SSB Interview the Complete Guide

SSB Interview the Complete Guide | Let’s Crack SSB

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SSB Interview the Complete Guide – The 5 Days of SSB Interview

If you want to join any of the Indian Armed forces – be it Army, Navy, or Airforce, as an Officer then you have to clear Services Selection Board (SSB) Interview. However, there is no SSB Interview for Entry in Armed Forces Medical Services. The SSB interview is one of the most extensive and toughest exams among all the interviews conducted for any government job examination. In this article, we will look at the “5 Days Procedure of SSB Interview” with complete details of all the tests conducted at the SSB Interview. This will act as the SSB Interview the Complete guide.

The candidates get shortlisted for SSB Interviews either by clearing written exams like NDA, CDS, AFCAT, TA, or INET or by getting short-listed through direct entries like TES, UGC, TGC, NCC Entry, SSC Tech, etc.

Know about every entry through which you can join the Indian Army as an Officer – How to Join the Indian Army as an Officer after Graduation in 2021

The Services Selection Board (SSB) looks for certain qualities in the candidates – commonly referred to as Officers Like Quality (OLQs), like suitable personality, your approach to solving a real-life problem, etc.

The SSB Interview is the only Interview conducted for any government job, which lasts up to 5 continuous days. So, let’s look at the 5 Days Procedure of the SSB Interview. SSB Interview the Complete Guide

As per the current procedure of the SSB Interview, it requires 90% metal efforts and 10% physical efforts to qualify.

The SSB Interview The Complete Guide

Location of SSB Centers

SSB Centres for Indian Army
  1. Allahabad
  2. Bhopal
  3. Bangalore
  4. Kapurthala
SSB Centres for Indian Air Force
  1. Dehradun
  2. Mysore
  3. Gandhinagar
  4. Varanasi
SSB Centres for Indian Navy
  1. Coimbatore
  2. Bhopal
  3. Bangalore

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Different Stages of SSB Interview

The Complete Procedure of the SSB Interview comprises two stages: Stage I & Stage II.

Stage I is conducted on the very first day of the interview and its result is also declared on the same day. It’s also called a screening Test. The Candidates who qualify the Stage I, are then retained for the next 4 days for Stage II of the Interview. All other candidates who don’t qualify the Stage I are sent back home on the same day.

Reporting at SSB Centres

The reporting point and reporting time will be clearly specified in your SSB Interview call letter. In most cases, it is the MCO (Moment Control Office) of the railway station of that city of the board. The candidates are either called early in the morning, while in some cases reporting time in the afternoon.

If the candidates are called in the early morning, then the testing starts on that same day. The candidates who don’t qualify are sent back home on the same day. When the reporting time is in the afternoon, then the testing starts the next day.

The candidates are received at the reporting point by the representative of the board. They are taken to the selection center by their bus.

Once the candidates reach the selection center, an Officer will address all the candidates about their stay at the center, and the points they have to keep in mind while their stay at the center.

After the address, the candidates are called for their Document Verification, where all their original documents are verified. It is mandatory to carry all your original documents or else the candidates are not allowed to attend further tests.

Then the candidate has to fill PIQ form.

To know how to fill the PIQ form and what points should be kept in mind while filling the PIQ form Click Here – PIQ Form at SSB Interview -Importance and Tips on How to Fill the Form

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Day – 1 – Procedure of SSB Interview

Stage 1 – Screening

On the first day, screening of the candidates takes place which consists of two tests as follows:-

OIR Test

OIR Test or Officer Intelligence and Rating Test is a reasoning test of verbal and Non-verbal reasoning questions. The candidates get a 2-question paper set which has 40 questions each. The time allotted for each booklet is 15-20 minutes.

For More Details on OIR Test click here – What is the Officers Intelligence Rating Test of SSB Interview

PPDT

  • PPDT or Picture Perception and Description Test consists of 2 sections.
    • Writing a story based on a picture shown in 5 minutes
    • Discussing the story in a group of 20-30 candidates and trying to arrive at a common story for the group
  • It can be said that PPDT is the most important part of the screening test. It decides your fate in the SSB Interview.

For More Details about PPDT click here – How to write the best PPDT story in SSB Interview – SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Result of screening

Once the PPDT is over for all the groups, the candidates will get a break of 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, they will have their lunch. The results of the screening test will be declared after it. Those candidates who get selected are allotted new chest numbers. They are given instructions for their further stay at SSB Centres.

Reimbursement of TA

All those candidates who don’t clear the screening test are then instructed to fill out a form to collect their Travelling Allowance (TA). Please Note that TA is only given once for a Specific Type of Commission, i.e. once for Permanent Commission (PC) Entry and once for Short Service Commission (SSC) Type Entry.

