Indian Air Force has published the AFCAT 2 2019 result on 17th Sep 2019. AFCAT aspirants can check their AFCAT 2 2019 marks, cut off and results on the official website of the AFCAT. The results have been declared and are available for viewing through individual login. The date and venue for AFSB testing can be selected from 17 Sep 2019 17:00hrs to 22 Sep 2019 23:30 hrs. After this date, the venue will be allotted randomly to the candidates who fail to choose their date and venue. The AFSB testing will start from 21 Oct 2019. AFCAT 02/2019 SUPPLEMENTARY EXAM(FOR SRINAGAR CANDIDATES ONLY) WILL BE CONDUCTED ON 25 SEPT 2019, Admit Card for AFCAT 02/2019 supplementary is available for download through Candidate Login from 11 SEPT 2019 onward. GROUND DUTY BRANCHES ARE OPEN THROUGH NDA FOR 10+2 CANDIDATES. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR NDA, CANDIDATES TO VISIT UPSC WEBSITE.
Update: The Indian Air Force has announced the IAF AFCAT (02/2019) results for Srinagar candidates on its official website. The candidates who have appeared for the IAF AFCAT (02/2019) Srinagar examination are advised to visit the official website of the Indian Air Force to check and download their result online.
INET is an online exam conducted by Indian Navy for men & women candidates for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC) in under-mentioned branches/entries in the Indian Navy for course commencing at Indian Naval Academy (INA) Ezhimala, Kerala. INET exam will be of two hours duration. It will contain 100 Multiple Choice Questions comprising Questions on English, Reasoning & Numerical Ability, General Science, Mathematical Aptitude & General Knowledge. Each section will be of 100 marks with negative marking of one mark for incorrect answer.
INET Exam Cut Off Marks
INET (Officers) will have four sections, viz English, Reasoning and Numerical Ability, General Science and Mathematical Aptitude, and General Knowledge. Candidates would need to pass in each section to be considered for an SSB call. Candidates will be called up for SSB interview on the basis of performance in INET (Officers) and their entry preference. To be considered for final Merit List, candidates would need to qualify in SSB and subsequent Medical Examination. Merit List will be drawn up on the basis of marks scored in INET (Officers) and SSB marks. Selected candidates will undergo Basic Training at the Indian Naval Academy.
INET Result of a candidate who failed to clear the sectional cut off marks
SYLLABUS FOR INET FOR OFFICERS’ ENTRIES
Section 1 – English: Comprehension, Usage of Words, Sentence completion / Corrections, Punctuations, Grammar, Vocabulary, Antonyms and Synonyms, Parts of Speech, Direct and Indirect Speech, Idioms and Phrases, Active and Passive Voice.etc (Question paper will be designed to test the candidates’ understanding of English and workmanlike use of Grammar).
Section 2 –Reasoning and Numerical Ability: Spatial, Numerical, Reasoning and Associative Ability, Sequences, Spellings, Unscrambling, Coding and Decoding, Missing Numbers / Series Completion, Decimal Fraction, Ratios and Proportion, Average and Volume, Time and Work, Speed and Distance, Market Price, Cash Price, Expenditure Problems, Profit and Loss, Percentage, Factoring (LCM and HCF), Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Mensuration Formulas (Calculation of length, breadth or height of square, rectangle, cube etc).
Section 3 – General Science and Mathematical Aptitude: Nature of Matter, Universe, Electricity and its Applications, Force and Gravitation, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Work, Energy and Power, Heat, Temperature, Light, Current, Magnetism, Metals and Non Metals, Measurements, Sound and Wave Motion, Atomic Structure, Chemistry – Carbon and its Compounds, Periodic Table, Acids, Bases & Salts, Food, Nutrition and Health Physiology and Human Diseases and Basic Computer Science, Arithmetic Ability, Number Systems, Algebra, Basic Trigonometry, Geometry, Statistics, Probability and Set Theory.
Section 4 – General Knowledge: History of India, Geography, Climate / Environment, Civics – Constitution of India, Art, Culture, Dance, Heritage, Religion, Freedom Movement, Important National Facts, Economics, Politics, Sports and Championships, Entertainment, Books and Authors, Awards, Defence and Wars, Geographical Neighbours, Countries – Languages, Capitals, Currencies, Common Name, Full Forms, Abbreviations, Eminent Personalities, National – Bird/ Animal/ Monuments/ Flower/ Anthem/ Sport/ Flag/ Emblem etc, Discoveries and Current Affairs.
“Whatever is good for me, will come to me and I am here to make the best out of everything that comes in my way!” This is the motto I kept on saying in my heart and to the friends I made in this entire journey of 25 days (SSB+Medicals). Hello everyone! I am Vidhi Madan and I recently got recommended for SSC(W)- JAG 23 course from 11SSB Allahabad and got AIR 9 in my first attempt. It feels so good to speak, hear and even say the rank in single digit in the first go. But trust me the journey was no less than a roller coaster ride. I’ll be sharing my experience as a fresher and how and what all contributed to make it a lifetime experience. I completed my last exam of LL.M. on 10th May and straight away from Gujarat went to report Allahabad on 13th May to start the process of SSB. It all starts with the reporting day and as many people say, “you are under scrutiny from the first day”, take my words ‘It starts well before from reporting day itself.’ I met a bunch of people standing at the Railway station to be taken to the selection board from there. I was all tired after giving exams and long journey but I thought of interacting with people and getting to know their first hand experience about previous SSB if any.
Pro tip here: Just be natural whenever you meet people. The moment
you start browbeating yourself on others, it gets fake. SSB is all about who
you are. So try to be happy and try gelling up with people since Day 1. But it
doesn’t mean you have to be with people 24×7.
