A Gentlemen Cadet of Indian Military Academy (IMA) Amul Rawal lost his life as he fell into a gorge here during a routine night navigation exercise in the mountains on Tuesday. “Amul Rawal sustained a head injury and was given immediate medical attention on the spot. He was rushed in an ambulance to Military Hospital, Dehradun but was declared brought dead on arrival,” said IMA. This exercise is conducted every term for Gentlemen Cadets of the second term at the IMA.
Rawal was an ex-NDAcadet who had joined IMA in January 2019 after three years of training at National Defence Academy. A procedural court of inquiry has been ordered in the matter. (ANI)
Vela, the fourth Scorpene class submarine being constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited for the Indian Navy, was launched today, on 06 May 2019, by Mrs Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Dr Ajay Kumar, IAS, Secretary Defence Production, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion. VAdm AK Saxena, CWP&A was also present during the launching ceremony. This event reaffirms the steps taken by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in the ongoing ‘Make In India’ programme, which is being actively implemented by the Department of Defence Production (MoD). The submarine was towed to Mumbai Port Trust, for separation from the pontoon, after which she will undergo rigorous trials and tests, both in harbour and at sea before delivery to the Indian Navy. The contract for the construction and Transfer-of-Technology for six Scorpene class submarines in series, has M/s Naval Group (formerly DCNS) of France as ‘Collaborator’ and are being built by MDL.
Cmde Rakesh Anand, Chairman and Managing Director, MDL said on the occasion that with the launching of the P15 B Destroyer ‘Imphal’ on 20 April 2019 and the, launching of Vela on 06 May 2019, were indeed some of the major events for MDL so far this year.
Presently Eight Warships and five submarines are under construction at MDL. MDL is one of the India’s leading shipyards with a capacity to meet requirements of the Indian Navy.
The Scorpene class of submarines can undertake multifarious tasks typically undertaken by any modern submarine which include anti-surface as well as anti-submarine warfare. The transfer of technology involves appropriate technical support by Naval Group to MDL in the field of construction, integration and tests of the submarines in India which is achieved through transfer of technical data package to MDL through information system as well as on job training to MDL’s personnel on critical technologies.
Leveraging the experience and the transfer-of-technology of the Scorpene project, with enhanced and upgraded infrastructure, MDL, is ready for undertaking the construction of the future submarines.
Indian Air Force has published the AFCAT marks today after the declaration of Jammu AFCAT results. Candidates who have appeared for the AFCAT 1 2019 exam can check their AFCAT marks through individual login. AFCAT 1 2019 was conducted by CDAC on behalf of Indian Air Force, the online exam was conducted on 16th and 17th Feb 2019 except in Jammu. AFCAT consist of 300 marks and candidates can check how much marks they have scored in AFCAT and EKT 2019 at AFCAT CDAC website. AFCAT 1 2019 cut off is also declared, candidates who have cleared the AFCAT 1 2019 cut off marks will get the AFSB interview call up as per their selected venue and dates which can be selected through official portal.
Official Statement: AFCAT 01/2019 (Supplementary) Jammu (J&K) results have been declared and are available for viewing through individual login. AFSB Date and Venue selection is available in your login.
AFCAT 1 2019 Cut Off Marks Official
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJ9VrVgHt4/
How To Check AFCAT Marks
Visit AFCAT CDAC website.
Click on the candidates login.
Select AFCAT 1 2019.
Enter your email id and password.
Click on marks.
If you are qualified, you can select the AFCAT AFSB interview date and venue.
AFCAT 1 2019 exam was conducted online by CDAC on behalf of the Indian air force on 16th and 17th Feb 2019 Saturday and Sunday across the country at various online test centres. AFCAT 1 2019 was conducted to find the potential future air warriors into flying, ground and technical branches of the Indian air force.
Exam
Cut Off marks
AFCAT 1 2019
133 out of 300
EKT 1 2019
50 out of 150
Indian Air Force has published the AFCAT marks today after the declaration of Jammu AFCAT results. Candidates who have appeared for the AFCAT 1 2019 exam can check their AFCAT marks through individual login. AFCAT 1 2019 was conducted by CDAC on behalf of Indian Air Force, the online exam was conducted on 16th and 17th Feb 2019 except in Jammu. AFCAT consist of 300 marks and candidates can check how much marks they have scored in AFCAT and EKT 2019 at AFCAT CDAC website. AFCAT 1 2019 cut off is also declared, candidates who have cleared the AFCAT 1 2019 cut off marks will get the AFSB interview call up as per their selected venue and dates which can be selected through official portal.
