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AFSB interview details

On receiving the call letter make the reservation keeping in mind the possibility of the change in train timingbecause they dont allow anyone after the time specified is over

categories of tests: A) Screening Test B) Psychological Test C) Group Testing Officers(GTO) Test D) Interview

Screening Test (First Day) After the individual has filled in certain Forms and also the Bio Data forms known as Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ), the candidates will undergo two types of tests as under. a) Verbal and Non-Verbal tests b) Picture story writing followed by discussion of the stories NOTE: Once the Screening Test is over, the results are declared within 1 hour of the completion of the test. Those who clear the test are required to stay back for the next 4 days and the remaining persons are dropped back at the Railway Station for their return journey. Psychological Test (Second day) These tests are in four parts as under: Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)- Commonly known as Picture Story writing. Word Association Test(WAT) Situation Reaction Test(SRT) Self Description Test(SD) Group Testing Officers (GTO) Test (Third and Fourth day) The following tests are conducted in this caregory : Group discussion Group Planning Exercise (sometimes known as Military Planning Exercise) Progressive Group Tasks Half Group Tasks Individual Obstacles Group Obstacles Race Command Task Lecturette Final Group Task

2 Interview : (Held during afternoon/evening hours Board Meeting(Fifth day) The candidates are required to appear before the complete Board of Examiners comprising of President,Dy President, all the psychologists, all the GTOs and Technical Officer.After the Board Meeting is over,the final result is declared within an hour.Selected candidates are required to stay back for their medical examination (takes about 3 to 5 days) in the Military Hospital near by or at a different place and the remaining candidates are dropped at the Railway Station for their return journey.

Brief details of these tests

1.On arriving,all of the candidates are to be assembled in a hall..to get documents verified.Behave well because all the officers checking ur documents are of high rank(they will not appear in Uniform as during EKT) 2.Then u have to sign the undertaking and fill up the questionnaire in general. 3.Thereafter the first hurdle comesu will be handed over questions regarding reasoning(verbal & non verbal) all of them are MCQ type.try to attempt the easy ones first coz time is less.if u are not able to answer all of them dont get panic. 4.u will be shown a picture for around 30 secswatch it carefully and u will have to write the approximate age,sex, and mood of the people appeared in that picture..write a story on that picture in around 4 mins..ur story should show ur officer like attitude,organizing ability, optimism, intelligence etcafter a while all of u will be divided in a few groups to discuss ur story and to decide a good one to present(time alloted is only 10 mins)..take care that it shoud not appear like a fishmarket.dont shout behave in an arranged manner but contribution in that discussion is must, try to settle the whole group in a common decision as soon as possible.take a reasonable story out of thembewarethe GD is the most crucial part of the 1st days tests. 5. After some time the result will be get declaredratio may be less..sometimes it is 10 out of 100.selected candidates will be retained for 4/5 more days,and allotted chest numbers(its ur identity).others will be routed back. 6.on the next day.For those who got screened in.the next is a psychological testu will be shown nearly 50 words one by one to make sentences,ur sentences should show logic, truthfulness,confidence,optimism,love for peace,courage..dont show over patriotism,over confidence,over excitement etc.(WAT) 7.Situations will be provided to solve(in writing).solve with logic and intelligencetime provided is much less.(SRT) 8.picture story writing(TAT) u will be shown 10/12 pictures..on each u have to write storieseach within 3/4 minutes. 9.self description test(SDT)write ur own,ur friends,your parents views about urself,ur strong and weak points. 10.On the next daytime for physicals,individuals ones(10 obstacles in 3 minutes)..like walking on parallel ropes,long jump over barbed wire,tarjan jump,monkey crawling,jumping from a height,high jump.climbing on inclined bar,passing through tyres,climbing standing on a height(like victory stand)etc.Try to perform as more as possible.if not succeded at first attemptswitch on to the next.