When we were taken to the centre, we were asked to arrange our
documents in sequential order. Please take all the documents stated carefully
or else you’ll be sent back home from there and please be very clear with the
tattoo policy. Also, the crucial part of the day was filling your PIQ form.
This form my friends is your identity throughout your stay at SSB centre. It
will go to the Interviewer, GTO, and Psychologist. So fill it wisely.
We quietly rested for the day and were clearly told the dos and don’ts. The next day started with the screening test. I was very scared for it. I was having second thoughts that I’ll have to go back home as I am a fresher, did no coaching, tired because of the rigorous exam schedule of the masters, haphazard sleep cycle I was following in the last few days and so many things. Post breakfast, screening part 1 (Verbal and Non-verbal) started at 6:15 am. You won’t believe that I was able to complete only 65% of the questions. It got to my nerves and then I picked up the pace and completed 95% of the second test. Now part II (PPDT) started and I was all clear and awakened by that time. We were shown a picture and within 3 seconds I was able to think of a story. I made a story related to my mother and me. Try keeping the story very basic and simple. Try relating it to yourself, your surroundings. The more you relate it to yourself, the more you are able to connect. The more you are able to connect; the story gets more appealing and attractive. Don’t fake around and this is psychology test and not your English test. I am very close to my mother and built a story around her and myself. So the story not only helped just for PPDT, rather when we were to narrate our story and then come with a common story, my story was appreciated almost by everyone and I was only nominated by others to narrate and sum up for all.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eoa_OgfAH/
See this is how you get an edge over others without any extra
effort. Pro tip: When you are narrating your story or discussing it with your
group, look to all of them left to right and not to the examiners. Try gaining
trust amongst your group.
After sometime we were told the results and trust me all my fear
went to bay for the rest of my days at SSB centre. Honestly because I came with
the thought and impression that SSB is very tough and getting screened in for a
fresher is a very tough task. But here’s a pro tip again: Don’t listen to
others and just be yourself and I also realized, PPDT is a game stealer and
verbal and non-verbal just helps in your merit. So from Chest no 13, I was now
chest no 12. What a feeling!
Since I told earlier that I came here without coaching, so every
night before the test I used to ask my friends about the test and read about
the exam that was scheduled the next day. Now this I have told you to make you
familiar with the fact that I was very relaxed and didn’t panic despite not
knowing anything. So staying calm throughout and enjoying the journey was more
important. The ones, who were panicking, were making it evident to the examiner
and under pressure they were committing silly mistakes.
So, again the next day we got up at the same time and were ready for stage 2 of testing. It all started with Thematic Apperception Test [TAT]. All I did was, I showed presence of mind and again related it to my life experiences. It gets way easier with that. Quickly try to relate all the positive experiences of your life in your stories. Now came Word Association Test [WAT] and with that again your thinking and writing speed was required. Try to find positivity in everything, even the negatives. I practice Buddhism and try finding good even in a bad situation. It starts with easier words and then comes down to negative words. Do not write quotes or statements. Just be natural about anything you could think of and write it down. Target is to think smart and no matter what just complete it.
Now with the writing speed taking pace, here comes another i.e. Situation Reaction Test [SRT]. It is very hard to complete them all. But nevertheless try completing as many as you can. Also, no matter if you have written less also because at the end of the day, all that matters is quality over quantity. Last part of the testing session was Self Description Test [SD] wherein it all makes sense to prepare beforehand i.e. what do you think about yourself, what your parents, teachers and friends think about you. No loose ended answers will help and neither too much of flattery will help here. Again be honest with your answers because in interview anything and everything will be cross checked and you won’t even know. I handled position of responsibilities from school level to college level (Head Girl of school to Department President at college) and I clearly wrote everything around the same.
With this Psychology test was done and a few of us were straight
away called for the interview also. Again I was very relaxed about the same. At
that point of time my knowledge of current affairs was very bad but trust me to
whatever question the interview asked me, I took my stand and he tried to puzzle
and shake me from my stand but I didn’t. To whatever I had no clue of, I
straight away said, “Sorry sir! I am not able to recall.” To whatever
questions, I was not completely sure of, I said, “As far as my memory goes and
I can think of it, the answer to the same is XYZ”. Whenever the interviewer
continued about a point and stretched it with his arguments, I said “I totally
agree with you sir but in my opinion XYZ should be the answer.”
Trust me, interview is no herculean task. Honestly I was sure of
only 30% of my answers and the rest all I tried, I straight away said that I
cannot recall at the moment.
With this my day got over and then ultimately came the day of GTO,
toughest part of the SSB (for me at least). We reached the ground the next day
and then started with GD. Pro tip for GD is not to cut anybody’s point even if
you disagree. Rather say that I appreciate your understanding about the topic
but I feel XYZ method is more convenient in my opinion because of ABC reason.
Group planning exercise is also fun. Although I wasn’t able to write down my
plan completely on the sheet provided. Nevertheless, all that mattered was that
I was able to portray it well and my team nominated me to narrate the plan of
action to the GTO which again fetched me extra brownie points.
Next in line was Progressive Group task. I wasn’t able to guess
the right alternative in it but again I didn’t step back to try and stand on
planks or for that matter anything asked or suggested to do. Pro tip: Even if
you are not able to contribute in the activity through your suggestions, try
contributing it physically and take the risk and try out the tasks. Similar was
Half Group Task, just with less number of people.
The best task was Group obstacle race. It was so much fun.
Remember to have fun and to complete the race. It really doesn’t matter which
team wins it. Even though I was scared of heights, I didn’t step back to first
climb the wall and help a lending hand. GTO has eyes always on you, be kind and
passionate and do not crib as to what others are doing to others and even to
you. Remember, you are here to have the best experience and whatever is good
for you will come to you.
