspects of psychological test at SSBs. This technique aims at judging the overall personality of a candidate by judging thetraits like fearlessness, positive frame of mind, initiative, judgment, courage, temperament, ambitions, and more particularlycandidates' suitability for the armed forces. This test is conducted by showing several slides/pictures (usually ten) to thecandidate for a short while. Then he is asked to write a small story on the picture. The picture is shown for 30 seconds andthe candidate is given a time of 3 minutes for writing a brief story. Needless to say that the time duration is very less and thecandidates must think and write fast to complete the story within the stipulated time.

The candidates need special practice to attempt this test successfully. It must be clearly understood that the story which is

written by the candidates, depicts their own thoughts, perceptions and imaginations. Hence the initial 30-second time whilethe picture is displayed, must be utilized in most useful manner. After devoting minimum possible time for understanding thepicture, the candidate should appreciate the situation, identify the hero of the story and prepare a simple but well thought ofplot for the story. The plot should be simple considering the fact that the story has to be written within 3-minutes. Theplanned story should depict the feelings of courage, success, hard-work, initiative, ambition, achievement, helpfulness,patriotism and positive bent of mind. It should be ensured that no unnecessary time is wasted in describing the picture. Thepicture only depicts one of the situations which could form part of the story. It is pertinent to add that candidates may expectat least one picture each about hospital scene, war, road accident, a captive lady, a frustrated youth, a river, a thief, agraveyard, etc. There may be a few vague pictures also. Practice on writing stories on above situation/pictures would assistthe candidates to do well in this test.

(d) Situation Reaction Test (SRT): This is last in the series of psychological tests. In the SRT, the candidates are given 4to 5 reactions to a particular day-to-day situation and the candidates are asked to choose the most appropriate one. This testaims at judging a candidate's aptitude towards cooperation, group interests and positive thinking. No answer is out rightlyincorrect or correct. The candidates get weighted marks depending on the degree of correctness of an answer. In all 50 to 60situations have to be reacted upon in 25 to 30 minutes. The candidates must exercise due care while choosing the alternativesas two to three alternatives may appear to be correct. The answer which appears to be the best in a real life situation must bechosen. Initially, questions appearing easier to answer should be chosen and the candidates should avoid conflicting repliesand be considered.

Group Testing Officers Test

The second part of the interview contains Group Testing Officer's (GTO's) Test. While the first part aims at testing theintelligence and frame of mind of a candidate, the GTO's test is a complete test of one's personality, including physical fitness,mental robustness, leadership qualities, planning flexibility, expression, knowledge, argumentative capabilities, etc. In otherwords, the performance of every candidate is gauged as a member of a group, and leader of the group, so that his/herbehavior as equal, superior or subordinate is keenly observed and assessed. The group worthiness of a candidate is tested.

The GTO's test includes the following six broad sub-tests:

Group discussion Group planning exercise Group obstacles Command Task Individual obstacles Lecturette


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Group Discussion

Candidates are divided in groups of 8 to 10 and each group is tested by a GTO. Usually two topics of general interest aregiven by the GTO to the group and the group is asked to choose one of the topics, on the basis of which the group is asked toproceed with discussion. Every candidate is supposed to express his opinion and views on the topic given. The time fordiscussion is approximately 20 minutes. After the discussion on the first topic is closed, GTO gives the second topic. During

the discussion, the GTO quietly observes the performance and behaviour of the candidates and makes his own assessment.

The group discussion tests the expression, argumentative capabilities, depth of knowledge, initiative, flexibility, participationand authenticity of a candidate. The candidates must comprehend the topic properly, carry out a mental framework of line ofdiscussion to be pursued and plan the discussion quickly. It is always better to take the initiative to start the discussion. Selfconfidence, clarity in expression, appreciation of opinion of others, keen interest, flexibility and knowledge are some of theproperties which are sought by the GTO. Proper tone, volume and level of voice are other important aspects of a goodcandidate. To do well at group discussions, it is suggested that the candidates should prepare well by selecting certain topicsof general interest like role of science, democracy, role of women, sports, evils of dowry, family planning, compulsory militarytraining, students and politics, status of Indian women, etc.

Group Planning Exercise

Under the group planning exercise, a situation is given to the candidates usually on a sand model or cloth model. Each

candidate is given the situation in which some problem like taking a patient to hospital within stipulated time, reporting thematter to the police or any other situation is depicted and certain facilities as well as limitations are explained. Consideringthese given limitations and facilities, the candidates are required to prepare a plan to successfully accomplish the task. Thetime allotted to the candidates, to write down the solution, is about 10 minutes. Soon after writing down the solution, thegroup is asked to discuss the solutions and arrive at a group plan. The group then nominates a leader who gets up and givesthe group plan. After this, others are also asked to give their plans if there is some material difference in the plan. For thisexercise a further time of about 20 minutes is given. The test is planned to test the understanding and analytical capability ofthe candidates. In addition, in a group where no one is nominated a group leader, opportunity is provided to the naturalleaders to emerge as leaders and take over the reins of the group. The individual plan tests the analytical ability and thediscussion of the group plan sees whether the candidate is prepared to accept a superior plan over his plan or he is able toconvince the group about superiority of his plan against an inferior plan being considered by the group. The candidates mustproperly appreciate the problem, take stock of the resources available with them and then try to generate some alternatives inthe given situation. After considering the pros and cons of every alternative, best alternative should be accepted. By activelyparticipating in the group plan discussion, the candidates should try to get themselves nominated as the group leader to get

an edge over the other candidates.