Hey there future young officers, I am Cyril Saji and I got recommended for the Indian Army through TGC-129 (2019) in my 2nd SSB attempt. SSBCrack has helped me throughout the years with its posts and the success stories of other aspirants who like me have attained their objective what they set out to achieve So its even my duty that I do the same and may just randomly end up helping my successors the same way as my predecessor did.
My SSB journey or if I may, my dream to join the forces did not start or end in a few months but was all a series of decisions and events that followed from my 10th (that’s when I decided that I wanted to earn those OGs one fine day)
My success story is divided into 4 parts
–
ROAD LEADING TO SSB
SSB ATTEMPTS
SSB ATTEMPT NAVY (CONFERENCE OUT)
SSB ATTEMPT ARMY ( RECOMMENDED)
PERSONAL TIPS
THE NCC EFFECT
ROAD
LEADING TO SSB
Hailing from an army background and my dad
being the second gen officer, obviously I was preview to what the army as an
institution was and what an army life had to offer, but just like any other kid
I had no clue as to what I wanted to do when I grew up. It was after my 10th
when other officers and people I was surrounded with started asking me what I
wanted to do in life and to just dodge that question I told them that I wanted
to join the forces like my dad and his dad before him. But slowly and slowly
what started as an excuse to dodge the question thrown at me by others about my
future became a serious deal and that became my only aim.
Please do keep in mind that once you have
set a target, all the decisions you make from thereon should be all aimed at
hitting that target if not immediately then eventually.
So now that I had an aim and knew exactly
what I wanted I opted for science in my 11 , as it would help me in NDA exams
and also open the TES entry scheme for me. But after my 12 I wasn’t able to
clear NDA and due to some unseen circumstances could not apply for TES.
Then I had to make a decision whether to do
a normal graduation or a technical degree. I chose to go in for a technical
degree and let me tell you that decision was also taken keeping the forces in
mind as I wanted to keep the doors open for entries like UES(ARMY)(now
scrapped), UES(NAVY),TGC, SSC TECH,NCC SPECIAL ENTRIES and other NAVAL ENTRIES
LIKE GSX, PILOT/ATC/OBSERVER etc alongside the other available options of CDS
or NCC SPECIAL ENTRY(provided if the college had NCC in it) after graduation.
So I joined KARUNYA UNIVERSITY ( TAMILNADU ) as it was meeting all my requirements. Here I joined NCC in the 1st year itself which helped me earn my B certificate and my C certificate in the years to come. Learned a lot and had a lot of fun and enjoyed my college life. Also took part in student run bodies and participated in the college events and fest that helped me gain a lot of exposure, confidence and improve my communication skills with the masses. In my 4th year, I applied for the defense entries.
SSB ATTEMPTS
SSB ATTEMPT NAVY (CONFERENCE OUT)
SSB ATTEMPT ARMY (RECOMMENDED)
I gave a total of 2 SSBs one of both navy and army.
UES NAVY – NSB COIMBATORE – 02/02/19 – 06/02/19 – CONFERENCE OUT
It was my first SSB attempt and like any other fresher I was nervous and not that much prepared, but I made it through my screening and so did two of my college mates and the rest is history, neither we prepared nor we let anybody else prepare. But in the days to come, I understood how the entire procedure of SSB works and tried to participate and do the activities there with the best of my abilities. By the 5th day the conference I knew the points where I have messed up and didn’t expect to get recommended. So I was not dejected when I got conference out, but now I knew what I had to do and in which all aspects did I lag and I knew I had to work on them for my next SSB which was coming up the next month and yes that’s exactly what I did.
PREPARATION FOR THE 2ND SSB ATTEMPT:
Thetime table I followed is as
follows:
0700:1000 – SLEEP
1000:1300- NEWSPAPER(TOI,THE HINDU)
1300:1400-LUNCH
1400:1700- INTROSPECTION AND OTHER INFORMATION
1700:1930- GAMES
1930:2000-DINNER
2000:0600- GK, CA, BASIC TIME DISTANCE AND
VOLUME NUMERICALS
0600:0700- TOI E-NEWSPAPER
This was the timetable I followed rigorously for the next 25 odd days and trust me as the days grew nearer I wished that somehow there would be more hours in the day there was so much to cover.
SSB ATTEMPT ARMY (RECOMMENDED):
For this attempt, I had worked on my GK, CA, INTROSPECTION, TECHINCAL and basic TIME AND DISTANCE AND VOLUME QUESTIONS.
My reporting was on 8th March, but for me, SSB had started from 5th March itself from the time I boarded the train from Coimbatore ( the place where my college is located) to Allahabad (SSB centre). in the train I started communicating with my fellow passengers to get to know more about them, the train details(number, name, route), stations in the journey, distance totally covered from the boarding to the arrival etc ( just in case the interviewing officers asks me about my journey).