To know about different types of commissions in the Indian Army – Types of Commission in the Indian Army.

The candidates are then dropped back at the railway station in the SSB Centres bus.

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Day – 2 – Procedure of SSB Interview

Stage – II of your SSB Interview starts on the day – 2, and from this day the actual game begins. It comprises written tests, field tests, and personal one-to-one interviews. Stage II starts with Psychological Tests

Psychology Tests

The Personality assessment of the candidates in the SSB Interview is based on these tests. A Psychological test is a battery of 4 written tests designed in a specific way through which the candidate’s inner personality is carved on paper by themselves. These tests are designed by DRDO’s Psychologists. The 4 tests which come under these tests are

TAT

  • In the Thematic Apperception Test or TAT, blurred and hazy images are shown on screen, based on which the candidates have to create a story that comes to their mind.
  • There will be a total of 12 images out of which 11 will be black and white images and the last one (12th) is a blank slide. On the blank side, no image will be shown. Every image will be on the screen for 30 seconds only. After that, the candidates get 4 minutes to write the story based on that image.

For More Details about TAT click here – TAT at SSB Interview | How to write the best Thematic Appreciation Test Stories

WAT

  • In Word Association Test or WAT, a word will be flashed on the screen and the candidates are required to write a sentence that comes to their mind first after reading that word.
  • There will be a total of 60 words back to back; each word will be on the screen for only 15 seconds. In these 15 seconds, the candidate has to read the word and write the sentences or phrases in the given sheet. Likewise, you have to write 60 sentences continuously without any pauses in between.

For More Details about WAT click here – Word Association Test (WAT) at SSB Interview (400+ New Words)

SRT

  • In Situation Reaction Test or SRT, the candidates will be given 60 real-life situations and they are required to write their best response to that situation. These situations are written in the form of statements and printed as a Booklet. The total time allotted to respond to all 60 situations will be 30 min.
  • Due to time constraints, the candidates will usually respond in such a way, which will be close to their actual reaction, if that situation happens in their real life.

For More Details about SRT Click here – Situation Reaction Test (SRT) at SSB Interview (60+ New Situations)

SD

  • Self-Description or SD Test, the candidates are required to write an opinion about their parents, friends, teachers, and their own opinion about themselves. They also have to write things which you would like to develop in the future.
  • The Time allotted will be 15 min.

For More Details about SD Click here – How to write the best Self Description at SSB Interview

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Days – 3 & 4 – Procedure of SSB Interview

GTO Tests

The Group tasks at the SSB Interview are conducted under the observation of the Group Testing Officer (GTO). There is a total of nine GTO Tasks that are conducted in the form of tests to check the candidate’s competence and performance as an individual and as a team player. These tests are as follows

Group Discussion

  • The group is given a specific topic and the candidates have to undergo an informal friendly discussion on that topic.
  • Unlike the group discussion of PPDT, conducted on the first day, here the candidates are not supposed to come to a common conclusion.
  • The candidate is free to present their views even of disagreement with the topic till the end of the discussion.
  • The only point that is noticed by GTO is whether every candidate is taking an active part in the discussion and are logical in their argument.

For More Details about GD Click here – Tips To Crack Group Discussion at SSB Interview in 2021

Group Planning Exercise (Military Planning Exercise)

  • In this test, the candidates are given a situation that will be supported by and explained on a map. It will have some problems and the candidates have to think about the best possible solution to those problems.
  • The problem may be involving some human life, some animal life, or the loss of any item or money.
  • After the briefing, the candidates are given 10 minutes to formulate their plans about how they will overcome every problem specified in the situation. They have to write it on the sheet given to them.
  • Then the group gets 20 minutes to discuss amongst them all the probable solutions and come up with the best strategic plan of action to tackle the situation.
  • This commonly arrived group’s strategic plan is narrated by a candidate who is nominated by the group.

For More Details about GPE Click here – What is Group Planning Exercise in SSB Interview?

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Lecturette

  • In Lecturette the candidate has to select one card from a bunch of cards. Each card has 4 topics written on them. Out of 4 topics candidate has to select 1 topic on which they have to speak for 3 minutes.
  • The candidates will be given 3 minutes to prepare for the topic and construct their points. Then they speak for continuous 3 minutes in front of the group.

For More Details about Lecturette Click here – How to prepare for a Lecturette in SSB Interview?