Group Obstacles

Next part of GTO's test is the group obstacles. It has four sub-parts including Progressive Group Task, Group Obstacle Race,Half Group Task and Final Group Task. These tasks are designed to test the behaviour of a candidate in a group where thereare no group leaders nominated. The GTO, therefore, keenly observes the candidates for their qualities like cooperation,group belonging feelings, natural leadership qualities, planning, initiative and task orientation. Group obstacles in all the foursub-parts are in the form of obstacles which cannot be negotiated by an individual and need a group of persons to cross it.The group is explained that within the obstacle area, in which particular parts are "out of bounds", the entire group has tocross the obstacle within a given period of time with the assistance of tools like ropes, planks, wooden logs, etc. Theprogressive group task has four tasks with each successive task getting tougher and final group task is the repeat exercise tofacilitate the GTO to observe only the potential candidates.

The group obstacle race is in the form of an intergroup race in which they also have to carry a sack type of load whilecrossing the obstacles. Half group task is given by dividing the group into two sub-groups, facilitating the GTO in observingthe candidates in a better manner. While crossing these obstacles, or planning to cross these, the candidates should thinkobjectively to negotiate the obstacles with the help of given material. There are usually more than one solution to eachobstacle. Immediately on getting the solution, the candidates must start asserting themselves by also seeking advice andsuggestions of other candidates. Even if the candidate is unable to arrive at any solution he should try to assume the role of amediator between several candidates having diverse solutions. Even while actually negotiating the obstacle endeavour shouldbe to take on the most difficult tasks so that an impression of task orientation and leading by example is created in the mindof the GTO.


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Command Task

Command Task is aimed at testing the leadership and command capabilities of candidates. In all the earlier exercises, thenatural leaders are allowed to emerge. But in some cases, where there are more than one natural leaders, the strongest onewill overshadow rest of them. Similarly, a person who is shy by nature, may not be able to exhibit his leadership qualities in agroup of equals and hence an opportunity is given to such candidates to show their worth in a formalised situation, wherethey are declared leaders. In the command task the nature of obstacles and facilitating material remain the same. The onlychange is that one candidate is nominated as a formal leader, asked to choose his team, plans to negotiate the obstacle andfinally executes the plan. The candidate's judgement, planning and analytical capabilities are checked and his capabilities toget a task executed are also tested. The candidate must, therefore, choose his team carefully, choosing the best candidateswho are cooperative and physically strong. This reflects his objective assessment of subordinates. Then the leader mustexplain to his men the objective or task, the facilitating material available to them and spell out the plan as to how he plannedto accomplish the task. The plan should be clear and spelt out in clear and commanding manner. After explaining the task tohis men, the leader should go ahead with the proper execution of the task by properly supervising and giving supplementaryinstructions if required. Normally, the work should be got executed from the chosen candidates, but in case some part ofobstacle negotiation needs his assistance, he should be ready to do so. At times, the commander may find it difficult to plan asolution to the obstacle. Under such a situation, the commander may ask the members of the group to suggest to him thepossible solution.

Individual Obstacles

There are 10 obstacles which are required to be negotiated by every individual within a stipulated period of 3 minutes. The

obstacles are not very tough and can be negotiated by any candidate with average physical fitness. These obstacles includeclimbing ropes, jumping, swinging on ropes, climbing wall, walking over a beam and parallel ropes, etc. The relatively difficultobstacles carry higher marks and easier ones have lesser. In case a candidate can repeat some of the obstacles, aftercompleting all in the given time period, such a candidate gets more than maximum marks to the extent of repetition ofobstacles. To do well at this test, the candidate must try to achieve a particular level of physical fitness before proceeding tothe SSB interviews. Easier obstacles should be attempted first and even if one is unable to complete all the obstacles withinthree minutes, one should be satisfied as in the words of one GTO "armed forces need officers, not monkeys". Nevertheless,this test aims at looking for bare minimum level of physical fitness, which can be built up by rigorous pre-commission trainingin the Training Acadmeies.

Lecturette

Lecturette is last in the series of GTO's tests and is aimed at testing the speech of a candidate. A leader should be able tospeak effectively, attract attention while he is talking, have a clear head and clear line of thinking. These qualities are tested

by giving a small test to the candidates known as lecturette. This candidate is given about four topic of general nature whichdo not need any specialised knowledge. The candidates are required to select one topic, prepare for three minutes and thendeliver a speech to the group for a period of three minutes. While taking this test, the candidate must select the subject/topicon which he is fully confident of having enough knowledge and material to speak for three minutes. Unnecessary movementsof hands, legs, fingers etc should be avoided and the speech should be delivered in a pleasant but authoritative voice. Theviews expressed should be balanced and extreme positions in views should be avoided. The clarity of thoughts and ideas mustbe insured.

It is evident from the above that the GTO's test is a comprehensive test of one's personality. An objective assessment ofpersonality of the candidates is made by observing their behaviour in a group and as a leader as well. Capabilities of thecandidates like knowledge, expression, leadership, initiative, physical fitness, planning capabilities, understanding, disposition,grasp and task orientation, etc are tested by following a comprehensive and objective method of personality test. The GTOmakes the assessment by assigning marks in each of the six exercises and then finally allots the aggregate marks on the basisof overall average assessment.

Personal interview is the last hurdle in the selection process to the defence forces through SSB Interviews, apart from themedical examination. Every candidate is tested by a psychologist, G.T.O. and finally by the President or Deputy President ofthe Selection Board.

The aim of the personal interview is to have a closer look at the personality of every candidate through conversation infriendly discussion. To keep the interview formal and the candidate at ease, only one interviewer interacts with the candidate.The information given by the candidate, on the very first day in the questionnaire, forms the initial basis for questions duringthe course of interview.