3 11.Group Obstacles.to solve in a group..understanding within a group is a must.There are many solutions possible..chose the best one as soon as possible.Show enthusiasm,patience,organizing capability,clarity of thought,capability of selling ur idea to ur group. 12.progressive group taskthe task is having 3 to 4 steps,each getting harder.make sure all of ur group members should complete the present one before proceeding to the next hardle. 13.Half group task..an easier one but equally important. 14. command tasku will be appointed as leader and 2/3 frnds of urs will act upon ur idea.this is to check ur leadership quality. 15. A model will be shown and all of u have to solve the situation in writing individually(group planning exercise)again a GD and to select the best solutionbehave like the GD said before. 16.Final group task.a chance again to show ur ability. 18. will be given 3 topics(based on current issues) to choose 2 and disscussThats again two GDs. 19.in Lecturette,will be given 3 topics to choose 1 topic3 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to deliver.grab the subject and deliver a good, logical and impressive speech. 20. Interview..it will take around 30/45 minutes.the president of the selection committee will ask u about ur interest, hobby, achievements, family, frnds, relations, ur views on current issues, extra curricular activities,technical knowledge, why u want to join IAF, ur choice of career,general knowlege etc. 21. Conference the next dayhere all of them will appear in uniform.will call each candidate one by one.for last assessment if required..and the result is declared there after. 22.If recommended,will have to appear before a medical board at a later date given.if declared fit, on a later date a All India merit list will be prepared ,if ur name appears,u will be issued joinning instruction.

The selection process has the following stages/components.

(a) Psychological/Intelligence Test. (b) Group Testing Officers (GTOs) Test. (c) Personal Interview. (d) Medical Examination. It is evident that the interview is mainly confined to first three stages of examination while the fourth one concerns the medical examination of only those who get through in the SSB interview comprising of first three components. Evaluation of a candidate is made by three independent examiners. The psychological test is carried out by a psychologist and GTO test is given by a Group Testing Officer (GTO). Personal interview is carried out by the interviewing officer who usually is also the President of the Board. The interview being an integrated process, culminates with the conference on the final day when all the three examiners gete together to give the final assessment of the candidate. If there is any doubt on any aspect of the personality of the candidate, a few questions are put to him/her and the evaluation is done accordingly. All the candidates who manage to obtain minimum prescribed marks are declared selected. There is no quota or percentage fixed about the number of candidates to be selected and the selection purely depends on the performance of the individuals. The selected candidates then have to undergo a comprehensive medical examination to be finally recommended for selection. Through this series of features on careers an effort is being made to acquaint the candidates, particularly the fresh candidates, with the techniques of SSB interviews and strategy to be adopted to overcome this final hurdle to a challenging career in the defence forces. In the first part of this series, psychological tests are being dealt with in detail. The scheme of selection is almost same for Army, Navy and Air Force with the only difference that in case of interviews for the flying branch of Air Force, an additional aptitude test is given to the candidates right at the beginning. The interview usually lasts for four to five days and the arrangements for free boarding and lodging are made for the candidates. Moreover, the candidates appearing before the Board for the first time are entitled to claim traveling allowance for to-and-fro journey upto the selection centre. Questionnaire Immediately on arrival at the Selection Board a questionnaire is given to all the candidates in which, in addition to personal details, including educational qualifications and details of family, hobbies, games and other extra curricular activities, details about other important happenings in life, friends, ambitions, etc are also sought from the candidates. This questionnaire usually forms the basis for interview. This part also assumes importance, considering the fact that it is of importance to a psychologist to know what a candidate thinks of oneself. Psychological Tests (a) Intelligence Tests: First and important part of pscychological tests is the intelligence test. There are two types of intelligence tests. In the first, usually 80 questions are required to be answered within 30 or 35 minutes. The time is lesser for the second in which 60 questions on figures are required to be answered in 20 to 25 minutes. This test presumes that even under adverse circumstances an intelligent person will be able to answer more number of questions accurately. The questions are objective type with multiple choice answers.

