SSB 5 Days Interview Procedure Explained Day by Day | Services Selection Board Examination

At the outset it must be mentioned that SSB or Services Selection Board is one of the most difficult examinations of the world which is necessary to crack if you desire an entry into the Indian army/defence. However, the whole pattern of SSB examination and interview is complicated one and you as a aspirant need to know the subtleties and nuances of the examination pattern before appearing for it. One should have a clear idea about the examination pattern, the interview pattern, the documents required and other relevant details of this sort. 

 

Quick Links: Why People fail in SSB Exams- Common Reason

It is mentioned at the very beginning that the SSB examination and interview stretches about five days and the schedule is spaced out between these days.

Some Details About This Five days Examination Schedule Have Been Cited below:

The day of reporting: on the day of reporting all the form filling has to be done and the documents verifications should be over. On this day you are supposed to report at the place that has been mentioned in the call letter. Mostly students are asked to report at the Moment Control Office; since there will be many people around, it would not be a problem.

For some people reporting day and screening day are the same. It is advisable to go through your call letter properly to avoid any discrepancy.

First Stage of Testing  

Some of the potential candidates who have reported are selected through the procedure of screening. This is done through some simple steps like:

• The verbal and non-verbal testing. This is not a difficult round and does not need much prior preparation. However, it is advisable to go through some verbal and non-verbal testing question before appearing for it; they shall give an idea about the pattern.
• PPDT or Picture Perception and Discussion Test. this is the most important round which if qualified, the candidate goes to the second round. A picture will be shown to you for 30 seconds and a story has to be written on that picture in 3 minutes. Later a group discussion will ensue where you have to narrate your story and with the help of others’ formulations, a bigger story has to be created. (Here we have shared some very best tips to crack the PPDT Test- Click Here to Read)

After the PPDT test, a break of 2 – 3 hours is being given for lunch and refreshment. After which the PPDT result is being declared. The selected candidates are then given new chest numbers while the rejected ones are dropped back at the railway station.

Second Stage of Testing

After qualifying in the first round, the actual struggle and battle begins. It is quite painful to ace the second round but cautious preparation can actually help in cracking the examination.

Psychological Test: A series of tests are taken by the examination board of the candidates to test their psychological suitability of the candidate for the job that he is applying. Here, the candidates are asked to respond by writing to some particular tests. In these tests it is very important to maintain the time limit and hence, it is advisable to finish the first test on time.

The series of tests that are conducted under this section are:

1. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
2. Word Association Test (WAT).
3. Situation Reaction Test (SRT).
4. Self-Description Test (SDT).

Thematic Apperception Test: In this particular examination, the candidate is being shown 11 pictures out of which the last picture will be a blank slide. Each picture will be shown for about 30 seconds and after that 4 minutes will be given to pen down a story on the particular picture shown. After 4 minutes another picture will be shown and the process will continue.

Word Association Test: in this particular test, 60 words are shown back to back and each word will be shown only for duration of 15 seconds. In those 15 seconds you have to write a sentence which comes to your mind based on the word. Like this sentences have to be written on 60 words that would be shown to the candidates.

Situation Reaction Test: In this test the candidate is given a booklet comprising of 60 different situations and candidates have to write their responses based on those situations. The time allotted for this section is 30 minutes.

Self-Description Test: The time allotted for this particular section is 15 minutes and here you are to write a short description about yourself from opinions gathered from friends, family, and teachers. You are also expected to write about your future planning and your hobbies and inclinations.

These series of tests is all about assessing your speed of writing and analyzing situations. The writing should be legible, correct and precise.

GTO: The main objective of this task is to assess your ability in group performance. This is mostly an outdoor task and you are expected to help your group to the best of your abilities and not compete with them in any manner. (GTO and Interview Related Common Questions- )

The series of tests conducted under this section include –

1. Group Discussion.
2. Group Planning Exercise.
3. Progressive Group Task.
4. Half Group Task.
5. Obstacle Tasks and many more.

Personal Interview: This is a very crucial round which determines your chances of clearing SSB examination. It is important to lay stress on body language, dress, appearance and other such details. This is the place from where you get recommended; so any wrong move might jeopardize your chances.

Conference: this is the final round where the candidates face the board members. It consists of pretty simple questions but they are crucial to determine whether to appoint you as an officer or not. It is a round where all assessors collectively determine your fate.

These five step process rigorously assess the suitability of candidates for posts in Indian defense. This is not an easy exam and candidates are grilled to select the best of the lot. However, if prepared accordingly then this is not a difficult examination to crack.