Hello, friends. I am ABHIJITH MOHAN R from Trivandrum and I am writing this article about my preparation and experience of getting recommended from 17 SSB Bangalore and NSB Coimbatore. I will be explaining my experience and preparation in an elaborate manner.
Before starting I would like to thank my parents for their continuous support and COL BINU sir for his valuable tips and advice which helped me to perform well. I also want to thank my friends especially SREEJITH and MEERA for their prayers and support. And last not the least I would like to thank SSBCrack for posting information relating SSB in an open platform which is accessible to all defense aspirants.
I applied for TGC 122 of Indian Army and SSC SUBMARINE COURSE of Indian Navy just after my B Tech and after that I frequently gone through the selection procedures and started visiting SSBCrack website and tried to be familiar with the procedures.
PREPARATION
I got call letter on 27-08-2015 and I went to coaching for 15 days at Cavilier institute Trivandrum and stopped bank and SSC (staff selection commission) coaching classes so that I can give maximum time for SSB. (If you want to get something you have to do some compromises. So at that time even my parents said you should not stop coaching classes as a government job should be my first priority, etc. but now they are happy and don’t even think about those incidents. So don’t worry and give your maximum). My SSB was scheduled on 18th October and after coaching for 15 days I had more than 1 month and I made a time table and prepared.
I started preparation by practicing some verbal and nonverbal questions and started reading all news (previously I used to read sports and headlines only), which initially took 3-4 hours a day to completely read HINDU newspaper and write down the points. Then each day I read at least one success story per day in SSBCrack and noted down special tips and questions they faced. Then frequently read social problems and listened to debates in national news channels so that I got a better way how to express our thoughts with some catchy words and phrases. It really helped me in GD and lecturette.
For psychology tests starting from TAT I had practiced some pictures and wrote down stories and I will analyze it and try to find out mistakes if any and thought about new ideas so that the story would be more good. I haven’t read many stories by others and I actually paid more time on writing my own stories and tried to improve those stories. I haven’t mugged up any stories and jus used coaching classes to know how I should approach these tests. At beginning it was a little tough to complete the story within 4 minutes that too positive one. Don’t worry just practice a few and it will come. Then I prepared a story about the blank slide well in advance. I spent hours to write it and to make sure it’s the best story. About WAT I practiced some negative words. I took negative words like bomb, war, death, etc. and wrote something positive about these words. It helped me a lot in WAT. For positive words it will be easy to come up with good sentences. Then about SRT I read only a few examples and what I concentrated was to finish at least 50 srt within time. But after SSB only I understood the number of SRT you answer don’t matter, the quality only matters. So don’t worry about the number just come up with good practical solutions to the questions. It purely depends on your personality. Then the important thing is self-description. I have spent hours to prepare SD so that it is perfect and true. Self-introspection is highly required here. Think and spent some time and prepare a SD well in advance.
Then about interview I have read many experiences by recommended candidates and had an idea about the questions that would be asking and when I have free time I would think about those questions and will note down the important points so that I can go through later.
EXPERIENCE
DAY 0
TGC 122 was my first SSB interview and about 300 candidates came to Bangalore railway station and by 5 pm we reached SSB center and at that day we filled some forms and all the documents were verified.
DAY 1
By 7am screening tests started. First was verbal and non verbal tests. Time available is very less and in my both SSB interviews I left hardly 3 or 4 questions out of 40 questions in each set and answered rest. After that immediately first part of PPDT started. During both PPDT I got very blur pictures and all the candidates came up with different stories. I was able to write the whole story and other details within 5min. After that about 5min tea break was given and we were divided in groups for discussion. About 20 candidates were there in each group and I utilized that time for practicing my narration. I made sure that my narration should be good.
Both discussions were purely mess. All were going with their own stories and I spoke 2-3 times and when I was a fresher my group somehow managed to come to a conclusion and since I made some valid points the group decided me to explain the common story. In my second SSB since I was in repeater group all were quarreling and within 2min invigilators told to disperse. So make sure your narration is good.
40 out of 300 from Bangalore and 20 out of 130 from Coimbatore got screened in.