Post this was lecturette wherein we were super tired with our
earlier tasks but were asked to speak on the topic provided to us. I just spoke
on the day again remembering anything and everything possible without
stammering. Actually public speaking is my forte so I don’t really fret
regarding anything related to it.
The next day was also similar with the difference being of
Individual obstacles to be done. I am very scared and trust me I showed all the
courage and jumped off from all heights, crossed all poles and did whatever it
required with the thought that even if I break my leg, I’ll remember it
throughout my life. I know it seems so passionate and not appropriate but isn’t
the idea of wearing a uniform gives you goose bumps? I was all bruised and then
we did command task. Try being a good leader. Rather than subjugating things on
your subordinates, take the risk of doing it yourself first and then tell them
to take your lead. At last, thank your subordinates and to the GTO also. Final
thing was the Final Group Task wherein if you were not able to showcase your
potential earlier, try as hard as you can this time which again isn’t difficult
at all.
With this all the part 2 of testing got over and we went out and
rested before the final conference day. My conference lasted for 15 seconds
with the questions being, “How was your stay at SSB Centre?”, “Do you have any
suggestions?” and I was spellbound as to what happened in the last 15 seconds.
After this we were told to wait for the end result and ultimately
results were announced and 11 candidates got recommended and I was the only
fresher amongst those 11. You know what was the best part even after getting
recommended? Getting applause from others and they agreeing unanimously that I
totally deserved every bit of it. My father gave me this challenge and I
immediately called him up saying, “Hanji Recommended”. It is beyond words to
express how happy my father was.
Trust me the amount of respect it has given me, I can’t really
think of getting from any other career or profession. It gave a sense of
earning a valuable thing and I have even been told that one who clears SSB
never fails in any test of life! So this was by far the best experience of my
life and getting a one digit rank (AIR 9) in one go was the cherry on the cake.
I believe my rawness and to the point honest attitude helped me a lot.
Also a pro tip for medicals: Do get your basic tests done before
going for SSB. I had a really bad experience at medicals because of so many
issues such as I got to know that I have kidney stones, less hemoglobin etc.
For me SSB was easy and medicals were tough.
But above everything all that mattered to me was I had a lifetime experience which I am going to cherish throughout my life.
INET exam was conducted on 15th Sep 2019 by the Indian Navy for officer candidates, this is the first time INET exam was conducted for the officer cadre for the various branches of the Indian Navy. Many aspirants of the Indian Navy appeared for the INET online exam on 15th Sep 2019. SSBCrack will be publishing the INET Question paper, answer keys and cut off marks soon. According to the aspirants, the level of INET was above AFCAT exam and similar to CDS. There were 100 questions in the paper and 4 marks were awarded for the correct answer and 1 mark was deducted for the wrong answer. INET exam has a section cut off and one needs to clear all the section to pass the INET exam, the INET sectional cut off could is 40%. Candidates can find the INET question paper from shift-1 and shift-2.
An online written test for Indian Navy (INET) was conducted for the first time this year and it is something that is different from other graduate level defence entrance tests. The difficulty level was much higher than AFCAT. Moreover, the syllabus of this test was also more than AFCAT. There are a few additional topics in maths like trigonometry, mensuration and geometry. Coming to the Verbal Ability section there were more questions on direct and indirect speech, active and passive voice. The rest of the paper is more or less the same as AFCAT. However, the marking scheme and cut off for INET is a bit different. For every correct answer 4 marks are awarded and for every wrong answer 1 mark is deducted. The paper consists of 100 questions and each section contains 25 questions. There is a sectional cutoff which requires a minimum of 40% score in each of the four sections. Along with that there’s an overall cutoff of 50%. My exam went good and the procedure before the exam was also pretty smooth. The admit card is retained my the center unlike AFCAT.
On the whole, the introduction of the INET is gratifying and gives a great opportunity to numerous Navy aspirants.
INET 15 Sep 2019 Questions and Answer
Who was the 1st election commissioner of India?
Where was the first constituent assembly held?
What is the capital of Sudan?
What is the currency of Bulgaria?
Who wrote “the hungry tide”?
Which is the India’s 3rd generation fire and forget Missile?
What is the full form of TRIM?
Which is the largest planet?
Which period is known as the Hindu revival period?
Which city was first affected by the plague?
India’s 1st hydroelectric project?
What is Net National Product?
Who was awarded Arjuna award in 2018 of the following? Satish Kumar
Devi Ahilya bai holkar award is given for?
Which state 1st made it compulsory for the voters to vote in local body elections?
Who was the only female stunt performer at 70th Republic Day?
What is panchayat?
First Asia-Pacific country to join India for a maritime exercise?
Important aspect of 1919 government of India act?
SHIFT-2 1.William Dalrymple wrote ? White Mughal or The last Mughal or both. 2. Denmark’s currency? 3. First Indian woman to win in shooting Asian games 2018? 4. Meera mehta committee for development of? 5. Chromatography was discovered by? 6. OTEC full form? 7. Who hasnt got Guinness world of book records? Answer – Vijay Agneepath. 8. Jabauni is a dance form of 9. Newspaper is not published in which Indian state? Arunachal Pradesh 10. Goldman Award is given for? 11. Who presented the preamble to the drafting committee? 12. Odd one out: 1)IMF 2) SAARC 3) WHO 4)UNICEF
13.Which of the following cities has been named as the World Capital of Architecture for 2020? 1) Beijing 2) New York 3) Paris 4) Rio de Janeiro 14.Rohia National Park is situated in? ans- H.P 15. Where is the maximum concentration of ozone in the atmosphere? Stratosphere. 16.The family of the Rig Vedic Aryans was? Patriarchal. 17. ISDN full form 18. First Governed General of India was under which act ? Charter 1833. 19. Ajanta caves was built by dynasty?
