Hello everyone! This is Harshpreet Kaur Riar, selected for logistics branch in INDIAN AIR FORCE for July course 2019. My journey has been a roller coaster and filled with the test of patience. But at the same time, this journey has taught me so much about myself. It has enhanced me personally because even when I fell, I dusted myself off and pushed myself for the next coming attempt. And of all I feel, no one can it do alone. Your family, your friends, your teachers are your support system. You do it for your closed ones, for your alma mater and for yourself. I have been a fairly good and average student, scored only 65% in graduation. NCC and my family background ignited the spark I have had for the Armed Forces.

So, coming to SSB part , I attempted SSB 5 times, out of which I got  conference out the first time (Bhopal Army ) , second time screen out (ALLAHABAD army) , third time merit out (AFSB Dehradun), fourth time merit out (Bhopal Army) , fifth time MERIT IN FINALLYYY !!! (AFSB DEHRADUN). In all the previous attempts, I have had heartbreak and major disappointment exhausting my chances and putting my career on the line. Even though, I had left my corporate job and rejected family pressure of having a luxurious life abroad. I had risked it all for my stubbornness to get into the INDIAN ARMED FORCES.

The reason I have told you this is that never give up on your dreams, never stop hustling for what you dream for your life, Luck favours the brave and dreams come true. Continuous prayers of clarity and direction gave me immense strength to continue and finally, the result came in favour. My approach to SSB has been very simple. PSYCH- never mask your first response … practice and practice to write your desired answers in the pressure of time and situation. Be you and never try superimposing anyone’s idea in your psych test. INTERVIEW- what I call is being besharam-ly honest with who you are. I have been that and had always put the facts plainly with absolutely no regrets of past…. everyone has had ups and downs in life… be in academics or personal life … but its all about being a balanced person and being a good human with a clear heart and intent which gets one for a longer run.

GTO- I tried being consistent in all the tasks which go on for two days. When I had the idea … I brought the group together and executed it along with the group and when I had no idea…I became a good follower of who had the idea and tried with the group together in the PGT, HGT and FGT. I tried being confident in Command task even when I used to be scared of it a lot. Individual obstacles – doing only the ones which I was confident and always followed a pattern in which I did. The funny part of the GTO tasks has been that I have never been called as a subordinate ever more than two times which used to scare me a lot but finally it depends on overall performance.

I feel its best to remain calm, prepare best when one can and should in preparation time before the ssb and be chilled as ice during whole SSB procedure, giving the best in whichever task that comes. I have been a very under-confident person as a kid but learnt to love and own myself over time and being assertive even when coming from quite a strict family. In the end, it all depends on what you want from your life and how much effort one is ready to put in an effort of constantly improving. More power to everyone who is hustling for their dreams. Hard Work pays.   A big Thank you to SSBCRACK for inspiring so many aspirants and providing with great preparation material. I have personally used the LET’S CRACK SSB INTERVIEW BOOK and BREAKING THE CODE OF SSB PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS book. In the end, I would say NEVER STOP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF NO MATTER WHAT. Thank you.

“I scored 174 marks in AFCAT. However, the preparation strategy to get into the merit list should also be considered with which branch one wants to opt for. For flying, clearing afcat cut-off and few marks above it will do but won’t work the same for ADM or LGS. In that case, one needs to score 35-45 marks above the cut off and good score in the AFSB as well. This is what I learned and observed during my time and some of us did ask the interviewer in the interview when given a chance to ask a question from him, he too clearly mentioned that its with AIR HQ who decides the weight ratio of ssb marks and afcat marks for final merit list. In the end, its kind of dicey game as some candidates scoring marks near and above 200 also got merit out.“

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Hi all Aspirants and Future Officers of the Defence Services of our Nation!! Myself Riya Iyer and I have got Recommended in SSB 4 times the last being 2 AFSB Mysore. Due to a good experience of SSBs and Clearing all the SSBs that I have attempted(4 Attempts) so far I would Like to share my experience and which I think will be helpful for all freshers as well as repeaters. SPARK: I am an Engineer(Electronics and Telecommunication) from a non-Defence background. I became aware of the Engineer’s Entry to the Indian Armed forces While I was in my college. I am a Martial Arts Player and me representing India in Asian Beach Games, Da-Nang, Vietnam further boosted my motivation towards this dream. As an Engineer working in a corporate firm, I got the final push towards my dream and the Posts from SSBCrack really helped. The timely Notifications for various entries and the inspirational stories others were some posts which helped me in many ways to realize my dream.