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Conduct

At an average, every interview lasts about 30-40 minutes. The President of the Board begins in a very friendly manner byasking very personal questions from the candidates like name, detail of the brothers and sisters, occupation of parents, namesof good friends, place to which the candidate belonged. About 10 minutes-time is devoted on these questions so that thecandidate is put at ease. Name of the educational institutions where one studied, subjects offered, marks obtained etc are afew other questions that may be initially expected. In addition to putting a candidate at ease, the President also observes thequalities of friendliness and the ease with which one can handle simple and personal questions. Other questions in theinterview may be about games played, hobbies, girl/boy friends and the means adopted by the candidate to remain fit. As ayoung and educated person, one is expected to either play or have keen interest in some games. Similarly, every person isexpected to have a hobby, be it reading, playing games, swimming, driving, gardening, philately, riding, photography ortraveling. Every young candidate, aspiring to become an officer in the armed forces, is also expected to have friendship withthe opposite sex. Hence all these questions must be answered accordingly.

Final part of the personal interview may include a few questions on current topics, general knowledge, some imaginarysituation for reaction and small simple problems for judging the administrative planning capabilities of the candidate. Problemsolving may be judged by depicting a simple real-life imaginary situation involving the brothers, sisters, parents or friends towhich reaction of the candidate is judged. Similarly, a small administrative problem may be given to a candidate includingorganization of a match or a picnic. The candidate is then asked to give his/her step by step planning and execution andperception of happening of the event, without its actually taking place.

How to tackle?

As has been hinted above, the questions in the interview must be tackled very carefully. The candidates should not be in ahurry to reply the questions. The questions should be properly understood and after considering the contents for a while,reply should be given. Regarding personal questions, the candidates should be careful that they do not hide material facts ortry to give wrong facts. It must be understood clearly that the President conducting the interview handles several candidatesevery day and does the same thing over the years. Moreover, he is trained to interview candidates in such a manner as thetruth comes out. Any attempt to hide some facts or give wrong facts will be certainly picked up by the experienced Presidentand they usually make the candidate realise during the interview itself that he/she was trying to bluff. Moreover, no candidateis expected to be perfect, as every human being does have some weaknesses. However, it should also be ensured that nounnecessary details are given by the candidate. The replies should be to the point and relevant to the questions asked.

The same principle applies to the other questions like games played, hobbies pursued and friends (particularly from theopposite sex) held. The games which are stated to be played by the candidate should be ones about which the candidate hascomplete knowledge and is able to reply to most of the questions. Similarly, the interviewer devotes a lot of time to the hobby

named by the candidate. The candidates must, therefore, make sure that the hobbies and games they name must be fullyknown to them. Rather than bluffing in this regard, it is better to give a negative reply. Moreover, as earlier pointed out it isgood to have friends from the opposite sex with healthy and friendly relations. But in case there is no such friend, the factshould be admitted without hesitation.

Finally, the questions on current affairs and general knowledge need a little-bit of brushing up of knowledge in this field.Regular readers of "The Competition Master" normally do not find much difficulty in tackling this part. Candidates who feelless confident in this part are advised to consult the General Knowledge Refresher by O.P. Khanna.

The questions on the reactions in given situations have to be handled very carefully. The candidates must grasp situationcompletely, clarify the doubts if any and after taking some time to think, come out clearly with the course of action. Choosinga right course of action is not very difficult. The candidates must imagine themselves in similar situation and consider the mostprobable course of action which would be taken by them, which invariably is also the right solution to the problem. In their

reactions, the candidates must not bring in any artificiality and unnecessary heroism. They should react as if they would havedone in a similar real life situation. Due care, therefore, must be exercised as this is one of the most crucial aspects of theinterview. Two more questions which must be prepared properly are (a) "Why do you want to join the Defense Forces?"; (b)"If you are not selected what would you do?" These are often-repeated questions and must be answered very honestly andcorrectly, without any exaggeration.

Balanced Behavior

While proper replies to the questions are important balanced conduct of the candidates is still more important. The candidatesshould avoid use of slangs and be very respectful to interviewer. Use of language and expression are the plus points but thecandidates are usually not penalized for weak expression, as it is believed that the problems of fluency and expression areovercome during the training period. The candidates must be composed and maintain their poise. Lack of confidence in


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replying to the questions reflects lack of knowledge and self-confidence. At the same time one must not be over confident orarrogant.

The interviewers are trained to identify the signals sent by the body language along with the spoken word. Whatever isspoken from the mouth must be reflected from the eyes of the candidate as well the tone of his/her voice. Hence, bodylanguage must be controlled to convey the same meaning as the word of the mouth. Any contradiction reveals the untruthfulintention of the candidate. It should, however, be kept in mind that no unnecessary gesticulations are made with hands andsitting posture is also proper, as recommended for the interviews.

The appearance and bearing of the candidate helps in making a good first impression. The clothes need not be new or highlyfashionable and bright, but should be sober and properly cleaned. Hair should be properly groomed and hands should beproperly cleaned with the nails cleanly cut. While describing their achievements, the candidates should be modest withoutbeing boastful and while admitting weaknesses and failures, they should not be ashamed or evasive. There must be eye-contact with the interviewer for most part of the interview.

Interview Etiquettes

In addition to the above there are certain established interview etiquettes which must be strictly adhered to. One must enterthe room after seeking permission. On entering the room, the candidate must suitably wish the interviewer and should sit onlywhen he/she is asked to do so. On being offered a seat, one is expected to thank the interviewer. In case the President offersa hand for handshake, it must be shaken firmly, but the candidates, on their own should not initiate shaking the hands. Seatshould be taken promptly and the candidate should sit properly and if possible in an upright manner.