Many readers, casual observers and some defence enthusiasts, have repeatedly requested an article highlighting why General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army Chief is seen in wearing a Colonel’s rank in a few pictures. The picture of the Indian Army chief piqued a lot of interest, with many believing that it was photoshopped, while some took it a notch further, claiming it was deliberate mischief by the Pakistani Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) social media proxies. The reality, however, is not at all nefarious. General Bipin Rawat has been pictured wearing a Colonel rank during the ceremonial function in memory of the soldiers from the 61st Cavalry who were martyred during the historic Battle of Haifa. The General holds the distinction of being the ‘Colonel of the Regiment‘ of the famed 61st Cavalry.
Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat addressing during the centenary celebration of Battle of Haifa 1918-2018, at 61 Cavalry Ground in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Sept 22, 2018. Haifa Day is celebrated every year to celebrate the liberation of Haifa by mounted Cavalry charge by the Indian soldiers led by Major Dalpat Singh on 23rd Sept,1918 from the occupation of Turks.(Photo by Vishal Bhatnagar/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Former Army Chief General Dlabir Singh Suhaag being conferred as an honorary Colonel of the Brigade of the Guards by the Colonel of the regiment Lt.Gen Ashok Singh
The Colonel of the Regiment is a legacy of the Indian Army’s British heritage. It is a designation given to the army’s top brass, usually a Lieutenant General rank officer.
Every regiment in the Indian Army has a dedicated Colonel Commandant (Colonel of the Regiment).
The role of the Colonel of the regiment is primarily to look after regimental welfare activities, such as ceremonials, regimental issues. Simply put, it is the appointed officer’s responsibility to preserve the ethos of the regiment.
Colonel Commandant of the Gorkha Regiment
The officer generally the senior-most officer of the regiment who is appointed to the post following an intra-regimental vote.
The senior officers of the regiment such as the Commanding Officer, Brigade Commanders and General rank officers of the regiment get a vote each.
The Colonel of the Regiment is not involved in operational or deployment-related issues.
Gen Dalbir Singh, COAS, President Gorkha Brigade and Colonel of the Regiment, 5(FF) Gorkha Rifles paying homage
The Regiment Of Artillery Has Five!
Artillerymen with former defence minister Nirmala Sitaraman
The appointment procedure for Colonel of the regiment is slightly altered in the case of the Regiment of Artillery. This distinction is made purely because of Artillery’s sheer size.
The Colonel Commandants discussed modernisation and induction programmes related to new generation Artillery equipment into Regiment of Artillery
The regiment of Artillery has five Colonels of the regiment, with one of them designated as ‘Senior Colonel Commandant.’
Close up of General Bipin Rawat’s Colonel rank
Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, YSM, VSM presently #ChinarCorpsCdr, took over the mantle of Colonel of the Regiment (COR) of Rajputana Rifles from Lt Gen Abhay Krishna PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC, GOC-in-C Central Command in a befitting ceremony at the Raj Rif RC, New Delhi today
With an astronomical budget of 100,000 rupees, Mission Gaganyan is set to be India’s most ambitious space mission. India’s premier space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a seven day manned mission to space.
Russia to train India’s pilots for the country’s first human-crewed space mission
Wing Commander Nikhil Rath from the IAF has been shortlisted as one of the three pilots set to fly in this mission.
The program has been organised to enhance ISRO’s proficiency in Satellite technology and launch capability
The program is likely to generate employment for 15,000 people, out of which 861 will be ISRO personnel.
Premier French Space Agency CNES, will be assisting ISRO in specialised fields such as space medicine, astronaut health monitoring, radiation, protection of life etc
The Indian army’s Parachute regiment is one of the military’s elite airborne units. The battle-hardened combat force consists of some of the army’s most motivated and physically robust soldiers. The PARAs are subdivided into two distinct entities; The Paratroopers (Airborne) and the PARA SF (The regiments Special Forces Detachment). The Paratroopers comprise of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Parachute battalions. They are not special forces operatives as some mistakenly believe. The Special Forces battalions comprise of the 1 Para (SF), 2 Para (SF), 3 Para (SF) 9 Para (SF), 10 Para (SF) and 21st Parachute (Special Forces). So how are they different? Read on to find out!
Airborne soldier of a regular PARA battalion (Picture courtesy Arjun Menon)
The Paratroopers are regular airborne soldiers who function as (airborne infantry). This means that they are elite infantrymen who are capable of being PARA dropped behind enemy lines, from where they can make way for the regular infantry, and connect with them. They are very similar to the United States 101st Airborne Division and the British Parachute Regiment. A Paratrooper is required to go through a 90-day probation cycle designed to weed out the weak. During this assessment, candidates are sleep deprived, made to run extreme distances and are put through a battery of other endurance tests. The probation cycle designed to break a probationer’s will to join the airborne forces. However, despite the extremely stringent selection procedure, the Paratroopers are considered ‘Elite Infantry’ and not members of the Indian Army’s Special Forces.
Regular PARA battalions are similar to the United States 101st Airborne Division
The Paratrooper volunteers are trained at the Para Regimental centre located in Bangalore. Following which they earn their para wings at the Parachute Training Centre in Agra. The purpose of the training is solely to make an infantryman physically and mentally robust. Other than para jumping five times with full combat load, the training does not put significant emphasis on other skills. Following successful completion of their probation, they are permanently absorbed into the regular Para battalions, awarded the right to wear the maroon beret.