SSB PREPARATION: I wanted to take coaching as I felt that would make me serious about my Goal. I googled and Found “Shatrujeet Academy” in Thane, Maharashtra. Contacted them, cleared their Entrance test, met the Director along with my father and had a wonderful experience of Counselling Guidance. We were completely clear about this career path and way to achieve it. The basic concept is that one’s Psychology is the most important thing for this service. We can improve our Knowledge, Current Affairs, Technical Know-how, Physical fitness etc. but improving Psych according to SSB standards requires Practical training. Also, a person’s Psych requires a certain period of time to get molded naturally and may not be possible in 1 or 2 weeks. Further, practical training molds psychology in the most natural and best way. I started preparing 6 months before SSB reporting date.

SSB Experience:

1. As a fresher:
2. SSC Tech Army (19 SSB, Allahabad): Recommended with AIR 3

As a fresher, I made sure to highly exploit all the opportunities that I got at SSB. Since I had reported at SSB with proper preparation of indoor as well as outdoor tasks, I was aware what to do in spite of being a fresher. This is the biggest advantage one gets when one comes prepared.

Screening In was quite easy as it was a fresher’s group. The most important trick here in to listen to each and everyone’s story attentively and discuss in the group accordingly. I had practiced this with my group at Shatrujeet Academy hence, it was easier to convince all to nominate me for the Group story. My story also had a good plot and I attribute it to the Psych training that I got which naturally helped me write good stories.

Psych tests also went well as I not only got a basic Idea about the type of tests from SSBCrack and other Videos but also did I practice well. Stories are a reflection of your own life events in the past 6 months or from childhood. Since I was doing many practical training tasks prior to SSB, it was reflected in my Psych.

GTO tasks were quite good. Regular physical exercise (Running and Pushups most important) helps a lot. My martial arts practice also helped me. I won 2 Gold medals in a State level tournament just a day before leaving for SSB. I had trained myself for GTO tasks by attending A 2-Day Adventure Cum SSB Camp by Shatrujeet Adventures which involved complete practical training instrumental in my success.

Team sports(football/volleyball/basketball) helps one become a better team member and a leader as well. Playing with your own Group members in SSB also helps.

My interview lasted for about 45mins and questions ranging from engineering core subjects to family and friends. Since the common interview questions were known, I was well prepared and it went quite smooth. A flexible and a learning attitude in most important for this test.

In My conference I was again asked the same technical question which I couldn’t ask during interview. I had learned it and answered well.

I got recommended in the 1^st attempt and also scored All India Rank 3 in Merit but couldn’t join OTA due to documentation issue

1. As a Repeater:
2. Indian Coast Guard Asst. Commandant (GD): Recommended
3. Indian Air Force Ground Duty AFCAT Tech Entry (3 AFSB Gandhinagar): Recommended
4. Indian Air Force Ground Duty AFCAT Non-Tech Entry (2 AFSB Mysore): Recommended

As a repeater getting screened in is a challenge due to the infamous ‘Fish Market’ in PPDT. Basic strategy is: Good story making. Psych preparation helps in a good story plot. Practice helps in good narration. For discussion again the key point is being attentive to all other stories during narration phase. Utilizing others stories helps gain team support. This makes one a good leader and a better team player. Practicing Group Discussion with my group at Shatrujeet Academy really helped me tackle this fish market.

Psychology test must also improve its count compared to previous SSB if you are a repeater. Even though, I was a recommended candidate, I always strived to bring at least 1% improvement in every SSB. The higher the attempts in WAT, SRT, TAT the better one can express themselves to the evaluator. Events in the last 3 to 6 months highly influence one’s psychology. Hence a positive environment is very essential. Being a Working Professional in a corporate firm, it was challenging to get that environment. But I was fortunate enough that and I got this positive environment in Shatrujeet Academy. Regular connection with Nature helps detoxification of mind and body. Along with Nature’s touch, a competitive peer group was like a cherry on the cake!

GTO tests must show an improvement if you are a repeater. Being a repeater, one is aware of the type of individual obstacles that are present in the ground. Arm and upper body strengthening exercises and very essential for outdoor tasks. Enhancing team co-ordination from day 1 is essential. Remember, in GTO tasks you should win as a team i.e. aim should be maximum recommendation from the group rather that looking at group members as competitors. Practical training in Camping helped me a lot. Various Current Affairs articles in SSBCrack helped me in GD.

My interview lasted for 30mins on an average. Questions were 90% related to PIQ form, Previous attempts, Personal Questions and 10% on GK and Current Affairs. Interview checks the consistency of a candidate. It checks if the answers match with the TAT storylines, the WAT statements, the SRT and Self-Description answers. All my responses to personal questions at the interview were completely true. But, the power of expressing it in the best way was something that requires practice and an Expert Analysis.