Then I reached the Allahabad Cantonment 7th evening and I was staying in the Cantonment just 500mts from the SSB centre, as soon as I reached the Cantonment and the guestroom I kept my stuff and went to play basketball( one my hobbies ) and also got familiar with the place like the names of the officer messes there, monuments present, and read about them and other places in the Cantonment ( just in case the interviewing officer asks what did I do after reaching the Cantonment (its always good to be proactive) )
SSB Allahabad
DAY 1 .
MARCH 8TH ( SCREENING):
Reporting was at 0600 hrs. TGC 129 , 325
candidates reported
GD – contributed 2 to 3 points
(Key: confidence, good posture, vocabulary, pronunciation,proficiency, sharp,
firm,crisp,focused)
Note: It is very important to give a very good narration, and listening to other candidates story as well. SCREENING RESULT 68/325
DAY 2
MARCH 9TH (PSYCH)
TAT : Attempted – all 12 ( keeping all the stories positive)(with components like whats the problem, steps taken to overcome that, and present-day scenario)
WAT – ATTEMPTED – 60/60 (The sentences were my first responses and to the point and simple)
I filled the entire answer-sheet given to me by the board.
DAY 2
MARCH 9TH (INTERVIEW):
As soon as my psych got over, I had to
report for my interview,which was taken by the deputy president.
He first tried to lighten up the atmosphere by introspective questions about me, my family, my strengths and weaknesses and trying to contradict my answers and trying to provoke me , but I remained calm and composed and answered everything with a sense of calm and an elaborate reason as to why I think what I just said.
Then he threw random CA questions at me and
since I was well prepared I was able to answer 7 of the 8 questions he had
asked
Luckily no technical/mathematical questions
or questions on my hobbies was asked. My interview lasted for some 30 odd
minutes.
Just remember one thing the interviewing
officer will try to get you tensed, panicky and try to pressurize you but
whatever you answer, be calm and don’t panic , your body language matters, also
for every answer you give, be sure you have real life examples to support the
same , and also the why , how , what, so, elaborate, type of questions
prepared for every response you give. Also when the IO asks you a question,
answer him in depth.
Example:
if he asks where have you studied?
Answer him: full name of school, Place, District, State.
DAY 3
MARCH 10TH (GTO-
DAY 1)
GTO is all on how you perform as a group. Remember in GTO you will be subdivided in a smaller group like 10 candidates in each group, and now you are not 10 individuals but a single unit/ individual. Do all the tasks together, do not be bothered about whether you are the first to clear an obstacle or the last, your only aim should be to make sure that your team clears the obstacle at hand.
GD:
There were two GDs
1st
topic was should there be a monitoring committee in India, if yes who is the
main , THE PARLIAMENT , THE JUDICIARY OR THE MEDIA ?
The 2nd topic was how can people of our country contribute to its development?
The main objective of these GDs is that you put across your views confidently and sensibly, there is no need to reach any conclusion, but the way you express and put across your point should be good. I contributed by giving at least 4 to 5 points in each GD with facts and figures to support my point.
GPE:
In this a
scenario was thrown to us with problems like a convict is escaping from the
jail , his accomplices are trying to bomb a village , the convict plans to
murder the inspector , poachers are trying to shoot down a tiger in the nearest
forest , one of the forest officials is shot and bleeding after a conflict with
those poachers , a giraffe has fallen in the well nearby.
So we had to
write our individual stories down in 4 minutes , but unfortunately I wasn’t
able to complete the entire story. After that we had a GD and had to come to a
conclusion and I was nominated by my group to explain the solution to the GTO
Try to find a solution that will kills enough problems in a single go and also use the natural surrounding like river , vehicles and also keep in mind the time and the distance factor and also keep your mind open for ideas to flow in and also be open to accommodate others’ ideas and yes, be practical.
PGT, HGT, FGT:
I contributed being the part of the team by giving logical solutions to the obstacles at hand , the angle of placing the log, phatta, rope tying etc. Make sure you look at the entire structure in the lava region (where we cant step on land) and apply your brain practically and effectively and clear the obstacle. There are multiple approaches and solution of the same obstacle so don’t be afraid to share your ideas or try something new.
GOR (SNAKE RACE):
Here I was the last person to clear all the obstacles as I was helping my group mates clear it first, make sure the heavyweight individual clear the obstacle first and the physically fit later. Move as a single unit and don’t be bothered about the time or how far ahead the other team is, just focus on your team and work as a team and clear all the obstacles and yes keep shouting the war cry given to you and motivate the team to do the same, show the josh in you and bring out the josh in others. “Josh kam nhi hona chahiye!”.