5 To attempt maximum number of questions correctly, the candidates are advised to attempt those questions to start with, about which they are fully sure. The questions which need some more time to answer, must be skipped initially and if after attempting other questions there is some time left, it can then be devoted to the left-out questions. Exhaustive practice in these tests, which appear regularly in the Competition Master, can be of great help in attempting the intelligence tests effectively. A candidate who achieves a good score in these tests may get the benefit of being placed higher in the order of merit if he/she finally makes it in the interview. (b) Word Association Test: This test aims at judging the personality traits and basic psychology of a candidate. It brings out attitudes, thoughts, desires, feelings and even negative aspects of ones personality. For testing the word association, candidates are shown a word of common usage for about 15 seconds, during which time candidates are supposed to write a sentence. After 15 seconds are over, another word is exposed for 15 seconds, the process continues and candidates are asked to write 50 sentences. The words are easy and of day-to-day usage. Time given to the candidates is so short that they have to write down the very first thought that comes after seeing the word. The psychologists analyse the personality traits, attitudes and feelings on the basis of these natural reactions of the candidates to specific words. There can be no readymade solutions to the word association test. However, with a little bit of practice the candidates can choose correct sentence. The pessimistic, negative, pervert and counter-productive feelings must be avoided whereas positive feelings of success, honesty, respectfulness, uprightness, optimism, humanism, etc should be highlighted. For example, the word failure, can be used as Failure cannot always be avoided, or Failures are the pillars of success. Whereas the former sentence depicts pessimism and defeat, the latter sentence shows how a negative word can also be used in a positive manner. On similar lines the candidates must prepare himself beforehand for words like defeat, death, disease wrong, etc. It must be ensured that the sentences used are small and convey some positive aspect of ones psyche. Due care must be taken to ensure that the sentences do not depict the feeling of fear, insecurity, anxiety, cowardice, etc. To do well in this test the candidates must practice with several sets of words and do the self appraisal. (c) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): This technique, also called picture story writing, is one of the most important aspects of psychological test at SSBs. This technique aims at judging the overall personality of a candidate by judging the traits like fearlessness, positive frame of mind, initiative, judgement, courage, temperament, ambitions, and more particularly candidates suitability for the armed forces. This test is conducted by showing several slides/pictures (usually ten) to the candidate for a short while. Then he is asked to write a small story on the picture. The picture is shown for 30 seconds and the candidate is given a time of 3 minutes for writing a brief story. Needless to say that the time duration is very less and the candidates must think and write fast to complete the story within the stipulated time. The candidates need special practice to attempt this test successfully. It must be clearly understood that the story which is written by the candidates, depicts their own thoughts, perceptions and imaginations. Hence the initial 30-second time while the picture is displayed, must be utilised in most useful manner. After devoting minimum possible time for understanding the picture, the candidate should appreciate the situation, identify the hero of the story and prepare a simple but well thought of plot for the story. The plot should be simple considering the fact that the story has to be written within 3-minutes.

6 The planned story should depict the feelings of courage, success, hard-work, initiative, ambition, achievement, helpfulness, patriotism and positive bent of mind. It should be ensured that no unnecessary time is wasted in describing the picture. The picture only depicts one of the situations which could form part of the story. It is pertinent to add that candidates may expect at least one picture each about hospital scene, war, road accident, a captive lady, a frustrated youth, a river, a thief, a graveyard, etc. There may be a few vague pictures also. Practice on writing stories on above situation/pictures would assist the candidates to do well in this test. (d) Situation Reaction Test (SRT): This is last in the series of psychological tests. In the SRT, the candidates are given 4 to 5 reactions to a particular day-to-day situation and the candidates are asked to choose the most appropriate one. This test aims at judging a candidates aptitude towards cooperation, group interests and positive thinking. No answer is outrightly incorrect or correct. The candidates get weighted marks depending on the degree of correctness of an answer. In all 50 to 60 situations have to be reacted upon in 25 to 30 minutes. The candidates must exercise due care while choosing the alternatives as two to three alternatives may appear to be correct. The answer which appears to be the best in a real life situation must be chosen. Initially, questions appearing easier to answer should be chosen and the candidates should avoid conflicting replies and be considered. The second part of the interview contains Group Testing Officers (GTOs) Test. While the first part aims at testing the intelligence and frame of mind of a candidate, the GTOs test is a complete test of ones personality, including physical fitness, mental obustness, leadership qualities, planning flexibility, expression, knowledge, argumentative capabilities, etc. In other words, the performance of every candidate is gauged as a member of a group, and leader of the group, so that his/her behaviour as equal, superior or subordinate is keenly observed and assessed. The group worthiness of a candidate is tested. The GTOs test includes the following six broad sub-tests: Group discussion Group planning exercise Group obstacles Command Task Individual obstacles Lecturette