SUCCESS MANTRA:

• Stay Positive by being in a company of positive, energetic and passionate people especially 3-4 months before SSB
• If you are a fresher, exploit the opportunity and prepare well for all tests and tasks. Use expert opinion for analyzing your responses of Psych tests instead of evaluating yourself.
• If you are a repeater, show improvement in all tasks and tests as compared to previous SSB. 1 % improvement every day is what matters. Take care of detailed self-analysis for self enhancement.
• Regular Physical exercise targeting running stamina and Arm strength is important which should reflect in Individual Obstacles
• Connection with nature by regular treks, camps and adventure activities highly adds up to ones OLQs
• Last but the most important thing: FOCUS. I myself am a sports Player, a working professional and a have a big social circle. But my top priority was becoming an Officer. Shatrujeet Academy was instrumental in helping me maintain focus on my Goal. Focusing on two things should be avoided if this is your ultimate aim in life.

Thus, due to the proper projection of my natural personality in various tests and tasks I was successful in all my SSB attempts! All the vert best to all defence aspirants! Consistent self-improvement and “Standing up and fighting each time” shall definitely get you to the Golden Steps of your Success!

JAI HIND!!!

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Greeting future GC’s. This is Nikhil Dahiya and I’ll be sharing my experience for Army TES SSB for 41th course in the next few paragraphs. I would be the third generation officer from my family. I started my preparation for defence services right after my class 12th. I went through a few SSB books. During this 3 months tenure of preparation I collected every vital information and practiced for psychological test and went confidently for my first SSB at SCN KAPURTHALA on 18^th Feb 2019. I got recommended. I was the only fresher to get recommended. After that I stayed there for my medicals. I was declared medically fit in the medical conference. I got AIR 47 in the merit list.

Day 1 : Stage I (Screening Test)

The day started at 0600 Hrs. I reported directly to the selection centre with my luggage and documents. Saw a huge number of boys neatly dressed. Interacted and made some friends. We were briefed about the documentation process. A total of 350+ candidates reported of which 2 were already recommended. We were then sent to the testing hall . Verbal and Non Verbal Tests were conducted and I attempted maximum questions in both the tests. We were given a short break after which PP & DT was held .

Then for the discussion, they made a group of 20 candidates .There was a fish market situation as everybody was seeking to take the initiative. I decided to keep calm and waited for the exact moment (when there is least noise) and made my entry to the discussion with 2-3 solid points. With more and more chaos the assessors divided the group into two parts and in this way the discussion concluded in less than 5 minutes.

We then came out and were given refreshments. I had a mixed feeling and wasn’t that confident of OIR but my PPDT went very well. In order to release my anxiety I decided to have a casual walk observing the faces and hearing from other candidates. The time went really fast and we were called again to the hall where the results of Stage I screening test were to be declared.

A total of 40 candidates were screened in out of which very few were fresher’s and rest were repeaters. I was allotted chest number 24 after which we were briefed about the rules and regulations and made to fill up the PIQ and few other forms. The day ended at 1800 hrs.

We were allotted our barracks where we kept our luggage and congratulated each other for clearing Stage 1.

Day 2 : Psychological Tests :

I had practiced a lot for this particular day. We reported to the CHM at 0700 hrs. Who took us to the testing hall where the psychologist briefed us about the tests. We completed our test on time. I would suggest to prepare yourself to write the stories and self-description in time as I was not able to complete my self-description part. Be positive and think positive towards the pictures shown. Do not create unnecessary problems in the stories .

Day 3&4: GTO

40 of us were divided into 4 groups of 10 each. We were then moved to the testing place. Group discussion followed by group planning exercise were conducted. The GTO was very cool minded and conducted the tests in very friendly environment. The next day we had our remaining GTO task which included snake race , PGT , FGT , individual obstacles . I was able to complete only 9 obstacles because of the bad weather condition as it was raining heavily but GTO asked us to carry on the test. Due to slippery obstacle I slipped thrice. So I would suggest not to give up even if you were not able to cover all the obstacles because GTO is trying to find the qualities in you rather than seeing that you complete all or not .

Conference day

Before the conference I made sure that I know all the answers of the questions which I didn’t answer in the interview. I had to wait for 10 minutes before entering the conference hall. This time I was not at all nervous. As I entered the hall I found that all the officers were in uniform and were difficult to distinguish. I was smiling and kept the same smile throughout. I was asked about the stay at SSB , places I visited and they asked me to rank my position in the group, and asked who all will get recommended and why ? He asked if you could remove a person from your group who would it be? I gave logical answers and justified them whenever asked.

He then asked for any suggestions and wished me all the best. I thanked them and confidently walked out of the hall. I was satisfied with my overall performance. I met my friends in the waiting hall who were waiting to hear my experience inside the conference hall.