I was lucky as I knew all the 4 topics, I chose to speak on Indian army and spoke confidently, looking at everyone and smartly and ended in exactly the amount of time allotted to me.
INDIVIDUAL OBSTACLE :
We were given a time of 3 minutes to clear the 10 obstacles. I did 15 of them in the given time ie I finished 10 and repeated 5 again. For this you have to be quick , keep running once the time starts , don’t you dare jog or walk, chalk out a approach plan for each obstacle and at the same time be safe do not slide on the ropes while coming down , you will end up having rope burns.
DAY 4 .
MARCH 11TH (GTO- DAY 2)
COMMAND TASK:
This was one task in which the GTO tried to pressurize me . At first
he explained me the task at hand and asked me to call my subordinates. And I
found out the solution in 30 secs. But the GTO put some penalty on it and asked
me to find another solution, I took out another solution , he again put another
penalty and asked me to find another solution, I took out another solution , he
again put another penalty and asked me to find another solution, and also sent
back one of my subordinate and tried to pressurize me by reducing the time ,
but I wasn’t pressurized and maintained my calm and took out another solution ,
the GTO again put another penalty to it and this time I looked at him and
smiled and took out another solution.
So I took out 5 solution to the obstacle in 15 minutes all the while maintaining my calm. And the best part is after I was done the GTO was like “Cyril wasn’t it easy!”, I just smiled and replied it was OK sir. After that I was done with my GTOs and was looking forward to my conference.
DAY 5
MARCH 12TH (CONFERENCE):
On the day of my
conference everyone was getting out in 30 seconds , whereas my conference
lasted for 20 minutes, I was subjected to SRTs , CA questions which I very well
knew and answered them elaborately.
After the conference when the results were announced, hearing my chest number called was a feeling of achievement and fulfilment in itself.
PERSONAL TIPS:
The few things I would like to suggest are :
Be positive about everything
Be logical and practical
Keep calm and remain cool-headed
Be prepared in GK and CA
Participate in sports provided in the board
Be socially acceptable
Be physically fit
Have fun and socialize with your batchmates
Be motivated and motivate others
Share your past experiences with others and help the team grow
The first uniform I have ever earned and put on was the khakhi, the one with a green beret and a red hackle. I did justice to this uniform and served in it for 3 years, attending various camps and getting my B certificate and C certificate.
NCC Days
Being in NCC
taught the real meaning of unity and discipline, how all of us in a single
platoon are nothing but one unit having one individuality. All for one and one
for all , from all the ragda to the brotherhood we shared inculcated the
OLQs required in an officer without me even trying, it was all imbibed as an
integral part of NCC. Aspects like punctuality, rank hierarchy and following
the orders was all put in my system right here .
NCC has played a very integral part in my life in bringing me where I stand today and being a part of this organization and wearing that khakhi uniform was a privilege that I am glad, I was worthy enough to have.
The first video since he was discharged from hospital, here’s Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman taking pictures with men. This is likely sometime last month. Video from some Air Force groups.
Hello everyone, I am Ashish Kumar. Joining Army was no less an all-time dream of mine. This is about a long journey, a dream which came true after 1609 days, 10 attempts and every single second of dreaming a life less ordinary. This is a story of a kid living his own ways and story of a boy who ran the last mile to make his dream come true. Let me thanks my parents, family, friends, seniors, NCC platoon, sports teammates and everybody who were part of this journey. My heartiest thanks to Ankit Yadav Sir (My college senior, serving in forces) who was my role model and my mentor in this journey.
Let me tell you that nothing comes easy in life, and I do
believe that it is repeaters who know the true value of getting recommended,
and no repeater is repeater until he/she is screened out. Well, I will quickly
move through my attempts in chronological order from being conference out in my
first four attempts before graduation in which three being NDA and one TES.
Then I pursued Electrical Engineering (2014-2018) from NIT Kurukshetra and I am
sure there is no better institute than NITs & IITs. NIT Kurukshetra is
special in its own way, providing me opportunities to lead various teams. I was
part of 10 HR Battalion NCC and lead my platoon at several events. From being
national player of hockey and Kabaddi, I have everything on my PIQ which state
myself to be capable enough to cross SSB. I was Gold medallist of my batch too.
After my graduation I was conference out in UES, CDS, AFCAT
and screened out in SSC Navy and SSC(T). My second last attempt was in
Kapurthala in June 2018 for SSC(Tech) I was screened out. Let me tell you I was
working with Alstom ( France based MNC) and I got selected in Engineers India
Limited ( PSU under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas). It was August 20,
2018 that I have to make a difficult choice, on this very day I have to join
this company and on this same day I had my CDS SSB at Allahabad. Unlike others
I chose to join EIL at least it fulfilled my parents dream.