Progressive Group Tasks (PGT)

  • In PGT the candidates have to perform in a group. They have to cross a specified area with some series of obstacles present in that area and cross each of these obstacles with a pre-defined set of rules
  • They are given some helping materials like Balli (wooden log), Plank, and rope to tie these, which can be used to cross these obstacles.
  • There are a series of obstacles involved whose difficulty rises from one obstacle to another in a progressive manner. Thus, this test is named Progressive Group Task.

For More Details about Progressive Group Tasks (PGT) Click here – What is Progressive Group Task (PGT) at SSB Interview?

Half Group Tasks (HGT)

  • HGT is almost similar to that PGT. The only difference is that the group is divided into two equal halves. All other rules and regulations are the same as that of PGT.
  • As the number of candidates performing the task has been reduced to half, GTO can closely notice the leadership qualities of every candidate. In HGT, every candidate gets a wider opportunity to display his leadership qualities if in case they have failed to do so in PGT.

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Individual Obstacles

  • This is the only test in the SSB interview which check ability, physical toughness, stamina, courage, determination, etc.
  • In total there are 10 Obstacles (different in different centers) and the time given to complete all of them is 3 min. The candidate can repeat the obstacles once they have completed all 10 obstacles in less than 3 min.
  • All obstacles are marked from 1 to 10, the more tasks a candidate completes more his marks will be.
  • The obstacles are ranked based on the difficulty level. Higher the difficulty, the higher rank associated with that obstacle.

For More Details about Individual Obstacles Click here – Individual Obstacles in SSB Interview | Explained In detail with Preparation Strategy

Group Obstacles Race or Snake Race

  • Snake Race or mostly known as Group Obstacle Race (GOR), is in which all the groups compete with each other in form of a race.
  • All the groups are given a rolled-up tent that looks like a snake. The members of the group have to take this snake from the start line to the finish line while crossing some obstacles between the start line and finish line with certain pre-defined rules.
  • At a time maximum of four groups can take part. The four teams are allocated one path each.

For More Details about Group Obstacles Race or Snake Race Click here – How to perform your best at Group Obstacle Race / Snake Race in SSB Interview?

Command Task

  • The Command Task as the name suggests gives an opportunity for the candidate to command a group to complete a task. The candidate has to perform the task with the help of two members from the group, which you can choose as per your requirement.
  • As a commander, you have to cross an obstacle with the allotted resources – both man and material within the allotted time.
  • The difficulty level of the command task given to the candidate depends upon their past performances in GTO tasks. If they get a difficult one, which implies that they are doing good in the GTO.

For More Details about Command Tasks Click here – What is Command Task at SSB Interview? | How to perform your best at Command Task

Final Group Task

  • The Final Group Task (FGT) is the concluding task in the GTO, which is performed by the complete group. This is the longest of all earlier tests of this kind and slightly more difficult.
  • The rules, regulations, and instructions are similar to that of the Progressive Group Task (PGT).
  • This is the last chance given to the candidate to showcase their skills if they have missed all the earlier options.

For More Details about Final Group Task Click here – What is the importance of the Final Group Task (FGT)? | Lets Crack SSB

Personal Interview

  • There will be a one-to-one personal interview of the candidates either with the President or Deputy President of the Selection Board.
  • The interviews are conducted during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th days after completing all the tasks and tests of that day.
  • Interviews are based on your PIQ form and the details mentioned in that form.
  • The questions are generally asked about your educational qualifications, professional experiences, family, hobbies, interests, achievements in life, extra-circular activities, recent happenings in the nation and the world, etc.
  • The Interview starts with rapid-fire questions about yourself and then they start cross-questioning the candidates.

SSB Interview the Complete Guide

Day 5 – Procedure of SSB Interview

Conference

  • All the assessors who have supervised and conducted your tests – the Psychologist, the GTOs, and the Interviewing Officer sit together to decide the suitability of candidates to join the armed forces.
  • In case the candidate is on the borderline, they may face some questions in the conference as well, which can be decisive.
  • In all other cases, it hardly takes 1-2 minutes to complete your conference.
  • Usually, the President or his deputy asks some questions to the candidates like,
    • How was your stay at the SSB Center?
    • Do you have any suggestions?

Declaration of Result

Just after all the candidates have attended their conference, they are assembled to announce the final result. The recommended candidates have to further to the center for their medical tests.

Hope the article would have helped in understanding the “5-Day Procedure of SSB Interview” and will act as the SSB Interview the Complete Guide.

For any further queries, clarification, or questions, do comment.

Jai Hind.!

Also, Read
  1. How to Join the Indian Army as an Officer after Graduation in 2021
  2. NDA (2) 2021 Exam – Overview and How to Prepare for the Exam
  3. The Indian Army Ranks & their Equivalent in Navy and Airforce

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