DAY 2
After having breakfast by 7 am psychology tests started. First test was TAT and about 6 slides were negative slides. I managed to come up with positive and crispy short stories to all the slides. Immediately after TAT, WAT started and here I managed to write sentences about all the words flashed and I used someone words to explain some words also so that I can get more time on other words. Within 5min gap next test SRT also started and I managed to write 55 and 53 SRTs in each SSBs. Self description also I have prepared well in advance and I got some spare time and I used it to complete certain SRTs and WAT.
DAY 3
The group tasks started with GD
- What hinders development of India? Is it
- Corruption in politics?
- Continuous Terrorist attacks and security problems?
- moral policing and its reasons
- India and its relations with border countries
- violence against women
These were the topics we got and I was able to speak about 3 times with new points on each discussions and also keenly listened to others during all discussions. After GD next task was Military planning exercise it also went good and here also I got a chance to speak a few times and said some valid suggestions and at Bangalore my group had chosen me to explain the common solution. At Coimbatore GTO said that no need to present final solution. I paid attention to my group and carried the snake few times and helped others also. Snake race was the next task and it was really exciting and enjoyed a lot. The PGT, HGT, and FGT went smoothly. I gave many points and some of the good points, group members accepted and the rest they neglected. I helped others and accepted others points during the whole tasks and said my suggestions also. Always observe the obstacles and try to come with ideas and help the group members. I clearly expressed my ideas and if the group found that idea good they selected it and other ways they neglected.
DAY 4
It started with individual obstacles and after warm up and I completed 10 obstacles in Bangalore and at Coimbatore it was raining so GTO gave less time and said us to skip some of the obstacles. Individual lecturette was the next task and I talked for 3 minutes and all topics were related to current affairs. Then came the command task, first time I was really nervous for command task and GTO helped me to cool down by asking some casual questions. I successfully completed my task within given time in both SSB.
About group tasks what I understood was be alert and vigilant and pay attention to others and whole environment. Have a good rapport with the group during all the tasks.
INTERVIEW
My first interview took about 1.5hour and it was really lengthy. He asked a lot about my personal life and I answered all questions with valid reasons. IO asked me about coaching and the reason behind I went for classes, about my family, my studies, friends, etc. Whatever question IO asked I answered with honest reasons relating to my life without any hesitation. After personal questions he asked military related questions, current affairs and technical questions relating mechanical engineering. Technical part I missed 2 questions and in current affairs he was more interested in events relating to military or strategic point of view. When I start speaking about 1 news event he will ask how it affect India and my opinion about that event.
In my second SSB he started with meaning of my name and reason behind my parents choosing it. Then he asked how I reached Coimbatore and who all were my co-passengers and what all I know about them. Next IO asked technical questions and current affairs and concentrated very less on personality questions. Then he asked about my daily routine, everything relating PIQ and hobbies. Since I knew basic things about my hobbies and sports I play, I was able to answer all the questions. Then 4-5 questions relating navy and some geographic questions like coastal states, maritime neighbors of India and capital of those countries. Whole interview took about 40min and except 2 or 3 questions relating current affairs and technical I managed to answer the rest.
What I learned about interview is that be honest and whatever you say, substantiate it with true and valid reasons. Proper self-introspection is all that you need and have a basic idea about things happening around us.
DAY 5
It was the most nervous day of all the candidates. At 7am we all had our breakfast and prepared for conference. An officer came for briefing and explained some facts about selection procedures and by 8am conference started. In my first conference my IO asked 1 technical question that I missed during interview and since I checked it in internet I was able to answer it. Then he asked me to rate my performance in GTO, psychology and interview separately and asked the reason also. Then he asked me to leave.
In my second SSB the president asked about the difference between NSB and 17 SSB and about the friends I made and places I visited.
And after a long wait till 1am the results were announced and 5 out of 40 got recommended from 17 SSB and 1 out of 20 from NSB Coimbatore.
My medicals got over within 1 week after conference day and I was declared fit to join Army and Navy. At present, I am waiting for merit lists. For any queries please feel free to message me to my FB.
https://www.facebook.com/abhijith.mohan.568
or mail me to “ abhijithmohanr23@gmail.com “
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JAI HIND