Then was the time to make my dreams true. Well, for all those
repeaters I would say there are times when after each rejection we look out,
depress ourselves and find lacunae in ourselves which aren’t our weakness
actually. We guys have everything that army needs, all we need to do is stop
finding negatives in ourselves but to strengthen the strong points because
sometime to overcome the weakness it is important to strengthen your strengths.
I would say we need to practice a lot, a lot written practice, regular go
through with newspaper, developing reading habits, writing habits. And it is
very important to invest positively in your hobbies.
So, my concluding attempt was in 32 SSB, Kapurthala on 23rd
February 2019. All of my testing was very nice and I performed well to my
expectations. I would suggest to all aspirants that listen to the instructors,
listen to testing officers, before every task think what is expected out of you
and perform positively. Make friends and create memories with them.
I do remember a shot from my interview where he asked me, “Ashish, you have everything , you are working that too in Govt. organisation , why do you want to join army then.”, I have prepared this answer for last 9 attempts but I refused to myself and I told him “Sir, Ye dil manta hee nhi”. He said “well, then.” I answered almost all questions except few he asked me on my current novel. I was happy after the interview. GTO was great and I performed well carrying my team with me. There was 5 minute wait before my conference and I was asked two questions on permutation and combination: So how many total moves exist in game of chess and how many total matches will be played between 6 teams in a round robin tournament. I answered them and chairperson asked me with a smile, “What do you think , your chances are?”, I replied, “I believe I carry fair chances this time with a smile.”
I do remember sitting in the hall and waiting for the final results, then Technical Officer (Para-commando) came and told two of you got recommended. He called Chest number: 4 and I was on cloud 9. It was such a great feeling, tears of happiness, tears of burden proving myself were there. I got hugs from my fellow batch mates, few of them are going to be best friends of life. I wish I can see all of them in uniform.
It is a coincidence that I got selected with Chest No.4 and I got AIR: 4 in merit too.
Well, I would say to all my dear aspirants that it takes your dedication and sincere efforts to achieve your dream and it is about your Zidd to make everything true.
UPSC has published the merit list of CDS 2 2018 written exam conducted on 18 November 2018 for the Indian army, navy, and airforce. The CDS 2 2018 merit list has names of the 100 candidates who have cleared the written exam and SSB interview for IMA, AFA and NA. The merit list for OTA men and women will be displayed as the SSB interviews are still going on. For more details on CDS 2 2018 merit list, read below.
The number of vacancies, as intimated by the Government is 100 for Indian Military Academy [including 13 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ certificates (Army Wing) holders], 45 for Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Kerala Executive (General Service)/Hydro[including 06 vacancies reserved for NCC ‘C’ Certificate holders (Naval Wing)] and 32 for Air Force Academy, Hyderabad [03 vacancies are reserved for NCC ’C’ Certificate (Air Wing) holders through NCC Spl. Entry].
The Commission had recommended 2494, 1653 and 582 as qualified in the written test for admission to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy and Air Force Academy respectively. The number of candidates finally qualified are those after SSB test conducted by Army Head Quarters.
These results will also be available on the UPSC website at http://www.upsc.gov.in. However, marks of the candidates will be available on the website after declaration of final result of Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) for Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2018.
This article is regarding my selection in the Indian Air Force. The selection procedure is a two-step procedure wherein the first step is the written exam and the second step is the Service Selection Board or the SSB interview. Selection in the Indian Air Force is mainly through 2 written exams which are conducted biannually. One of the exam is conducted by the UPSC ( Combined Defence Services Exam or CDSE ) and the other exam is conducted only by the Indian Air Force i.e AIR FORCE COMMON ADMISSION TEST. One of the prime difference between both these exams is the fact that CDSE is conducted for induction in all of the defence forces viz Indian Military Academy ( Dehradun ) , Indian Air Force Academy ( Hyderabad ) , Indian Naval Academy ( Ezhinmala ) , Officers Training Academy ( Chennai ) while AFCAT exam is only for the induction in the Indian Air Force’s various branches. Branches which can be opted for through AFCAT exams are 1. Flying branch 2. Technical branch ( for Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Science students ) 3. Ground duty branch which include Administration and Logistics.
CDS examination for the Indian Air Force is only for the induction in the flying branch. The notification for the AFCAT exam is out in the month of July and the exam is conducted in the month of August whereas the notification for CDS examination is out mainly in the month of September and the exam was conducted in November.