The interviewee should offer a bright and cheerful face. If the President calls for a cup of tea or lights a cigarette and alsooffers to a candidate, it should be declined gracefully, without annoying him. In a very few cases if the President asks someirritating and personally offending questions, the candidates must not loose their poise and temper. Such a question may beaimed at seeing whether or not a candidate gets provoked easily. The candidates should also show flexibility and admithis/her mistakes, if any pointed out by the President. If a question is not clearly understood or heard, the President may berequested politely to repeat it as there is no harm in it. As the interview is over, the candidates should thank the President,get up without battling with the chair, wish him appropriately and quietly leave the room. The questions like "How have Idone Sir?" should not be asked by the candidates while leaving the interview room.

Conference

The last stage in the selection process is the conference which takes place on the last day. During the earlier three stages,

three selectors i.e. the psychologist, G.T.O. and the President carry out their tests independently. At the conference all thethree selectors sit together, call the interviewee and ask two-three formal and routine questions. Candidates who qualify in allthe three tests independently are declared successful. All those failing in all or any two are declared unsuccessful. A fewcandidates marginally failing in one of the tests, may expect a couple of more absorbing questions, including a situation, andon the basis of reply offered by the candidate, final decision about his/her selection is taken. The result is announced soonafter the conclusion of the conference and all those who are selected are required to stay back for the medical examination,which takes another three to four days.

Medical Examination

The selected candidates are then required to undergo medical examination. Prior to the medical examination, a form is givento the candidates to be filled which mainly relates to the past medical history of the candidate as well as his/her members ofthe family. The candidates who pass all the medical tests are finally declared as successful and may expect a call to join thetraining academy concerned within a month or two of the selection. However, the call letters are issued after clubbing the

marks obtained in the written examination of the UPSC as well as marks obtained in the interview. At times it may so happenthat even a candidate getting through in the interview finally, may not get a call to join at the concerned training academy ifthe number of vacancies is less or the candidate is very low in the order of merit. Hence, the candidates are advised not toleave their studies or jobs till they rceive a call to join at the training academy concerned.

Have these things in You?

i) Self Confidence ii) Interest iii) Motivation iv) Awareness v) Understanding vi) Good Health. These are the vitalfactors an SSB candidate should have.


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Belief in your own abilities. Performing a given task, under any given situation and in an unfamiliar situation isroughly called as having self-confidence. Your positive thoughts go a long way in developing your self-confidence.

Positive thoughts, needless to say, help the individual to progress in life, negative thoughts lead one to destruction.

Department of Psychological Research Institute, Dimalpur at Delhi specially trains the Board of officers.

Due to a large number of candidates applying for commission in the armed forces each year, to make way for deeperselection a new method of Pre-screening and Screening tests have been evolved in the recent times.

The Nature of Selection Tests: Under the present assessment techniques adopted by the S.S.B, the candidatesare put thorough a series of tests such as IQ tests, Perception test, EKT (Engineering Knowledge Test), Groupdiscussion. These form the part of Pre Screening and Screening tests. Only those candidates who qualify in thepreliminary rounds are allowed to take the full SSB tests.

a) Psychological Testsb) Group Testing Officers testsc) Interview by Interviewing Officer.

What are the Candidates Tested For ?The candidates are examined and tested theoretically and practically for the assessment of Officers Like qualities.

Services Selection CentresArmy: a) Bangalore, b) Bhopal, c) AllahabadNavy: Besides the above centers, Coimbatore is also one of the centers for selecting candidates for the NAVY.

Air Force: a) Mysore, b) Varanasi, c) Dehradun

Three Pronged Testing

Three different officers subject each candidate to certain type of tests, which put together beings out the OLQ(officer Like Qualities), which the services are looking for.There are certain qualities which can be developed

/strengthened by training and some of the qualities cannot be developed by training.

Psychological Tests

a) Intelligence tests consists of Verbal and Non-verbal testsb) Psychological tests to assess the personality ofthe candidates,these include:-i) Word Association Test (WAT)ii) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)iii) Situation Reaction Test (SRT)iv) Self Description test

Group Testing Officers Tests

a) Indoor Testsi) Group Discussion

ii) Group Planningiii) Lecturing- Extempore speech

b) Outdoor Tests.i) Group Tasksii) Command Tasksiii) Individual Endurance Tasks

Interviewing officers Test


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Personal interview by President/Deputy President.Stage - I2. Pre Screening Testsa) OIRT (Officers Intelligence rating test)b) Perception tests ( A model)c) Group Discussion, which is followed by above, tests a few tips.

Stage - II

3. Psychological testsi) Word Association Testii) Situation Reaction Testiii) Thematic Appreciation Testiv) IQ Verbal Testv) IQ - Non Verbal testvi) PIQ Form Fillingvii) Pen Picture writing a few tipsviii) Practice tests 1 - 5

4. Group Testing Officers testsi) Tips to Tackle Group Discussionii) Tips to Extempore Speech Makingiii) Military planning Explanation and Sample

iv) Tips to tackle Individual Obstaclesv) Tips to tackle Group tasks and Command Tasks

5. Interview Dos and Don'ts

PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS

Your Handwriting is the mirror to judge your quality. Write neatly and legibly.Since these tests are designed tocalculate your IQ, try and complete,as many questions as possible; but at the same time, do not do so withoutthinking sufficiently. Even75% of the questions answered correctly will see you thorough. Since every test is co-related, be positive in what you write.Your pen picture should tally with your thoughts pen down.Since you are beingcompared with all other candidates your best performance will take you to your ultimate Goal.