Group Discussion
Candidates are divided in groups of 8 to 10 and each group is tested by a GTO. Usually two topics of general interest are given by the GTO to the group and the group is asked to choose one of the topics, on the basis of which the group is asked to proceed with discussion. Every candidate is supposed to express his opinion and views on the topic given. The time for discussion is approximately 20 minutes. After the discussion on the first topic is closed, GTO gives the second topic. During the discussion, the GTO quietly observes the performance and behaviour of the candidates and makes his own assessment.

7 The group discussion tests the expression, argumentative capabilities, depth of knowledge, initiative, flexibility, participation and authenticity of a candidate. The candidates must comprehend the topic properly, carry out a mental framework of line of discussion to be pursued and plan the discussion quickly. It is always better to take the initiative to start the discussion. Self confidence, clarity in expression, appreciation of opinion of others, keen interest, flexibility and knowledge are some of the properties which are sought by the GTO. Proper tone, volume and level of voice are other important aspects of a good candidate. To do well at group discussions, it is suggested that the candidates should prepare well by selecting certain topics of general interest like role of science, democracy, role of women, sports, evils of dowry, family planning, compulsory military training, students and politics, status of Indian women, etc. Group Planning Exercise Under the group planning exercise, a situation is given to the candidates usually on a sand model or cloth model. Each candidate is given the situation in which some problem like taking a patient to hospital within stipulated time, reporting the matter to the police or any other situation is depicted and certain facilities as well as limitations are explained. Considering these given limitations and facilities, the candidates are required to prepare a plan to successfully accomplish the task. The time allotted to the candidates, to write down the solution, is about 10 minutes. Soon after writing down the solution, the group is asked to discuss the solutions and arrive at a group plan. The group then nominates a leader who gets up and gives the group plan. After this, others are also asked to give their plans if there is some material difference in the plan. For this exercise a further time of about 20 minutes is given. The test is planned to test the understanding and analytical capability of the candidates. In addition, in a group where no one is nominated a group leader, opportunity is provided to the natural leaders to emerge as leaders and take over the reins of the group. The individual plan tests the analytical ability and the discussion of the group plan sees whether the candidate is prepared to accept a superior plan over his plan or he is able to convince the group about superiority of his plan against an inferior plan being considered by the group. The candidates must properly appreciate the problem, take stock of the resources available with them and then try to generate some alternatives in the given situation. After considering the pros and cons of every alternative, best alternative should be accepted. By actively participating in the group plan discussion, the candidates should try to get themselves nominated as the group leader to get an edge over the other candidates.

Group Obstacles
Next part of GTOs fest is the group obstacles. It has four sub-parts including Progressive Group Task, Group Obstacle Race, Half Group Task and Final Group Task. These tasks are designed to test the behaviour of a candidate in a group where there are no group leaders nominated. The GTO, therefore, keenly observes the candidates for their qualities like cooperation, group belonging feelings, natural leadership qualities, planning, initiative and task orientation. Group obstacles in all the four sub-parts are in the form of obstacles which cannot be negotiated by an individual and need a group of persons to cross it. The group is explained that within the obstacle area, in which particular parts are out of bounds, the entire group has to cross the obstacle within a given period of time with the assistance of tools like ropes, planks, wooden logs, etc. The progressive group task has four tasks with each successive task getting tougher and final group task is the repeat exercise to facilitate the GTO to observe only the potential candidates.

8 The group obstacle race is in the form of an intergroup race in which they also have to carry a sack type of load while crossing the obstacles. Half group task is given by dividing the group into two sub-groups, facilitating the GTO in observing the candidates in a better manner. While crossing these obstacles, or planning to cross these, the candidates should think objectively to negotiate the obstacles with the help of given material. There are usually more than one solution to each obstacle. Immediately on getting the solution, the candidates must start asserting themselves by also seeking advice and suggestions of other candidates. Even if the candidate is unable to arrive at any solution he should try to assume the role of a mediator between several candidates having diverse solutions. Even while actually negotiating the obstacle endeavour should be to take on the most difficult tasks so that an impression of task orientation and leading by example is created in the mind of the GTO.