AFCAT exam is an online exam which consists of hundred questions from mainly four sections i.e 1. English 2. Quantitative and military aptitude 3. General awareness 4. Mathematics Each question carries three marks making the maximum marks of the exam as 300. According to the general trends, the cut-off for the exam is generally seen to be around 140-150. Students who score more than the cut-off called for the SSB interview. Usually e around 2 lakh students appeared for the exam of which around 8000-1000 make it to the cut-off and ultimately to the interview.
The CDS exam is a paper pen based examination in which there are three tests. Each test is of two hours and there is a sectional cut-off in each of the tests which means that at a minimum number of marks is required in each test for you to make it to the cut-off. This exam is conducted by UPSC and therefore the focus is primarily on general awareness. The three exams which are conducted are 1. English 2. General awareness and current affairs 3. Mathematics Each paper is of 100 marks. The maximum marks of this exam 300. The cut-off of marks for various academies are different. Air Force academy according to the general trends usually has the highest cut-off that is around 150 marks. Around 2-2.5 lakh students appear for the CDS exam of which around 700-750 students make it to the cut off list of Indian Air Force.
Students who clear the written examination are called for the SSB interview which is conducted at four places in India 1. Air Force Selection Board, Dehradun. 2. Air Force Selection Board, Mysore. 3. Air Force Selection Board, Gandhinagar. 4. Air Force Selection Board, Varanasi.
SSB 5 Days Interview: The SSB interview is conducted in 2-stages i.e. Stage-1 & Stage-2
STAGE- 1 (Day 1): The first day of the SSB, candidates have to go through 2 tests which will be conducted consecutively. The first two tests will be an Officer Intelligence Test (OIR) and Picture Perception & Description Test (PPDT). STAGE – 2 (Day 2): However, on the first day of Stage-2, candidates have to go through psychology test. This test consists of the following:
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): In this test, 12 pictures are shown consecutively for 30 seconds. However, the time allotted to write a story on each picture is 4 minutes. Once the 4 minutes mark gets over, next picture will appear on the screen for 30 seconds. This goes on until all 12 pictures are shown on the screen. Remember, candidates, need to write a story on every picture shown on the screen.
Word Association Test (WAT): In the test, one word is shown for 15 seconds and candidates have to write the first thought that comes to their mind. A short sentence (one-liner) would be appropriate. This goes on till the 60th word is shown on the screen.
Situation Reaction Test (SRT): In the test, candidates need to be careful as 60 situations will be shown on the screen and the candidates have to write the reaction as to how they would react in these situations.
Self- Description Test: It will be the last test of psychology where candidates have to write a short context about the opinion of parents/guardians, friends, teachers and the qualities one needs to improve on.
Group Tasks (Day 3): Group tasks will be conducted on day 3 & day 4. On the 3rd day, candidates will be assessed through the following tests.
Group Discussion (GD): Candidates will have a discussion on 2 topics. They can have an internal discussion and no debate is tolerated. Hence, each topic will be discussed for 15-20 minutes.
Group Planning Exercises (GPE): In general, the test will be conducted in 5 parts Explanation of model Next is the reading of narrative by GTO Then comes 5 minutes of self-reading Then 10 minutes for writing an individual plan Finally, 20 minutes to discuss the common plan
Progressive Group Task (PGT): Explanation of model Next is the reading of narrative by GTO Then comes 5 minutes of self-reading Then 10 minutes for writing an individual plan Finally, 20 minutes to discuss the common plan
Progressive Group Task (PGT): To clarify it will be the first outdoor task where a set of 4 obstacles with progressively increasing difficulty level will have to be overcome in 40-50 minutes by the group.
Group Obstacle Race: In the test, 3-4 groups are pitched against each other over a set of 6 obstacles with a snake like a load.
Half Group Task: The group is divided into two and an obstacle similar to PGT has to be crossed in 15 minutes.
Lecturette: A set of 4 topics are given and the candidates have to give a short lecture on any one of the given topics.
(Day 4) It is the second day of GTO and remaining tests will be conducted on this day.
Individual Obstacles: In the test, a set of obstacles have to be tackled individually in a span of 3 minutes.
Command Task: In the test, an individual is nominated as a leader to handle one task which is similar to PGT. Then, the individual can select two subordinates to help him during this task.
Final Group Task: It is very much similar to progressive group task (PGT).
(Day 5) All things considered, it is the last day of the interview. On this day the candidates will have a closing address. Next would be the conference which is a short interaction with a candidate with the board officers. Moreover, once the conference is over the results are announced.
Interview: Besides, the personal interview will be conducted in the afternoon by the interviewing officer from day 1 to day 4. In this case, the atmosphere is informal and relaxed.