WAT Word Association Test: Write the first positive thought that comes to your mind.Time given is 15 seconds towrite. The sentence need not be grammatically correct or the word used just to write a sentence. Remember this isnot a Make a sentence type exam.This is designed to test your inner thoughts. So be careful in what ever you write.

SRT (Situational Reaction Test) the tests contain day-to-day practical incidents that you will be facing in yourreal life.Write what actions you, Will be taking incase you are in those situations.There are no right or wronganswers; best approach is to write a positive yet a good citizen will do. Here your qualities such as Courage, helpingattitude, empathy, responsibility, social interaction, boldness, honesty etc are tested. Write down the answers on asheet of paper so thatyou can compare the same with some suggestions. (Never copy the suggestions for it mightlead you to wrong conclusions)Please take the Practice test.

Thematic Appreciation test

The Thematic Story writing will be 12 in all. 11 of them are having some picture and one does not have any. You willget about 3 minutes for each story. Do not write stereotype stories. Try different theme for different stories.Remember you are the Hero; the aim should be to bring out leadership qualities of the hero through these stories.The Qualities that you are to project through your stories are:-

ALTERTNESS, AVAILABLITY FOR TASKSGOOD BEHAVIOURCONSIDERATIONCOURGEDETERMIANTIONDICISION MAKING


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ENDURANCE AND ENTHUSIASMFAIRNESS, FLEXIBILITYHONSETY, HARD WORKINTEGRITYLOYALTY, LEADERSHIP.MANNERSPERSEVERANCE, PATRIOTISMRESOURCEFULNESSSTRAIGHTFORWARDNESSSMARTNESSSUPPORTIVENESSTACT, TRUTHFULLNESSZEAL

Only during the perception test you are required to give The age, sex, mood, and number of group of the personsyou see in the picture. Your story should such that it suits the picture yet tells The past is that what led to thissituation What is happening in the picture? What will happen in the future?

SELF APPRAISAL

Every candidate will be asked to write a slf- appraisal during the psychological test. This will be the last part of thePsychological test. The aim of this is to make you commit about your-self regarding your knowledge about your-self.

The usual headings under which you will be asked to give out the appraisal is:-a) What is you personal opinion about your self?b) What do your parents think of you?c) What does your best friend think about you?d) What does your worst enemy think of you?e) What does your teacher think of you?f) What are your strong points?g) What are your weak points?h) What are the qualities you would like to develop?

Tips: Go systematic. Suggested headings:i) About your parents and place of birth and family backgroundii) Physical Attributes

iv) Social Contactsv) Educationvi) Extra curricular activities , achievementsvii) Your aims and goals. Both short term and long termviii) Religion

An example of Self-AppraisalAbout parents and place of birth: I was born and brought up at Coimbatore, an urban township in the western partof Tamilnadu. My parents are moderately educated. We belong to a middle class family. My father is a businessmanand mother is a housewife. I have an elder brother who is working as a software engineer in PUNE.

Physical Aspects: I am Medium built, and 5 feet 8 inches tall. As I used to take part in sports events and am usedto regular exercise I am physically fit. I do not remember to have taken ill except for some minor ailments. I go for

Jogging every morning before I start my studies. Evening one hour of sports activity keeps me in shape.

Social Contacts: I have a number of good friends. They have confidence in me and I am an extrovert by nature.We take part in the college functions. None of our vacations with out our trekking trips to local hillocks and far offvillages around Coimbatore. I like to mix around make friends. We do organize Blood donation/health check upcamps and hold children entertainment functions during Aug 15 every year in our neighborhood.

Education: I did my initial schooling at _________. I was groomed by my parents to pay attention towards mystudies, sports and was encouraged to take part in school cultural activities. As a result of my father'sencouragement, I used to take p[art in school debate/quiz competition. I always like some challenges from myclassmates, whether it is studies or sports. I have always scored good marks and stood within the first three ranks in


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the class. I have won prizes for Elocution, sports events. I am now doing my final semester in BE Electronics at PSGEngineering College. I got admission after a tough entrance examination, in which I scored285 out of 300 marks. Myambition is to become an Officer in the Indian Air Force in Technical Branch.

Extra curricular activities: Sight seeing and trekking has always been my passion. I am a member of my collegesenior wing of NCC. I am an Under Officer and represented the college and took part in the Republic day parade heldat New Delhi during 26 Jan 2002.

As per my hobby, I collect handicraft items made by villagers. Till date I have visited 11 Villages in the tribal area of

Coimbatore, and collected about 14 items. I help my parents to look after our daily house hold work and take time tohelp my mother to clean up the house, a few hours on Sundays. I keep a daily journal, which helps me to writearticles for my college magazine keep a "DO IT TODAY List" on my computer, which help me to organize my day andall other activities. The Internet browsing is yet another hobby of mine. I use it to communicate with m friends aswell read about my subject matter.

Achievements: While at School I had won prizes in Elocution, debate and essay writing.I have taken part in English, Hindi and Tamil Elocutions. I was the school athletics champion for three continuousyears from 1997-2000. Represented College at NCC Republic Day camp in the year 2002, and Leadership course atMt Pachmari I 2001.

Adjusted as best athlete in college in the Year 2001. I have been selected to represent the university, for presentingmy paper and " Robotics in space mission."

Religion: I treat all religion as equal. I have friends from all religions; I attend their religious functions. I believe in

the fact God is one , in which ever form he may be worshiped. I have a learned to give tolerance to all religions frommy mother, who too has kept the images of gods of all rel igions in our prayers room.