PARA Special Forces
Special Forces men locked and loaded
These men are the Sharper end of the stick. Regular Paratroopers go on for further probation and training at the Special Forces Training School (SFTC) situated in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, in order to be a part of this truly elite club. The Special Forces battalions are each trained for specialised environments at various specialised institutions. For instance, The 1 Para (SF) is trained for mountain warfare, the 9 Para (SF) is trained for jungle warfare and the 10 Para (SF) is trained for desert warfare, & so on. These Elite operators sport the ‘Balidaan’ (Sacrifice) badge on the right pocket, with their ‘Special Forces’ insignia, on both shoulders.
Tabs and patches worn by SF operators
Special forces operators are inserted deep behind enemy lines with the help of sophisticated aerial infiltration techniques such as High altitude low opening (HALO) and High altitude high opening (HAHO) with the logistical support of specialised transport aircraft.
These elite soldiers are trained to, conduct cross border raids, covert operations, targeted killing, destroy or capture intended target. It has been said that PARA SF operatives can hold/operate in enemy territory for up to 72 hours with absolutely no external support or reinforcement. Following which they will be forced to withdraw or else be overrun by the sheer number of conventional enemy troops.
Special Forces officer being awarded for Gallantry
Hello, friends, my name is Mohit Singh Nayal. I got recommended in my 12th attempt from 34SSB Allahabad on 15th April 2019 and I believe my story will definitely motivate and help aspirants in achieving their goal. I will divide my story into two parts – I) Journey till now 2) My findings and tips regarding SSB tastings. My Journey – Being from a defence background I always wanted to become an officer in armed forces. I gave my first SSB attempt in Nov, 2013 and within the next four months, I had already given four attempts. Two for TES ARMY & two for TES NAVY. I was conferenced out in all of them. In my 1st SSB (ARMY) I was so unprepared and unaware that I couldn’t speak a word in both the group discussion of GTO. I couldn’t complete all my stories and was able to write only 40 sentences in WAT. I wasn’t able to answer any personal or general knowledge questions. Then I took coaching from Balnoi academy and now I realise how big that mistake was. I started mugging up stories, memorize interview answers and tried to project as if I am perfect in all aspects of life. I still remember the exams and practicals I had missed during my college days to attend SSB.
During 4th year of my B.Tech I again started preparing for the AFCAT and other entries. But to my surprise, I got screened out in three consecutive attempts. I started questioning myself, have I degraded to a level that now I couldn’t clear even screen-in which once was a cakewalk for me. Finally, I got screened-in in June 2017 AFCAT attempt but the final result didn’t change. That was the time when I introspected myself and decided to first understand SSB and what is actually required from a candidate. I started reading books, followed many YouTube SSB channels and finally attended a 2 day workshop of a psychologist. I contacted the psychologist and took 5-6 days personal guidance. His guidance gave me the direction and I realised the importance of general knowledge in life. Then I got placed in TCS from college interview. I decided to dedicate 2 months before my joining, preparing for SSB. I used to live with my brother in a 1 BHK flat in Dwarka Sec 23b. My brother used to come late at night and I used to cook food for both of us. In those days, I realised the power of loneliness. When your circle gets smaller your vision gets larger. As the saying goes “Nothing comes easy in life”, my AFCAT result was not out because of some mistakes I made during filling my OMR sheet. I was disheartened because I worked really hard and I was aware of the fact that once I joined TCS preparing for any exam would become a nightmare. With hope of clearing AFCAT next time I joined TCS on 9th Nov, 2017 in Chennai for 3 months training. I made new friends and life seemed to be very beautiful and carefree. It was kind of a paid holiday for us and we used to plan trips to Puducherry, hogenakkal fall and other places. I almost forgot about my dream of becoming an officer. Then came the reality check when I joined TCS, Powai Mumbai in Feb,2018 , I gave my AFCAT exam with 102 F fever.
But I was still confident of clearing it . After spending 2 months in office, I realised that this is not the place where I belong to. The environment was very depressing , nobody cared about fitness and only motivation was money. Big tummy and a cheese burger in hand was not what I wanted. Then came another reality check i.e. AFCAT result which I couldn’t clear. I didn’t know what to do next , I felt trapped. This is a point in everyone’s life which either makes them or breaks them. I think if I would have bowed down in front of my situation, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve success. Yes, initially it was very difficult but then I decided to turn fortune in my favour. I decide to work hard and started preparing for CAPF and CDSE exam. I used to wake up early in the morning , watch the Hindu analysis by study lover channel in YouTube and write down important points. During my lunch break, I used to finish my food within 15 mins and rush towards library to read newspaper and revise the previous day points. I still remember my office colleagues making fun of me seeing my madness and spending most of the time in library. I almost lost all my friends as I couldn’t give them time and refused to go out with them during weekends. I used to leave office at 7pm sharp irrespective of the situation in office. Distance from office to flat was 2.2 km and I used to travel on foot all by myself. I used to listen to motivational videos in YouTube . To all candidates looking for motivation please follow “Team Fearless” channel in YouTube , one of the best thing available in YouTube. This motivation was required to study 5 hrs after reaching home. I was following a planned schedule and understood the importance of discipline in life. Now, during June, 2018 I gave Coast guard PSB and got recommended for FSB which was to be held in Noida from 5th August to 9th august. I worked really hard and was very confident of getting recommended and decided to leave my job after recommendation but the only problem was 5 days leave. Obviously, I lied, made up a story, and went for my SSB. Everything went well except few questions in personal interview. During my conference, officer took 15 min before calling me in. As the result was announce, all candidates whose conference waiting time was 15 min got recommended except me. I was shattered, I remember I met my brother that day, had whiskey and cried.