Command Task
Command Task is aimed at testing the leadership and command capabilities of candidates. In all the earlier exercises, the natural leaders are allowed to emerge. But in some cases, where there are more than one natural leaders, the strongest one will overshadow rest of them. Similarly, a person who is shy by nature, may not be able to exhibit his leadership qualities in a group of equals and hence an opportunity is given to such candidates to show their worth in a formalised situation, where they are declared leaders. In the command task the nature of obstacles and facilitating material remain the same. The only change is that one candidate is nominated as a formal leader, asked to choose his team, plans to negotiate the obstacle and finally executes the plan. The candidates judgement, planning and analytical capabilities are checked and his capabilities to get a task executed are also tested. The candidate must, therefore, choose his team carefully, choosing the best candidates who are cooperative and physically strong. This reflects his objective assessment of subordinates. Then the leader must explain to his men the objective or task, the facilitating material available to them and spell out the plan as to how he planned to accomplish the task. The plan should be clear and spelt out in clear and commanding manner. After explaining the task to his men, the leader should go ahead with the proper execution of the task by properly supervising and giving supplementary instructions if required. Normally, the work should be got executed from the chosen candidates, but in case some part of obstacle negotiation needs his assistance, he should be ready to do so. At times, the commander may find it difficult to plan a solution to the obstacle. Under such a situation, the commander may ask the members of the group to suggest to him the possible solution.

Individual Obstacles
There are 10 obstacles which are required to be negotiated by every individual within a stipulated period of 3 minutes. The obstacles are not very tough and can be negotiated by any candidate with average physical fitness. These obstacles include climbing ropes, jumping, swinging on ropes, climbing wall, walking over a beam and parallel ropes, etc. The relatively difficult obstacles carry higher marks and easier ones have lesser. In case a candidate can repeat some of the obstacles, after completing all in the given time period, such a candidate gets more than maximum marks to the extent of repetition of obstacles. To do well at this test, the candidate must try to achieve a particular level of physical fitness before proceeding to the SSB interviews. Easier obstacles should be attempted first and even if one is unable to complete all the obstacles within three minutes, one should be satisfied as in the words of one GTO armed forces need officers, not monkeys. Nevertheless, this test aims at looking for bare minimum level of physical fitness, which can be built up by rigorous pre-commission training in the Training Acadmeies.

Lecturette
Lecturette is last in the series of GTOs tests and is aimed at testing the speech of a candidate. A leader should be able to speak effectively, attract attention while he is talking, have a clear head and clear line of thinking. These qualities are tested by giving a small test to the candidates known as lecturette. This candidate is given about four topic of general nature which do not need any specialised knowledge. The candidates are required to select one topic, prepare for three minutes and then deliver a speech to the group for a period of three minutes. While taking this test, the candidate must select the subject/topic on which he is fully confident of having enough knowledge and material to speak for three minutes. Unnecessary movements of hands, legs, fingers etc should be avoided and the speech should be delivered in a pleasant but authoritative voice. The views expressed should be balanced and extreme positions in views should be avoided. The clarity of thoughts and ideas must be insured. It is evident from the above that the GTOs test is a comprehensive test of ones personality. An objective assessment of personality of the candidates is made by observing their behaviour in a group and as a leader as well. Capabilities of the candidates like knowledge, expression, leadership, initiative, physical fitness, planning capabilities, understanding, disposition, grasp and task orientation, etc are tested by following a comprehensive and objective method of personality test. The GTO makes the assessment by assigning marks in each of the six exercises and then finally allots the aggregate marks on the basis of overall average assessment. Personal interview is the last hurdle in the selection process to the defence forces through SSB Interviews, apart from the medical examination. Every candidate is tested by a psychologist, G.T.O. and finally by the President or Deputy President of the Selection Board. The aim of the personal interview is to have a closer look at the personality of every candidate through conversation in friendly discussion. To keep the interview formal and the candidate at ease, only one interviewer interacts with the candidate. The information given by the candidate, on the very first day in the questionnaire, forms the initial basis for questions during the course of interview.