INDIVIDUAL & GROUP TASKS

1. >>Individual


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2. >> Group

By carefully following the suggestions you

will be able to Project your OLQ (Officer LikeQualities) to the selectors at the Services

Selection Board.Remember to be natural and calm, be your self, do your best, put the interest of the group before your own, andalways be alert. By being yourself your qualities are easily seen by the selectors. All the selectors are well trained, soplease do not use any unfair means are bluff.

What do they judge at SSB in Group Tasks ?

A) Assessment of Candidate's Participation within the formulated RulesB) Planning and Intelligent Assessment of the situationC) Inidividual Quality in context to the GroupD) Assuming control of a Group to execute a taskE) Assess the problem from different anglesF) Assign responsibility to Team matesG) Ability to realise the Potential of Group Members

H) Capacity to motivate othersI) AlertnessJ) Creative ThinkingK) Putting the Group before the SelfL) Helping TendencyM) Originality of ThoughtN) Quick Decision MakingO) Cooperation with OthersP) Group IntegrationQ) Planning and Execution


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R) Leadership Initiative---Confidential---

PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE

1.Selection Board (No & Place) Batch No Chest No UPSC Roll No

2. Name in CAPITALS as in application form

3. Father's Name

4. (a) Place of maximum residence(b) Present Address (With Approximatepopulation of the City/town/village)(c) Permanent Address (With Approximatepopulation of the City/town/village)

(Whether District HQ or Not)

5.Fill in the details below:

State & District Religion WhetherSC/ST Mother Tongue Date of BirthMarried/Single/Widowed

6.(a) Parents Alive Yes/No(b) If not alive your age at the time of Father's/Mother's Death(c) Parents/Guardians Occupation /Income (As applicable)

Particulars Education Occupation Income per Month

FatherMotherGuardianNo of brothersNo of sisters

Your ranking amongst your brother and sister

7. Educational Record (Commencing from matriculation /Equivalent Examination):-

S. No Qualification Acquired Name of Institute Year Division & Marks% Medium of InstructionBoarder/Day-Scholar Out Standing Achievement if anya) Matric /Higher Secondaryb) 10+2c) B.A/B.Sc/B.Comd) Professional

8. Age ( Year & Months) / Height (in Metre) Weight (in Kilograms)

10(a) N.C.C Training _________________________________________ Yes/No(b) Total Training (if Yes) (Give details below)

Total Training Wing Division Certificate Obtained

11. a) Participation in Games & Sports


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Games/Sports Period or Duration of Participation Represented School/College/UniversityOutstandingAchievement, if any

b)Hobbies/Interest

c) Participation in Extra curricular activities :-

Name of the activity group Duration of Participation Outstanding achievement if any

d) Position of responsibility/Offices held in NCC/ScoutingSports team/Extra-curricular group and other fields:-12.(a) Nature of Commission(b) Choice of Service

13. Number if chances availed for commission in all three services

14. Details of last interview ,if any (Air Force/Navy/Army Selection Board)S.No Type of Entry Place and SSBNo Date Batch and ChestNo Recommended/NotRecommended

WHAT, YOU FOLLOW?

Follow the suggestions to get clear the interviews, Your answers come underthe Candidates Reaction and the right way of answering comes under Suggestion

1.WARCandidates reactions: a) Peace overcomes warb) War is destructionc) I hate ward) War means bloodshed

Suggestion: Love Peace, but be prepared for war

2.PEACECandidate: a) Every one loves peace (Acceptable)b) I love peacec) Peace brings Progress ( Very Good)

3.WORKCandidate: a) work is worshipb) Hard work pays (Acceptable)c) Hardwork leads to success (Very Good)d) Work while you work play while you play (Avoid using proverbs)

4.DEFEATCandidate a) Defeat the enemy

b) Defeat the defeatc) Defeat -dont get upsetd) Dont get depressed by defeats (Acceptable)Suggestion: a) Defeat teaches us lessons.b) Analyse causes of defeat to succeed

5.COUNTRYCandidate: a) I Love my Country (Good)b) Serving our country is Nobel (Acceptable)c) Its our duty to safeguard our country (A)d) Country first self next


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7.LUCK, 8.GHOST, 9.TRUST, 10.COMPANY, 11.PLAYGROUND, 12.CHARACTER, 13.SPORTS, 14.SAD,15.WORRY, 16.SUCCESS, 17.GARDEN, 18.ARMY, 19.MUSIC, 20.WAR, 21.HEALTH, 22.CUSTOM,23.AFFECTION, 24.FORTUNE, 25.FAULT, 26.SNAKE, 27.HELP, 28.CO-0PERATE, 29.RESPONSIBLE,30.WITHDRAW, 31.TIRED, 32.RISK, 33.BOAT, 34.STEP, 35.FIGHT, 36.PROBLEM, 37.MACHINE, 38.LEAD,39.SYSTEM, 40.AFRAID, 41.SERIOUS, 42.SAVE, 43.JUMP, 44.DIFFER, 45.PROTECT,46.SISTER, 47.ATOM, 48.SOCIETY, 49.ATTACK, 50.ENEMY, 51.FRIEND, 52.MONEY, 53.WEALTH,54.POOR, 55.EXERCISE, 56.RUN, 57.CONFLICT, 58.PRINCIPAL, 59.EXPERIENCE, 60.AIM

6.HOME Suggestion: Home teaches us Manners

7 . Luck plus hard workleads to success.8 . Ghost stories are famous in England.9 . Always trust your leader.10 . Enjoy good company of friends.11 . Playground teaches us many lessons.12 . Character is a virtue.13 . A part from studies involve in sports.14 . Happiness overcomes sadness.15 . Dont worry about failures.16 . Success is the fruit of hard work.17 . My garden has many kinds of flowers.18 . Indian army is known for its patriotism.