Now I had an important decision to make, weather to
apply for 3 month notice period or not. I kept faith in myself and applied for notice
period. Next 3 months I followed a strict schedule and studied day and night. My
only fun time was Friday night when I used to watch motivational movies to keep
moving in the path I chose.“M.S.Dhoni” is a movie that I had watched more than
30 times during my job in TCS. 15th Nov 2018 was my last day in TCS
and I knew I was going to miss two people Pratik and Rashmita, both were my seniors
but supported and motivated me at every step. I felt protected under them as
they were aware of my dreams and goals and used to give me easy tasks so that I
can focus on my studies. As I left TCS the next important thing was CDSE exam.
I reached my CDSE Examination centre, and realised that I forgot my admit card,
I ran here and there but couldn’t find a printout shop , I kept looking and
finally found a shop. When I reached my centre
I was 30 mins late, it seemed impossible to enter the centre as only 10 min
late entry was allowed. I was lucky that there was no guard when I entered the
main gate, I ran to 2nd floor and entered my room. The invigilators
stopped me and called centre in-charge, I pleaded in front of him and almost
cried. Seeing my eagerness to sit in the exam, the in-charge allowed me. I was
happy and ran to my seat and started giving the exam. Yes I couldn’t complete
my paper but I was confident of clearing the exam. Life after TSC was very
challenging as I used to study 13-14 hrs daily and my only physical appearance
outside my home was for running and swimming. I really want to thank my parents
for supporting me at the time when I needed it the most. My mother did
everything she could to provide me conducive environment for studies. My
studies were dedicated towards clearing CAPF as there was no SSB involved in
it. Then I met Brig. Ruhil recommended by my close friend Srishti
Sharma(Currently LC in INA, Kerala).I thought I would be wasting my time and
jeopardize my CAPF preparation but now I feel very lucky that I took her advice
and met brig. Ruhil sir. I took few days guidance for Ruhil sir and On 25th
Feb 2019 I went for AFCAT SSB in Dehradun and got conferenced out . Outcomes said
sorry you don’t have it in you but the warrior inside me kept saying that a
warrior is not someone who always win but a person who is last man standing
when everyone gave up. With this thought, I continued my CAPF preparation. I
decided to give one more month for SSB
probably my last try and started preparing for SSB with Ruhil sir. Ruhil
sir taught me that life should be full of achievements. Without achievements
and goals, life has no meaning. His life experiences helped me a lot and
rigorous psychological tests helped me understand my mistakes and gave me time
to rectify them.
Then, came the SSB date selection day for CDSE . I
decided to select 1st April as my SSB date because I wanted to finish
SSB as early as possible and get back to CAPF preparation. But nothing seemed
going my way as I selected 10th April 2019 by mistake. I still
remember that I was alone in Delhi as my father was posted in Nasik , and
loneliness was at its peak . So , finally after tons of hard work and
perseverance I finally got recommended in my 12th attempt from 34
SSB Allahabad and I still remember the phone calls to my parents, brother, friends,
and Ruhil sir after the result was announced and everything that was stuck
inside me came out from my eyes in form of tears.
I will refrain myself from sharing SSB details as it
won’t help candidates. Rather I would like to present you my findings and tips
for SSB testing.
I forgot to mention the amount of research I did in
past 2 years. From every SSB preparation YouTube channel to every good book
available in market, I tried everything. And even though I couldn’t get
recommended in previous attempts but my understanding about SSB was very clear.
From September 2017 to August 2019 I changed three professions , started with a call centre job , moved to Software company(TCS) , then to Indians largest Education tech company BYJUS as a BDA and now finally joining a profession I always wanted to join☺️.
SSB Tips
Intelligence test –SSB is a time bound process , how
you handle pressure determines your performance.
Best advice for intelligence test is to read all
questions one by one and try to quickly answer as much questions as you can. Again
read the left out questions, give 45-60 sec and if you are unable to solve
within 60 sec , leave the question and move forward , continue this process and
attempt each and every question.
Reason to recommend this process is quite simple. You
are bound to read difficult questions more than once and your chances of
getting it right also increases.
PP&DT –watch the image very carefully, understand
the background, mood and approximate age of the character and make a simple
story.
In GD, narrate the story in the least possible words,
and during discussion always support your point by relating it to the picture
shown . For example –friends if we recall the picture, we can clearly see a
village scene and 4 farmers with visible cheek bones sitting in front of a
young man who looks well dressed and can be considered as a banker , student ,
teacher. Friends as cheek bones of farmers are clearly visible so we can
conclude that farmers are very poor and probably facing crop failure.
Now such explanation proves that the candidate has understood
the situation well and is able to come to a definitive conclusion. Such
candidate is sure to get screened-in
Psychological
test –
TAT
This is a test of your perception and imagination. How you perceive a situation determines your understanding, life experience and thinking process. The most important thing in this is to understand the situation presented in the picture. Most candidates fail to interpret the picture correctly. For example – a boy in dhoti standing in a field cannot be considered as a civil engineer or a rich businessman, one should understand the character and background well before plotting a story.
TAT is all about actions. If your perception is correct then any story will work but your action decides how good is your story. Every story has some problems, or issues or goals to achieve, how you solve that problem or achieve your desired goal will fetch you marks. Anybody can count problems but a leader finds a solution. For example –you have a picture showing an accident scene. Now how your hero tackles this situation shows your leadership qualities. Like he will rush to the spot, with others help take injured to roadside, stop the bleeding with a cloth, ask others to stop a cab or a car, safely place him in the car, take him to the nearest hospital, admit him , pay registration fees , inform his family and also inform his boss that he will get late for office today . Give family his contact number for any help and leave for office. More the number of actions more will be the qualities you can project.