Conduct
At an average, every interview lasts about 30-40 minutes. The President of the Board begins in a very friendly manner by asking very personal questions from the candidates like name, detail of the brothers and sisters, occupation of parents, names of good friends, place to which the candidate belonged. About 10 minutes-time is devoted on these questions so that the candidate is put at ease. Name of the educational institutions where one studied, subjects offered, marks obtained etc are a few other questions that may be initially expected. In addition to putting a candidate at ease, the President also observes the qualities of friendliness and the ease with which one can handle simple and personal questions. Other questions in the interview may be about games played, hobbies, girl/boy friends and the means adopted by the candidate to remain fit. As a young and educated person, one is expected to either play or have keen interest in some games. Similarly, every person is expected to have a hobby, be it reading, playing games, swimming, driving, gardening, philately, riding, photography or travelling. Every young candidate, aspiring to become an officer in the armed forces, is also expected to have friendship with the opposite sex. Hence all these questions must be answered accordingly.

10 Final part of the personal interview may include a few questions on current topics, general knowledge, some imaginary situation for reaction and small simple problems for judging the administrative planning capabilities of the candidate. Problem solving may be judged by depicting a simple real-life imaginary situation involving the brothers, sisters, parents or friends to which reaction of the candidate is judged. Similarly, a small administrative problem may be given to a candidate including organisation of a match or a picnic. The candidate is then asked to give his/her step by step planning and execution and perception of happening of the event, without its actually taking place.

How to tackle?
As has been hinted above, the questions in the interview must be tackled very carefully. The candidates should not be in a hurry to reply the questions. The questions should be properly understood and after considering the contents for a while, reply should be given. Regarding personal questions, the candidates should be careful that they do not hide material facts or try to give wrong facts. It must be understood clearly that the President conducting the inverview handles several candidates every day and does the same thing over the years. Moreover, he is trained to interview candidates in such a manner as the truth comes out. Any attempt to hide some facts or give wrong facts will be certainly picked up by the experienced President and they usually make the candidate realise during the interview itself that he/she was trying to bluff. Moreover, no candidate is expected to be perfect, as every human being does have some weaknesses. However, it should also be ensured that no unnecessary details are given by the candidate. The replies should be to the point and relevant to the questions asked.The same principle applies to the other questions like games played, hobbies pursued and friends (particularly from the opposite sex) held. The games which are stated to be played by the candidate should be ones about which the candidate has complete knowledge and is able to reply to most of the questions. Similarly, the interviewer devotes a lot of time to the hobby named by the candidate. The candidates must, therefore, make sure that the hobbies and games they name must be fully known to them. Rather than bluffing in this regard, it is better to give a negative reply. Moreover, as earlier pointed out it is good to have friends from the opposite sex with healthy and friendly relations. But in case there is no such friend, the fact should be admitted without hesitation. Finally, the questions on current affairs and general knowledge need a little-bit of brushing up of knowledge in this field. Regular readers of The Competition Master normally do not find much difficulty in tackling this part. Candidates who feel less confident in this part are advised to consult the General Knowledge Refresher by O.P. Khanna. The questions on the reactions in given situations have to be handled very carefully. The candidates must grasp situation completely, clarify the doubts if any and after taking some time to think, come out clearly with the course of action. Choosing a right course of action is not very difficult. The candidates must imagine themselves in similar situation and consider the most probable course of action which would be taken by them, which invariably is also the right solution to the problem. In their reactions, the candidates must not bring in any artificiality and unnecessary heroism. They should react as if they would have done in a similar real life situation. Due care, therefore, must be exercised as this is one of the most crucial aspects of the interview. Two more questions which must be prepared properly are :- (a) Why do you want to join the Defence Forces?; (b)If you are not selected what would you do? These are often-repeated questions and must be answered very honestly and correctly, without any exaggeration.