19 . Music can cure diseases.20 . India won the Kargil war.21 . Jogging keeps us in good health.22 . Its our custom to respect elders.23 . I have great affection towards my parents.24 . Fortune and hard work makes one succeed.25 . Engineers are capable of rectifying faults.26 . Snakes poison is used as medicine.27 . Always help others.28 . Co-operate with your neighbors.29 . I am a responsible person.30 . Yesterday I withdrew my savings to help the poor.31 . When interested in work one feels seldom tired.32 . Soldiers risktheir life for their motherland.

33 . Boats are used to cross dangerous rivers.34 . Failure is stepping stone for success.35 . Fight for a noble cause.36 . Every problem has a solution.37 . Machine is backbone of industry.38 . Leaders always lead.39 .Education system in India is good.40 . Dont be afraid of obstacles.41 . Take things seriously and work.42 . Child was saved when he was drowned in the river.43 . Analyze the situation andjump into action.44 . Opinions always differ.45 . Exercise protects us from diseases.

Story Writing Tips

Thematic writing is given to judge your imagination and positive thoughts.When you start writing the story remember the following:The story should have a Pastthe present (i.e. what is happening in the scene)The Future.In the story the hero/heroine may be seen or imaginedthe hero should bring out his good quality. i.e. that any one of the 15 OLQ already told to you inthis SSB Handbook


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The story should be about 12 to 15 sentences3 for Past6 for Present3 for future

In the picture no 1.Mr. Ram was an hard working and intelligent young man.

His aim was to become a collector, he started his preparation from his final year at the college.In the picture we see him preparing for the forth coming prelim.Being a meticulous and a student of foresight, he had collected the materials for the test. Hishard work and dedication had paid him. He passed the exam with flying colorsHe continued his hard work in the academy too, and he passed out as the best IAS officer inhis course.

Dos and Donts @ SSB

Dos:1. On arrival introduce your self to the reception staff and show your documents.2. Make as many friends as possible at the reception center itself.3. Remember you are being judged by your own batch mates right from the word go. Behave like a perfectGentleman.

4. Keep a record of all the Bio data, for you will need this to fill up your arrival info form.5. Always dress up neatly and appear smart. Before you leave your room spend a minute in front of the mirror. Aman / woman is judged by others, by what he wears and what he speaks.6. At the railway station itself buy a city guide it will help you to know about the city and its places of importance,bus route, train timings etc.,7. Always address the group as Gentlemen, or friends. His/her chest number allotted by the board, should be used.(During Discussion and test only.)8. Know each individual of your group by name his qualification; this will help you during GTOs Task. Try andbecome popular with them.9. Take initiative, be co-operative. Listen to others. As the time is at premium during discussions, speak up. Be boldand express your self clearly be brief and do not repeat what others have said. It is better to speak either first orsecond, so that you will have an opportunity to put forward your points.10. During Psychological tests, Always write positive sentences/story it should bring out the officer like qualities (ofwhich you have been taught.)

11. During interview if you do not know any answer politely say "I am sorry Sir, I don't Know."12. Be calm, cool and attentive. Smile while you enter the interviewing room and also say thank you, at the time ofdeparture. Your handshake should be firm.13. The interviewing officer is a qualified gentleman, never bluff, you will get caught and spoil you chances ofsuccess.14. Be confident, rehearse some favorite questions.

Don't:

1. No lies/false hood please.2. You have no bad points except to over work to get perfection in any task under taken.3. Do not Waste your time unnecessarily read some magazines.

4. Don't be tense take it easy, always think before you answer.

Group Planning

You are a group of Nine college students, all of you went to River Kasi for enjoying a boat ride.While you were going for boating, you saw a school bus carrying children for picnic spot nearthe River. When you started boating down the river, you you saw an Helicopter flying very lowand crashed near Fort, which was 2 kms away from your location. You also noticed that therewas a lot of hue and cry of small children, who got stuck in the cable car just near to your boatingsite. Two of your friends who went to investigate the Helicopter crash reported to you stating,that the Pilot was injured and a box, which he was carrying was to be delivered to ATC by 1500


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hours, if not it would explode. The cable operator rushed towards you, and requested you to help himout to repair the cable car and rescue the children. One of your friends told you that he had left hiswallet containing money and important address in the near by teashop. You were also required to reachthe college hostel to attend the function at 1700 hours. The time now is 1430 hours.Write your actions and discuss a suitable solution.

Assume resources available area) a Jeepb) traffic on the roadc) Phone at Local Hospital which is 6 Kms away from your location.d) Road head is 2Kms from youe) Fort is 4 kms away from you

An interview is a face-to-face meeting, especially for the purposed of assessing the candidate for the job applied for.It aims at evaluating your academic knowledge, awareness or current topics, communication skills, the clarity ofthought and expression and sense of balance, and ability to extricate you from tricky situation.

SSB's: One of the most fundamental factors that contribute to the successful interview is the time and quality ofpreparation made by. Normally the President/ Vice President of the Services Selection Board will conduct thepersonal Interview. They are very senior Officer from the Armed forces. Degree of preparedness for an interviewhelps reduce the uncertain anxiety prior to the Interview.. The amount of effort you wish to put into preparation isdirectly proportional to your out put at the interview. How to plan your preparation ? Preparation developsConfidence and gears you for the anticipated grilling. Prepare the following:

How to Tackle?