It is important to understand how much imagination is required in a given picture. For example, in an accident scene, the situation is clearly visible, the only requirement is your actions in tackling the situation. If picture shows a boy sitting in front of a study table with books on it that means some hint is given and some imagination is required. If picture shows a mountain or a sea or a house that means 100% of your imagination is required as no hint is provided in the picture.
My advice – see the picture for 30 sec, understand the situation, background, character mood and think logically as to what the picture wants to say. Now, plot a theme with some daily life problems or goals and write multiple actions to solve it or achieve what your hero wants to achieve. Every line reveals your OLQ, for example in one case a candidate writes-Ramesh was a software engineer and one day while passing through a garden he saw ….. another candidate writes Ramesh was a software engineer and one early morning while he was heading towards his office for an urgent meeting he saw ………. 1st candidate missed the opportunity but the 2nd candidate took it and projected that he is sincere, hardworking, responsible and aware of his surrounding.
WAT
WAT can be simply explained with an
example –
Word is LEISURE
1st candidate –leisure
time is best for relaxation.
2nd candidate – leisure
time is best spent with friends.
3rd candidate –leisure
time is best utilized in hobbies.
4th candidate –
opportunity to spend time with family.
Nothing is wrong or right in WAT, only your association of word is observed.
A psychologist can easily say that 1st candidate looks a bit lazy, 2nd candidate might be very friendly, 3rd candidate definitely has a hobby and 4th candidate likes to spend more time with family. Now, he will compare your responses in TAT, SRT and SD to confirm this. Like if 3rd candidate in SD writes that his friends praise him for his involvement in trekking activities and he has also mentioned about trekking in his PIQ then the psychologist can say that this candidate gives time in performing his hobby.
The beauty of expression and structure of sentence doesn’t matter only your association of word matters. For example – the word is Love.
Some association – Mother, life, food, brother, friends, a movie etc.
Word is HATE
Some association – terrorist, racism, lie, inequality, running etc.
SRT
can be compared with TAT because in TAT a situation is shown and your actions are required, similarly, in SRT, a situation is given and your response is asked.
A leader should know in which sequence the action should take place. For example – you are travelling by train in 3 AC class and suddenly your compartment catches fire. What will you do ??? Sample response – pull chain, shift passengers to another compartment, with others help put off the fire using blanket and water. If you are satisfied with this answer then you haven’t understood the situation well. 1st step is to open all gates of the compartment so that the smoke can go outside as many passengers might die because of suffocation. 2nd step is to pacify people as they would be agitated, then shift to another compartment etc. If you understood this point then your SRT will be fine.
Now, if you write in SD that your parents think you are a very obedient son and in an SRT situation where your parents want you to marry a girl of their choice your response is opposite, then the psychologist will get to know that you are lying.
SD
SD shows how much you know about yourself and does your personality matches with the person you tried to project in the other tests.
What you write in SD is compared with what came out naturally in the other tests.
What you think about yourself is very important, you might be wrong about what others think about you but you cannot be wrong about yourself.
GTO
Group Discussion
GD is not about how much you speak. It is about what you speak and how well you adjust in a group.
A leader is one who listens to others point, thinks before speaking and when he opens his mouth he creates an impact. Even those members who are against his point acknowledge him.
Imagine a group of 10 people, everyone trying to prove their point right. In this group, there is a leader who wants to give proper direction to the discussion. He will listen to the other’s point of views, recollect his knowledge, look for good examples and politely look for an opportunity to speak his mind out. His points and impact would be such that others will listen to him, some will appreciate his point and some might go against him but nobody can ignore him. Now, whole group will start discussing what he said without even being aware of it . Leader will stay quiet for sometime , look for more examples and again comeback with full conviction. Again the whole group listens to his point and starts discussing on it. This is how a leader creates an impact on others and testing officer is looking for such candidates.
GD is very simple , just follow bottom up approach , for example if the topic is about human rights start from personal examples you have faced , move to your city , your country , then to whole world and finally give your opinion and logic behind choosing a particular sub topic. Try to imagine any topic , if you have knowledge you can easily implement it.
Help others if they are unable to speak , a leader is sympathetic towards his/her colleagues.
Group
Planning Exercise
Understand the situation clearly, set
priorities , explore solutions , modify solution if someone gives a valid point,
and keep track of time.
A leader understands the urgency, if a
person is bleeding heavily in front of him and at the same time someone is
kidnapped , a leader will give priority to bleeding person because damage has
already been done and requires more attention. Also a leader understands how
much manpower to use like a candidate who understands situation well will send
2-3 people with bleeding person but someone who has no idea how to tackle such
situation will send only 1 person to take injured to hospital.
If you are sending 3-4 people to inform
police about an incident then you are not a leader because you wasted your
useful manpower.
Generally we look for shortest route to
take injured to hospital but if difference between a known and unknown place is
only 4-5km where unknown place is near a leader will choose a known place because
he understands that it is very easy to get help and find hospital in a known
place.
Always use most reliable resource for most
important work . Try to look for certainty, like you are in a hotel and want to
take someone to hospital. Look for your own vehicle if not get a car from hotel
manager or take help from other guests , looking for lift from passer-by comes
last.
PGT
, HGT and FGH
How you behave in a group , apply your
mind and value others point is tested here.
A leader is always optimistic, he
encounters others to implement their ideas, even if they are wrong he still encourages
them , give his opinion , modify the idea with their acceptance and complete
the task.
A leader has high mental stamina, I.e. he
takes the group out from trouble when others give up.
A leader likes to lead from the front,
motivates others and ensures everyone is safe and all the rules are being
followed.