My Experience at SSBs. I cleared two SSBs in two weeks viz 4-AFSB Varanasi ( AFCAT entry ) from 25/02/2019 to 01/03/2019 and then at 1-AFSB Dehradun ( CDSE entry ) from 04/03/2019 to 08/03/2019. These were my first two attempts ever in SSBs. I’ll describe my Varanasi experience in detail and try to keep the experience at Dehradun a bit short.
Air Force Selection Board, Varanasi ( 25th Feb to 2 March ) 25/02/2019 ( Day 1 ) I reported at the Varanasi Junction Railway station at 6:30 AM and after a short document verification we were taken to the AFSB. 248 students reported. OIR was easy but the time was somewhat less. 40 questions in 17 minutes. Make sure you attempt all the questions as there is no negative marking. After the two OIR tests we were taken to a hall where we were shown a picture of a boy with two ladies by his side. I made a story of a holiday trip. The narration was good and luckily the group chose me to give the group story. Narration of your story confidently is very crucial and during discussion make sure that you don’t speak much and try not to interrupt anyone while they speak. After this discussion , we were made to wait for 10 minutes and then DSO sir came with the results. 74 were screened in and me and one of my friends were fortunate enough to get screened in. After some rest and a thorough document verification, we had our Psychological Tests. After two SSBs, I can say that it’s the most important part of Phase 2 testing. I did all TAT stories, completed all 60 WATs and wrote 38 SRTs. After this I was able to write 75% of the things I had thought of giving in the Self-Description.
For this test speed is very important. Make stories and sentences that reflect your personality and avoid using facts in WAT. Avoid making negative sentences or statements that tend to preach. In the SRTs , quality matters over quantity. So make sure that you give a complete reaction to the problem given to you. For self-description, write things which your parents, teachers and friends actually think of you. Don’t write all positive qualities. There’s no harm in mentioning a negative quality or two.
Day 2: Had GTO this day. The two group discussions went good and I was able to make a decent contribution. Here also , don’t speak much. Speak wisely and speak what’s required. In the individual solution of GPE, I made a mistake regarding time. Try and keep track of time in the GPE’s individual solution. Mentioning time ,distance etc would fetch you better marks. In the discussion again, contribute adequately and try and be the one to give the group plan. My group chose me to do the same. The next was PGT and it was not that great. We could complete only 3 obstacles and that too with GTO Sir’s support. Try and give ideas here and if you think your ideas won’t work or someone has a better idea, take the initiative and get going with that idea. Keep track of the rules and try not to break them. You’re judged on the rules you’re breaking. Group race was good. We came first. Take all the group along and not just yourself. Help group mates who are not able to cross the hurdles.
HGT was okay and we did it before time. Lecturette was good and I gave it confidently. Remember, confidence is the key here.
Day 3: Individual obstacles were a disaster and could do only 5-6 . Spent time in one of them and lost a significant amount of time. Tackle them wisely with a proper plan in mind. Needless to say, IO matters the least in your recommendation. Command task went well and I was given a fairly tough problem but was able to do it. Was called as a substitute twice. The Final group task was easy and we did it well before time.
Day 4 : The Interview ! My interview went on for more than an hour and I was asked questions related to my self , my education, family, friends, studies etc. He asked about my interests and hobbies and enquired till he was satisfied. I was also asked about how I went about my SSB preparation and about my motivation to join Indian Airforce. Some questions related to my place ( Agra) , defence forces, Aircrafts, missiles were also asked. I couldn’t answer some questions related to Aircrafts, Missiles etc and simply said that ” I don’t know Sir”
Be brutally honest during the interview. If you try to fool them, you’ll make a fool of yourself. They have been interviewing 10-12 like us every week for 15-20 years. If you speak the truth, you may or may not be recommended but if you lie, you’ll definitely not be recommended. Also try and reflect qualities that you wrote in Self-Description.
Day 5 The Conference ! I was made to wait for around 15 minutes and as soon as I opened the gate , a question came flashing,
Officer: So Akash, What’s your height ? Me : 182 cms sir. Officer: How have you utilized your height ? Me : I’ve been the Goalkeeper for my team and also sometimes I help my mother reach out to places in the kitchen where she cannot reach.
Everybody laughs Officer: What’s your motivation to join IAF ? Me: Sir, My school was in the cantonment area and during my way to school I used to see through the area and was very fascinated by the lifestyle of Army Personnel.
Officer: How was your stay ? Any suggestions for the board ? ( Answered ) Officer : Thank you Akash. We wish to see you in the Blue Uniform soon. All the best.
After this I had a positive feeling about my recommendation.
