Hi everybody, I’m Jasmeet Bhatia and I got recommended in june 2012 for SSC-96thCDSE.This is my SSB interview experience for CDSE Entry, 96th course, Bangalore. Now before you read this post I’m sure all of you have read other expert advice on how to crack SSB. Don’t compare my post with their advice because they are much more experienced. These are just my views about SSB. You just have to remember some key points and have fun with the interview. SSB is a great experience so don’t worry or get tensed about the result and try to have fun. Tension will just hamper your chances rather than getting you in. The other guys who got in all were very relaxed about it. That’s what I have noticed and plus SSB lets you meet people from all over India. You all will have a great time during your stay. Many ask me what quality do they look for and what will make sure their selection. Frankly speaking, I don’t know! What I know is they look for a series of qualities (OLQs). We can’t really judge how one person got in and how the other didn’t. So, do your best and god surely do the rest for you.
If you have it in you, nobody can stop you and if you don’t then work on it.Even I got recommended in my second attempt (previously got conference out from TGC-115 Bhopal). But that doesn’t mean you go there too casually. Don’t waste your attempts even if you have many chances ahead (through technical entry). The more you repeat their expectations rise which I feel. If you are a fresher I suggest you to read a book on SSB interview, it will familiarize you with the tests. The author is not that important you won’t remember most of the points in it anyhow and if you concentrate too much on those points you will either waste time or will not be yourself.
Now back to my experience. I reached Bangalore on 1st June 2012. I had my reporting time at 1400hrs. On the reporting day nothing happens except filling of forms (Many forms). We finished filling those forms, got our chest numbers and then moved to our barracks. In Bangalore SSB there is a problem with bed bugs! I saw those creatures first time there. We any how had made a group n slept very late. Some gave their version of SSB advices, do’s and don’ts (as always). Next day in the morning we got ready for our screening tests. Below I have given how I approached the tests. You may differ! But it’s fine. Now screening as you know it has verbal and non-verbal test Intelligence tests and PPDT. Intelligence test is quite simple you don’t require any special preparation for it.
Only point to remember in Intelligence tests is time. It’s very critical. Attempt each paper in 3 go’s according to difficulty level. Like in first go don’t try to solve every question & do the questions in which you get answer just by reading them. Get back at the beginning and solve little difficult questions and in the 3rd go you can attempt the difficult ones. Don’t get tempted to solve in the first go because you will get only 30secs for each question. If you don’t know it then and there leave it & go to next question. You can come back at it later.
PPDT: Here you’ll be given a picture which may or may not be blur. Try to make a Hero, a story with moral value involved and the story should travel through time like past, present and future. After writing it, you’ll be called separately in groups to discuss on it. Now if you didn’t get time to either complete your story or to make any changes you can freely do so while narrating. Don’t change the story drastically or entirely. But yes you can change it or extend it pretty much. You’ll be asked to narrate your story, be loud and clear. Don’t stop in between here confidence is the key. After you finish narrating concentrate on other’s stories. Later you can agree with it. Once narrating is over Sir will tell you to think n start the discussion. No thinking! When he says start, shoot out. Be the first to initiate, it helps. Now remember in discussing you have to come to a conclusion! You don’t have to prove yourself right. There is no right or wrong. Find a suitable story and tag along with it. If it’s turning into a fish market be loud and clear, tell them to speak one by one (polite way of saying shut up, now it’s my turn). At the end if you can, conclude with a story of the majority. The results of the screening will be announced shortly after that.
Once you are screened in relax. I was happy that I’ll stay for 4 more days at least. We went out to see Brigade road that evening. It has good crowd. Guys will like it for obvious reasons. We came back had some fun at night and slept. Next day was psychological test day.Psychological test also has some points you should remember.
WAT: In WAT, don’t be negative and don’t stress too much on your desire to get into army. Rest the test is fun! Words will be simple English. Be creative & unless the point is not negative write down your first thought. For Ex. Heat: Is a thermodynamic property. (Yeah…This was my first thought: D) don’t write the same example. Haha
TAT: In TAT, Make a hero, make a story and after the hero finishes helping make sure he resumes whatever he was doing before the incident happened. Keep it simple (you are not writing a novel).
SRT: In SRT, the SSB book will help you with the type of questions asked. It’ll be general test for presence of mind. For example my favourite question was: What will you do if you find your girlfriend with another guy in a market place? Many say they’ll hit him or stuff like that. But the best answer is: Introduce yourself as her boyfriend.
So in this test try to be broad minded n don’t try to portray yourself as short tempered person. It’ll be simple but, keep it sensible. If your writing is fast, good. If not, try to finish your answers in a line, that way you can attempt more.
Self description test: You know yourself better than anybody else. So write you positive points n your negative points. If you have negative points, later the IO will ask you what you are doing to improve yourself. This is an important test because part of your interview will be based on this. Make sure you mention your strong points but don’t hide your weak points.
Next day was GTO tests. In Bhopal they finished all GTO tasks in one day. But in Bangalore they were divided in 2 days. GTO will test you in a group & individually. The sequence of tasks may change. We had group discussion & military planning in the morning as we entered. Now the only difference in this GD is that you don’t need to come to a consensus. So feel free to go against everybody if you feel strongly about it and have good points to counter. Once you select your side, stick to it! Don’t be extremely dominating, allow others to speak too and limit your body language (no raising hands or pointing fingers).
Military planning is again your ability to solve problems. After you write your solution, Sir will ask you to discuss & come up with a common plan. Now sometimes a group has some stubborn people who won’t listen. Make sure to explain them before hand. That you need a common solution. If still they don’t agree just agree with them.
Then we had snake race. In snake race show your passion to win. Shout your slogan like a lion! But be helpful. In this task coming first is not important. In fact sir will never let you come first even if your group is ahead. They’ll impose some penalty or the other. So be helpful!
Individual obstacle task: It’s self-explanatory. Try to finish more than 10 obstacles. Next tests are PGT, SGT and command task. One most important advice that I can give in these tests is learning how to make a cantilever beam. You learn that perfectly, everything will go buttery smooth especially for freshers! Repeaters get a bit difficult task. But it’s pretty much the same.
Lecturette: Be confident. Avoid body language. And don’t stare at Sir.
Interview: It’s not scheduled. You can be called any time & day after you are screened in. It is an important test in SSB. Like SSB is dependent on 3 people IO, GTO n psychologist. The nature of your interview will depend on the type of your entry like in Bhopal I was asked technical questions. In Bangalore it was GK n personality questions. Be confident. Sit straight. And don’t be nervous.
Once that is over all that is left is Conference on the final day. But I feel it’s just a formality & the decision has already been made. So don’t worry about conference, that you’ll be sitting in front of so may officers. It’ll hardly last more than 2 mins (may be Einstein’s law of relativity was working :P).
After your conference, results will be announced. Now whatever advices I gave you worked for me. So they may work for you guys too. Try to keep those in mind while giving the tests. The other basic and most common advice I’m sure you all have heard is be yourself. At the end it’s just an interview. I’m sure you all can & will do well.
If you have any queries or suggestions you can contact me on. I hope I was helpful.
Author: Jasmeet Singh Bhatia: He likes reading, driving, trekking & playing Harmonica. He has completed B.E in mechanical. His first attempt was in Bhopal for TGC-115(conference out)and Second attempt was in Bangalore SSC(NT)-96(
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