Secrets for Success in PPDT at SSB

SSB is a five day long selection process and where every individual is tested on various parameters and there is search of OLQ’s. Once the officer like qualities are found that individual is recommended at the end of fifth day. SSB seems to be a tough exam because the elimination ratios are very high here. A lot of people are eliminated on the very first day and very few get chance to stay there for the rest of the four days. But believe me those who make it are a changed personality altogether. You are made felt like an officer there and also treated like one. So first day is crucial to all and it comprises of written aptitude test followed by PPDTwhich means picture perception and discussion test.
In this article let’s concentrate on PPDT so that you are ready to clear this round.

It’s a test where you are presented with a hazy picture and you are asked to write the following on a sheet of paper based on your imagination:

How many characters you see in picture and their position needs to be marked in a box in answer sheet.
What was the mood of the character, their sex and age?
You are also asked to identify main character of your story.

This all needs to be done in 1 minute in which you might also asked to give a title to story. Then you get 3 minutes to write the story on it which should include past events, present scene and the future happening. The story should be clear and crisp. The following should be kept in mind:

Hero should be of similar age as of you.
Hero of story should do something great then only the word hero has a real meaning.
There should be a problem in a story and it should be solved also.
Story should be natural and acceptable to all. That means it should have actions that could be done by human beings.

After this all are divided in small groups for the group discussion. Now you are asked to narrate story individually for about a minute and when everyone has done the same the GD starts to conclude. Now the impressive thing in this exercise is that since the picture was hazy everyone has different perception of story. Remember the following while doing group discussion:

Don’t ever try to make a GD room a fish market. Since everyone tries to get his / her story implemented so it’s necessary that you should go with group and try to conclude.
Enter at appropriate point to get group in one direction if there is digression.
Don’t allow to form subgroups and if formed ask people to discuss collectively.
Give chance to people who have not got one.
Try to enter 2-3 times depending on time given with each time speaking for 30-45 seconds. The matter should be good enough to attract attention of all.

Few simple ways and you can clear the screening selection process. Fish market is really a terrible situation and I will deal it separately for how to work over it. Body language is also important and hence I have written a separate article over its importance. Still If you have any confusion or feel to take individual assessment of personality for OLQ’s or prepare from your place itself through one to one interaction through my mentoring / counselling program drop me a mail at [email protected] or add me on Fb and drop in a message. It would be a pleasure to help and resolve queries and clear doubts which are more often myths that are present in the mind and that can severely degrade the performance.

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