Write down in a neat and legible handwriting the PIQ form given to you (Please copy it down it is given in this CD).Try to put down everything in an orderly and crisp manner. Revise your Bio-data thoroughly. Try to form your ownquestions based on it. Answer them to your full satisfaction. Check your Bio-Date for grammatical and spelling error.Remember discerning interviewer expects Zero error in the Bio-Data. Try and collect as much information about theCity in which you live, your School, College, place of interview and places you have visited. Be sure regarding yourhobbies. For example, if you have written reading as a hobby, be sure about what you have been reading.Interviewer expects a serious reply. He expects the names of the authors and then will ask questions based on theirthemes. A serious reader will score over others who refer cheap detective, thriller novels. The logic holds good forany other hobby you have mentioned in your PIQ. Be clear of your favorite subject and area of you interest in thesubject, which you are/have specialized.

Refresh your knowledge. Then interviewer might ask you a few technical questions. A well-groomed look gives animage of thoroughness and professional look. Your achievements should be brought out in a systematic order as andwhen you are asked about it. Follow the normal etiquette for the interview., Wait for the officer to speak first- Listencarefully before you speak. Take a few long breaths this will calm down your nerves, after l istening to the questioncarefully, clarify your doubts if any, before you answer the question. Think well before you answer. For morequestions will follow your answers.The New Technique adopted at the SSB Interview is RAPID FIRE questions. Listen to the questions carefully. Thinkwell before you answer, elaborate your answers and tactfully take him on to your strong points. Do not overemphasize them.

Be very clear in your thought and expression. Don't speak in a low voice, be loud enough so that interviewer don'thave to strain their ears. Be brief, brevity is the hallmark of a good communicator. Answer all the questions in a

sequence. If you don't know an answer be Honest. The Interviewer will respect integrity and honesty. NEVERExaggerate. Never boast about anything including your achievements. Never enter into an argument with theinterviewer on any topic.

Must Know these Stuffs:

1 The rank structure of the forces2 The current events3 Knowledge about your town4 Your projects5 Why you want to join the forces?


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6 What will you do in case you do not get selected at selected?7 (this is to see how determined you are in achieving your aim.)8 Have a plan B in case you exhaust all the chances then you will9 Take up ------- job.10 When the interviewer asks you to organize a trekking event remember the following points; or any other eventthe heading under which you can cover the preparations are:11 Initial Preparation 12 Venue 13 Event 14 Specific Items need for the event.15 Communication 16 On the day 17 Hospitality 18 Budget19 Keeping the journal and recording the event20 After the event21 Maintain proper Eye contact with the person who asks you the Question. This shows your Confidence andhonesty.22 Avoid using frequently words and phrases like" I mean", " You know", "well", "as such" etc.23 In the end you want to ask the officer any questions please do so, if not then so politely "I have no questions toask you sir."24 Last but not the least, BE NATURAL. When the interview ends.If offered a Handshake, do so, if not just say, "Thank you for thewonderful evening and put the chair back to its original position before leaving. Leave the place with a warm smileand a nod of head. Close the door gently and leave the room.

Your Appearance...

Appearance makes the man. You should dress up for the occasion. Most of the time you will be asked to attend theInterview in the PT. Kit it is better for you to keep a small pocket Comb and a neat and clean Handkerchief. Freshenup yourself before you set foot in the interviewers room. Your warm smile, excellent etiquette and a firm handshakewill be starting point. As we havebrought out earlier, RAPID Fire questions are the order of the. It means you will be asked to answer a number ofquestions after listening to them just once. Please listen to the question carefully. If you have not understood thequestion then ask for the clarification. Try and answer the questions in the same sequence as put forth to you. Sincethe distance between you and the interviewing officer would be about 6 feet, you are expected to talk in a loud andclear voice. Take your time think and answer questions. DO NOT TELL A LIE. You will be caught.

Interviewing Officers are usually hold the Rank of Colonel or its equivalent rank in the Navy/Air Force. Here are someof the tips which you will find it useful while facing the Interviewing officer:a) Be tidy and well dressed. Wear simple clothes but willo fitting clothes. Do not wear Jewelry.b)On entering the room wish the panel and do what they say.

c) Do not get over anxious. A minor degree of nervousness is expected from everyone.d) Be Yourselfe) Be polite and use words like "Please", "Sir", Do not sound egoistic.f) Be natural and never convey extravagant ideas like " I would die for my country" or " The best profession is theDefense Forces ".g) Do not lie or beat around the bush. If you are not sure of three answer say that you do not know. You are notgoing to be penalized for say it.h) Be brief, loud and clear.i) The major questions like Why do you want to join the Army/Navy/Air Force?. There are no perfect answer to thisquestion. While answering it try to convey 4 or 5 facts such as:i. Defence services offers a Challange to a young personii. Merit is given due recognition in te Forces.iii. I will get an opportuniyt to learn and exprience the latest technological inventions.iv. I like an out door life rather than a 10 to 5 desk job.

v. I will get an opportunity to mingle with all sorts of people and persons from different parts of the country.vi. In my opinion the Uniformed forces offers reasonable pay and perksvii. One of the most respected professions in Indian is that of a soldier.

j) Be truthful in stating your hobbies. be prepared to answer questions about it.k) High light your achievement in sports, NCC and other extra curricular activities.l) Current affairs be a regular reader of magazines and news paper.m) When a situation is given to you think and answer be very specific and answer in the most practical way.n) Thanks the Officer for hoist time before you leave the room.

Scheme of Selection in SSB

Documents

Transcript of Scheme of Selection in SSB