The Dy. President came for the motivating closing address. After which the results were declared, officer came in and declared the chest no. of recommended candidates who had to stand up walk forward and shout their name, date of birth and roll number. Heart beats could be heard in the room. He called out chest no 15 chest no 22 and then chest no 24 I went numb for few seconds but somehow overpowered my legs to stand up, cried my name in a broken voice, barely managed to speak out my date of birth and by the time I reached my roll number I started crying. Everyone congratulated us, I felt sad for the rest of my friends.

If a stone is broken by the last stroke of hammer, it doesn’t mean that the past strokes were useless. Success is the result of continuous and persistent efforts. Keep trying and don’t stop till you get enough!

Looking forward to read your story on SSBCrack.

Jai Hind!!!

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This is Kushal Dhayal here, recommended from 33 SSB Bhopal for Indian Navy (SSC GS (X)). Your blog has played an important role in my recommendation. Especially in getting motivation by reading experiences of different lads for going for more and going hard. Another person was there for helping me (Major Sukesh Choudhary), a person who guided me as my elder brother, he plays basketball with me. A great, simple, genuine and down to earth personality. This time it was my 6th attempt. ” वो कहते हैं ना, (दिल से) कोशिश करने वालों कि हार नहीं होती। ” Two people made in this entry (including me).

Day 1: We reported at Bhopal station at 1430 hours at the station, the bus arrived. I made a few good friends at the station itself. Reached SSB centre, felt nostalgia(this was my second time at Bhopal). Did all documentation, got our accommodation.

Day 2: I woke up on time made my mind for the tests. I did very well in my OIRs. Then came ppdt, after seeing the picture I understood it and wrote a simple story. Then I narrated it in an easy and slow manner. In GD I kept 2-3 points easily and also let others speak. My story was selected as a common story. I made it in, felt low for my friends. But it was part of the process so I moved on and made some more new friends.

Day 3: Woke up on time, ready for psych. I’ve practised for them to be very honest. Wrote psych tests well and on time (did only 42 SRTs). My interview was scheduled on that day itself at around 1730 hours with the president. I was nervous before. But thanks to my batchmates and some people like (Rahul, Pushpraj and specially Pandey). They made my mind very free and I did well in my interview. Though I was not able to answer many questions regarding tech, I handled my piq well. And remember one thing people, BE HONEST. It’ll help you a lot. After my interview, I played basketball with one of my good friends (Tyagi).

Day 4: My favourite tests start today, I woke up on time, got ready for it. We reached the ground. Our GTO came on a camouflage coloured bullet. We briefed us for tests and tipped us to be normal and not act smart. We did the same, my group was good and we did well in all the tasks. 2-3 people from my group got injured in individual tasks. We gave an equal chance to each other in other group tasks like PGT and HGT. And the GTO day 1 went smooth. In the evening I played basketball with others.

Day 5: GTO day 2 went well too. My command task was a little challenging and out of three paths in command task, GTO only gave me two paths to choose from. I chose the one I was sure, he still creates some challenges like making some obstacles blue and asking for new paths, but still, I did it well. Then we all performed well in FGT too. This concluded our GTO. In the evening we went outside with other recommended candidates. We became good friends there, shared good memories. At night also we created a lot of memories, if my batchmates are reading this they’ll recall it definitely and will laugh for sure (Pranay, Jeet, Pandey, Tyagi, Rohit).
Day 6: It was the mayday for us. We all woke up a little late, did our breakfast. We packed our luggage with heavy hearts and got ready for the conference. Our conference started. My chest number was 7.

I waited outside for almost 15 mins. Heartbeats were touching the sky, I made myself calm and went inside after the buzzer. Greeted president sir (who took my interview), I got my answer from deputy president (sitting beside him). He asked me some questions I missed in my Interview, I replied to him with my answers. Then he gave me a few SRTs and I answered them all accordingly. My conference went around for 15 mins. I came out and breathed out loudly (pheww). My batchmates were sure, I’ll make through. After lunch, we assembled for results. My chest number was first, I spelt my name and tears came running out from my eyes and everyone started clapping. Me and chest no. 15 (Shubham) made it that day. I felt seriously low for my buddies who made me laugh, annoy(sometimes). But as I said before, it is a part of the process and I told them that “this recommendation is because of such good batchmates and I dedicate my recommendation to my grandparents, parents, my sisters, friends (my basketball team, Vedant, Mishra) and my batchmates.

That’s all about my SSB. At last I want to just say that don’t worry about results and do your best, I still remember the poem one of my batchmates (Rahul) said to me and it goes like this.मैं शून्य पे सवार हूँबेअदब सा मैं खुमार हूँअब मुश्किलों से क्या डरूंमैं खुद कहर हज़ार हूँमैं शून्य पे सवार हूँमैं शून्य पे सवार हूँ
So I will end here! Thank you, SSBCrack again for giving me a chance to write.

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