We waited for around 2 hours before everybody’s conference was over and then the DSO sir came with the results. He gave a brief speech before announcing the Chest numbers of recommended Candidates.
DSO Sir : The chest numbers that have been recommended to join The Indian Air Force by our board are 5 , 13……. ( I was Chest Number 13 ) Four candidates were recommended from our Batch out of 74. This was followed by filling up of a lot of forms which took us around 5 hours.
Two of us were not eligible for flying branch and were sent home after document filling. Two of us were retained and had our CPSS the next day. The CPSS was cancelled as fire broke out in the UPS room and the server didn’t work. We were given a letter to go for CPSS at 1-AFSB Dehradun on 9th march. CPSS is Computerized Pilot Selection System exam which is conducted for the students who are eligible to be pilots in the Indian Air Force. It is once in a lifetime test. I told the officers there that I have my SSB scheduled at 1-AFSB Dehradun from 4th march. Knowing this, they urged me to attend it at any cost and also highlighted the importance of the CDSE entry.
Air Force Selection Board
AFSB Dehradun ( 4th March to 9th March )
Reported there at 6:30. A total of 208 people reported.
The OIRs at Dehradun were a but difficult that those at Varanasi but the time allowed was more. 50 questions in 30 minutes. Did all 100 questions. Had a decent narration but couldn’t speak during discussion. Also was not nominated this time to give the group story. ( I wasn’t a fresher here like the previous week at Varanasi ) . With repeaters, it’s hard to utter a word in the group discussion. After the PPDT, I wasn’t sure whether I would be screened in. But fortunately I made it and decided that I’d enjoy the next 4 days. Total 71 were screened in out of 208
Followed the same strategy for Psychological Tests but did 44 SRTs this time, 57 WATs and 12 TATs. The SD was more like the previous one. Day 2: Interview was scheduled the next day. It went on for around 1 hour 10 minutes and the Interviewing officer was a Group Captain in IAF. Questions were similar but here I was also about my fears and some recent news headlines. He also asked me about the reason I wanted to be in IAF and which Aircraft would I like to fly if I became a pilot. I was happy with my interview.
Day 3 We were free this day and went out for sightseeing like every other day.
Day 4: My performance here in GTO tasks was inferior to that in Varanasi. I had people with 8-9 time the experience than me and most of them had been to coaching. I did my best but I was not the best in my group during GTOs. I did 8 IOs here and was statisfied unlike last time. Day 5 : Command task was fine and i was also called as a sub ordinate twice. We did the FGT in 2 minutes 42 seconds. After that we were asked to quickly get ready for Conference.
Before my turn at the conference, I was again made to wait for around 10 minutes and as I entered,
Officer : So Akash, What motivates you to join Indian Airforce besides obviously your name ?
Me : Sir , my school was in the Cantonment area and I was always very fascinated by the lifestyle of Army Officers. Besides that , the Pay Scale and perks of an Airforce Officer are surplus and I also like the Airforce Uniform.
Everyone Smirked
Officer : This is your second attempt at SSBs? Me : Yes Sir.
Officer : Did you do better than your last SSB ? Me : I tried to do my best sir and I’m happy for the fact that I did more IO than before.
Officer : Which Aircraft would you like to fly if you become a pilot ? Me : Mirage 2000 or Sukoi Su-30
Officer : Why ? Me : They are both fourth generation aircrafts and are very good for aerial or air to ground combats. Officer : Any other reason ? Me : I liked the photos of their Cockpits
Everyone started laughing
He then asked my about my stay and suggestions following which he wished my good luck. After about and hour, DSO sir came with the results and started announcing the Chest Numbers. Chest number 5, 42…… ( I was Chest Number 42) . I was happy for the fact that one of my friends from my group was also recommended. Total 4 were recommended out of 71 students in phase 2.
Again filled a lot of forms . Had dinner and was ready for the CPSS test the next day.
CPSS Test ( Computerized Pilot Selection System )
The CPSS test is also conducted in two phases. Those who are able to clear the first phase are made to appear in the second phase. In the first phase there are around 12 test which are basically related to the aircraft orientation, design, mathematics, spatial configuration, logical reasoning, etc. In the second phase, there are around 7-8 tests which are conducted inside a cockpit. These tests are basically to check the hand eye coordination of the student.
I cleared CPSS exam and was recommended to become a pilot in the Indian Air Force.
So this was my Journey at SSBs. For the preparations, I started reading newspaper and made notes out of it, to keep myself physically fit, I played and indulged in physical exercises. I followed all the rules there and styed honest all throughout my Interview. I also took some help from online sources for the Psychological Tests. Thank you !
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