12 Out Of The Box Questions Asked In SSB Interviews

SSB interview is the process which is designed to test the candidate’s psychology and the ability to work under stress. The whole process tests for congruency in your responses at various levels and under various responses. There have been some instances where a candidate has been asked weird questions in the interview and the conference. While he wonders why and tries to figure out the answer, the assessors test how he is approaching the answer and his attitude to reach a conclusion logically.

Here are some of such questions and situations that demand the presence of mind, out of the box and logical thinking:

IO: Tell me 5 uses of eyeglasses other than vision correction?

Eyeglasses can protect your eyes from extreme cold, sun, dust and other environmental threats.
Can be used to start a fire.
It can send rays to signal someone.
Can be used as a cutting and digging tool.
Frames can be made into a hook.

During the conference, a candidate comes inside the room. The candidate came in a hurry and asked permission to enter. After entering, he was asked – “Without looking at the door, tell me did you push the door or pulled the door”? This is followed by the question – “What was written on the outer side of the door – Push or Pull”?

This question is basically to test the attentiveness and alertness of a candidate under stress and nervousness.

You need to be attentive and pay more attention to your surroundings.

If you were stuck in a room, with no access to phone or internet, how would you know the temperature outside?

This question tests your ability to work with limited resources.

Sample response: I would use a thermometer. Or you could also say you could shout at the person outside to know the temperature.

What will you do if I run away with your sister?

This question again tests how your emotions affect your decision-making ability. You might get angry, you might deny the situation, you might do a police complain or you might think of a logical answer to this hypothetical question.

Sample Response: “I would wait for you both to come back and conduct a grand marriage.”

Tell me the exact volume of this room.

This question is generally to build pressure on you for the upcoming questions. However, if you fail to answer this question, it would suggest the IO that you have a low grasp of what you studied at your school level.

Just give a blind guess and explain with logic, involving the formula for cube’s volume.

What’s something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?

This is to check how well you reason and justify why you are correct and everyone else is wrong. This would also give the IO an idea of how good can you convince people with your logic.

What weighs more – 100 kg of coins, or 100 kg of feathers?

This question again is to check your alertness and logical reasoning. Candidates generally tend to think in terms of quantity and weight per unit or feather and coin.

When he says that both are of 100kg, both weigh same, irrespective of their quantity.

What is the highest number you can make using 3 digits?

You have three digits and the digit of the highest value is 9. Candidates would tend to think that the highest number you can make using all 9s are 999.

Ever thought of 9^(9^9) – 9 power 9 power 9?

IO: You are having this Milton bottle now tell me the maximum uses of it?

A candidate responded – “First I will drink water then I will take out the cap and play catch-catch, I can fill it with refreshments, the bottle is hard so I can use it as a hammer I can also use it as a weapon.”

IO: Tell me 2 more uses?

Response – “The bottle is shiny so I can use it for signaling, at the end, I will play truth and dare with it.”

IO: Tell me 5 uses of a pen?

Pressing teeny tiny buttons when you want to restart phone, modem etc.
To scratch your back.
As a conductor’s button.
As a pointer when you are giving a presentation.
As a weapon to kill someone.
To open (tear) a plastic package.
As a bookmarker.
To do a hair bun- Japanese style.
We can play pen fight.
Can use to colour something.
Learn pen spinning and take part in pen spinning tournament.

IO: What is the colour of the wall behind you?

Be attentive and observe things when you go inside the room.
The color of the walls would be the same so all the walls will have the same colour mostly.

IO: Can you see the painting of that aircraft, tell me which aircraft is that?

You may face such question in AFSB interview, make sure you have knowledge of aircraft and how to identify them.
Such paintings are mostly of IAF aircraft only.

Conclusion:

The take away is that no matter what question is posed to you, it is all just to make sure how well you can take stress while still being logical and giving reasons to your answer. So, try to be more reasonable and practical in your approaches.

If you are preparing for the SSB interview, we recommend you to get the books “Let’s Crack SSB Interview” and “Breaking the code of SSB Psychology“.