The first attempt is definitely the best chance to clear the NDA exam as you are highly motivated, focussed, and determined for the exam and hence definitely will spend some serious amount of hard work. It is a relatively known fact that your interest levels peak relatively high when you attempt anything for the first time and it gradually declines and you get bored attempting the same thing again. After clearing the written exams such as CDS & NDA, SSB Interview is the next major hurdle in the way of defence aspirants. It is conducted by the respective Indian Armed Forces be it the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force, and is considered as the toughest nut to crack. Below, we will discuss the whole SSB process and also some tips to crack this interview in the very first attempt.

Day 1: Screening

In Screening, individuals need to go through majorly three tests namely the Officer Intelligence Rating Test consisting of two papers followed by the Picture perception and Discussion Test. In the Officer Intelligence test candidates’ verbal and non-verbal ability is assessed and the time allotted to solve each paper (I & II) is around 15-17 minutes.

Picture Perception & Discussion Test (PP&DT)

This test comprises two phases- Picture perception followed by a Group discussion based on the picture perception. In this, a picture is shown for a short duration of 30 sec. The individuals have to write down the details of the main character or “hero” that they think they perceived in the picture. After that, they need to frame a story within 4 minutes based on their perception of the picture. This is followed by a group discussion in which individuals need to first narrate their version of the story and then they need to discuss among themselves and form a final story based on various stories of the group.

Tip for Screening test:

Students need to understand that this test is not all about figuring out the apt details as the picture shown during the test is too dull and for a very short duration. It is important to write down the first thing that they think they saw in the picture and then form a story around that picture. It is of prime importance that the story as a result should revolve around one individual (mostly) and this individual comes out as a hero with Officer-like Qualities. Later during the group discussion, you must calmly put your point across and make sure that you have their attention even for once. Do not rush putting too many points as this may backfire. The results are declared later on and the short-listed candidates are called for further rounds of testing.

Day 2: Psychology test

On day 2 you will have to go through various rounds of psychological testing like Thematic appreciation test, Word association test, Situation reaction test, and self-description test.

Tips for Psychology test:

As the quote goes, practice makes a man perfect. Practice is all it is going to take to take you through this test. Practice rigorously for all the above-mentioned individual psychology tests. For instance, practice the word association test by thinking of any word at random, say bravery, and forming a sentence that first comes to your mind associated with this word. It is important to note that it should show some positivity or be neutral.

Day 3 & 4: Group Testing

Two days are allotted to group testing as this consists of many outdoor tests in which individuals’ personality is tested while performing various activities in groups as well as individually. The various outdoor activities included in this test are:

Group Discussion comprises of:

• Group Planning Exercise (GPE)
• Progressive Group Task (PGT)
• Group Obstacle Race (GOR)
• Half Group Task (HGT)
• Lecturette
• Individual Obstacles (IO)
• Command Task (CT)
• Final Group Task (FGT)

The task order may differ in various SSB interviews but the overall process remains the same.

GT Tips:

These outdoor tests are conducted mainly to assess your personality, individually as well as in groups. As stated, if you religiously dedicate your time to preparing for the NDA written exam, you will develop, over time, the officer-like qualities that will boost your performance during the various group tasks. For example, if you have the experience of NDA coaching with boarding school, you will already have the experience of working in a group while being independent and having individual identity.

Personal Interview:

A Personal interview can be conducted on either 2, 3, or 4th day. The interview is usually about you, your everyday experiences, friend circle, work, education, family background, academic achievements, questions on general awareness, etc.

Interview tips:

When you ask most candidates, the interview is something that sends nervous attacks. One important tip to note here is to speak what you have written during the psychology test. It should be in sync. Stay focused and calm during the entire process and just represent the best version of you.

How To Crack SSB Interview in First Attempt

1. Don’t be nervous– Nervousness can be your biggest flaw in the SSB. Prepare well beforehand and beat the nervousness. There is no use in being nervous, take it as just like a simple interview, go like a roaring champion, and clear it!
2. Practice makes perfect– Practicing will make you better and definitely perfect, it is advisable to practice for the Psych Tests in advance, this is because these tests are done under a very strict time restriction, if you are well versed with them in advance; it’ll help you a lot in managing the time. Also, practice speaking in English, it is very important that you are fluent in English to converse with the Interviewer and speak in GD and Lecturette.
3. The Coaching Dilemma– Many of us wonder whether or not to opt for coaching. The answer is that if you are totally clueless about what the SSB Procedure is, you must surely attend a good SSB Interview coaching. Select the right academy keeping various things in mind.
4. The ‘be positive’ attitude– SSB is all about a positive attitude, so be it your psych tests, interview, GT Series, or anything else, be positive. Your personality should reflect that you are an assertive person, right from your answers in psych tests to your personality and behavior in GT and Interview
5. Friendly attitude – Being friendly with your group is very important since there are almost 7-8 tasks that you have to do as a group. Since the testing is done in groups hence it is important that each one in your group likes you. Be friendly and non-judgmental towards others.
6. GK– You need to be aware about what is happening in your nation and in the world. Only crammed and mugged-up knowledge will not help, get to know things in detail. Have strong viewpoints towards the cases and be ready for a good debate with the Interviewing officer on the GK things. Be a regular reader of the newspaper and don’t miss even the minutest details.
7. Knowing yourself and things around you- It is necessary for the interviewer you know yourself well, and be prepared with all the data about yourself, like you grades, achievements, and good/bad qualities, etc. In a similar manner, you must be aware of the details about your family like their occupation, good/bad points etc. Make sure that you know in details about your hobbies or the games you have played.
8. Dressing up- Your dressing and physical conduct is important in casting a good impression in front of others. Be careful in what you choose to wear. You have to be dressed appropriately according to the occasion. Hence choose your dress wisely.
9. Physical fitness– You have to undergo varied hours of tasks which will be tiring and exhausting; however you’ll not realize this in the excitement so you need to be physically fit, since you have to do physical tasks as well. Be careful of the way you walk and sit, don’t look lazy from your gait. If you’re physically fit your personality will reflect that. It is advisable to do some running/light exercise regularly.
10. Overconfidence– This will make you pay. Being confident is one thing and being overconfident is completely opposite. Your overconfidence will eat up all your chances of success. Hence be confident but not overconfident.

With this, we come to the end of this article. It is important to understand that one’s strength is one’s uniqueness. A soldier on a battlefield doesn’t have many “attempts” to survive and that is what makes him push his limits & emerge victorious.