Command
task
Selection of subordinates is important. A
leader should understand the requirement of the task ,whether he should select
a slim , fat , tall or short candidate depends upon the requirement of the
task.
A candidate should not look towards his
subordinates as helpers and give all physical activities to them; he should
equally do physical activities and complete the task.
If one method fails, look for another ,
keep trying until you finish the task.
Have faith in your decisions, testing
officer might question your solution but if you have faith in yourself you will
stick to your plan. If you are actually wrong and agree with what testing
officer says quickly rectify it and move forward.
Lecturette
Understanding and thoughts of a candidate
is observed. How you utilize your 3 min is important. If you keep discussing
one point for 3 min , you would definitely fail.
Tip – use 20-25 sec in dividing your
speech into main parts ( Generally 3-4 parts), 20-25 sec in introduction , 40-45
sec in problems/issues , 60-80 sec in giving multiple solutions and last 20-30
sec on your own opinion. Try to implement it with any topic or issue.
Anybody can count problems but only a
leader can give solutions , this is the reason why solution part is 60-80 sec.
Individual
obstacles
How you overcome difficult obstacles, why
and which obstacle you choose to do first or last , how you plan your strategy when
single whistle blows i.e. how you plan your last 30sec ,are you afraid of
heights , such things are observed in IO and not your physical abilities.
Most important part of IO is last 30 sec ,
your choices in last 30 sec shows your awareness and leadership. If you choose
Burma bridge in last 30 sec then you are not an effective and thoughtful person
,but if you skip Burma bridge and move to obstacles which takes 5-10 or 15 sec
then you are a leader.
Snake
race
Not a competition but a task to observe
how much dedicated, helpful and group oriented you are.
Help others, volunteer to repeat the task
, stay motivated and also motivate others .
Personal Interview
Be real, have faith in your answers , 50% recommendation is based upon your confidence.
Candidates are generally afraid of the series of questions interviewer asks in one go. You are not expected to answer all questions in a sequence , how you manage and handle the pressure is observed. Tip – remember the key words and start answering , give additional information around the key word if you do not remember the exact question , remember your organizing ability is observed and not your memory.
In some answers interviewer might try to check how much faith you have in your answers so he might try to prove you wrong , but if you are confident, you will stick by your words and give proper reasoning.
Reasoning ability is most important. If you have proper reasoning every answer is correct.
You don’t need to hide smoking , drinking or having a g , be truthful , accept it and be ready to give proper reasoning .
80℅ of questions are from PIQ , have full awareness about your hobbies , interests , sports you have played and participation in extracurricular activities.
Interview is driven by candidate and not the interviewer, you can take the interview in whichever direct you desire to. If you are strong in economics , bring economics in your answer and the interviewer will automatically ask next question related to economics.
I
hope my experience and tips will help other candidates. At last I would like to
thank few people who supported me in my journey and trusted my ability
•)
My parents(Rajender Singh nayal and Laxmi nayal) for always letting me do what
I want and always supporting me.
•)Brig.
Ruhil sir for showing me the right path and sharing his valuable life
experiences.
•)Saksham Grover (Coast guard officer), Abhimanyu and Rishabh Singh for always motivating me.
•)Arty
Rana for always believing in my abilities and helping me with valuable handmade
notes.
•)My
brother Neeraj Singh Nayal who was always there with me during my low time and always
encouraged me to go for another attempt.
•)
Srishti Sharma (Coast guard officer) for introducing me to ruhil sir and
motivating me.
Indian army’s official website has published the cutoff marks for SSC tech 54 Men course. Based on the cut off marks, candidates are shortlisted for the SSB interview for the SSC tech 54 courses which are going to commence in April 2020 at OTA Chennai. Candidates who have applied for the Indian army SSC tech entry can check the SSC Tech 54 Cut Off Marks and find their name in the list of shortlisted candidates. Candidates are advised to select their SSB interview dates for SSC tech 54 by visiting join Indian army website. SSBCrack congratulates all the aspirants who are shortlisted for the SSC Tech 54 SSB Interview. SSC 25 Tech Women Indian Army Cut Off Marks
If you are shortlisted then you are required to select the SSB interview date on join indian army website.
Candidates must note that for induction to Pre Commission Training Academy, after final selection, the minimum educational qualification is passing BE/B.Tech degree in the Engineering streams notified below at Para 3. To become eligible for induction into SSC(Tech)-54 (Men) and SSC(Tech)-25 (Women) course at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, candidates studying in final year of engineering must ensure that he/she submits the proof of passing engineering degree exam by 01 Apr 2020 to Directorate General of Recruiting, failing which his/her candidature will be cancelled.
IMPORTANT – Download eBooks for SSB Interview Preparations
Wing Commander Nikhil Rath, is an officer of the Indian Airforce, who is one of the 25 pilots shortlisted for the Indian Space Research Organisations manned space mission ‘Gaganyan.’ The Indian flying ace has made it past the space programs preliminary selection. The IAF officer is scheduled to undertake a year’s training in Russia.
Wing Commander Rath in Civvies
Wing Commander Rath in Civvies
Hailing from Balangir, Odhisa, Wg Cdr Rath did his initial schooling from the reputed Delhi Public School and is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune. Following his passing out from the premier Tri-Services college, the officer went on for his final pre-commission training at the Airforce Academy, Dhundigal, Hyderabad. Wg Cdr Rath was commissioned into the IAF’s flying branch in 2003.
Representative images
The airforce pilot will undergo a battery of medical tests, following which he will be a part of the ambitious ‘Gaganyan Mission’. He will be accompanied on the seven-day joint ISRO-IAF human-crewed mission to space with two other airforce pilots.