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Balanced Behaviour
While proper replies to the questions are important balanced conduct of the candidates is still more important. The candidates should avoid use of slangs and be very respectful to interviewer. Use of language and expression are the plus points but the candidates are usually not penalised for weak expression, as it is believed that the problems of fluency and expression are overcome during the training period. The candidates must be composed and maintain their poise. Lack of confidence in replying to the questions reflects lack of knowledge and self-confidence. At the same time one must not be over confident or arrogant. The interviewers are trained to identify the signals sent by the body language alongwith the spoken word. Whatever is spoken from the mouth must be reflected from the eyes of the candidate as well the tone of his/her voice. Hence, body language must be controlled to convey the same meaning as the word of the mouth. Any contradiction reveals the untruthful intention of the candidate. It should, however, be kept in mind that no unnecessary gesticulations are made with hands and sitting posture is also proper, as recommended for the interviews. The appearance and bearing of the candidate helps in making a good first impression. The clothes need not be new or highly fashionable and bright, but should be sober and properly cleaned. Hair should be properly groomed and hands should be properly cleaned with the nails cleanly cut. While describing their achievements, the candidates should be modest without being boastful and while admitting weaknesses and failures, they should not be ashamed or evasive. There must be eye-contact with the interviewer for most part of the interview.

Interview Etiquettes
In addition to the above there are certain established interview etiquettes which must be strictly adhered to. One must enter the room after seeking permission. On entering the room, the candidate must suitably wish the interviewer and should sit only when he/she is asked to do so. On being offered a seat, one is expected to thank the interviewer. In case the President offers a hand for handshake, it must be shaken firmly, but the candidates, on their own should not initiate shaking the hands. Seat should be taken promptly and the candidate should sit properly and if possible in an upright manner. The interviewee should offer a bright and cheerful face. If the President calls for a cup of tea or lights a cigarette and also offers to a candidate, it should be declined gracefully, without annoying him. In a very few cases if the President asks some irritating and personally offending questions, the candidates must not loose their poise and temper. Such a question may be aimed at seeing whether or not a candidate gets provoked easily. The candidates should also show flexibility and admit his/her mistakes, if any pointed out by the President. If a question is not clearly understood or heard, the President may be requested politely to repeat it as there is no harm in it. As the interview is over, the candidates should thank the President, get up without battling with the chair, wish him appropriately and quietly leave the room. The questions like How have I done Sir? should not be asked by the candidates while leaving the interview room.

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Conference
The last stage in the selection process is the conference which takes place on the last day. During the earlier three stages, three selectors i.e. the psychologist, G.T.O. and the President carry out their tests independently. At the conference all the three selectors sit together, call the interviewee and ask twothree formal and routine questions. Candidates who qualify in all the three tests independently are declared successful. All those failing in all or any two are declared unsuccessful. A few candidates marginally failing in one of the tests, may expect a couple of more absorbing questions, including a situation, and on the basis of reply offered by the candidate, final decision about his/her selection is taken. The result is announced soon after the conclusion of the conference and all those who are selected are required to stay back for the medical examination, which takes another three to four days.

Medical Examination
The selected candidates are then required to undergo medical examination. Prior to the medical examination, a form is given to the candidates to be filled which mainly relates to the past medical history of the candidate as well as his/her members of the family. The candidates who pass all the medical tests are finally declared as successful and may expect a call to join the training academy concerned within a month or two of the selection. However, the call letters are issued after clubbing the marks obtained in the written examination of the as well as marks obtained in the interview. At times it may so happen that even a candidate getting through in the interview finally, may not get a call to join at the concerned training academy if the number of vacancies is less or the candidate is very low in the order of merit. Hence, the candidates are advised not to leave their studies or jobs till they rceive a call to join at the training academy concerned.

The 12 features observed during lecturette..

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1. Arrival in front of the audience- a proper establishment of eye contact and avoid abrupt start...look at each and every person's eyes before u start.u'll have their attention for sure. 2.form of address- greet the GTO and the other candidates 3.way of standing- feet a bit apart, like at stand-at-ease, erect posture 4.movement of body- should be stable, no transfer of weight from one leg to another, dont tighten your knees as its quite visible and shows ur nervousness. 5. Position of hands- at the back, dont wave them too much, coz they say that, if u need YOUR hands to make a point, ur speech isn't powerful enough. Even if u do so, bring them at the back as soon as possible, in the stand-at-ease posture.. 6. Head movement- dont jerk unnecessarily, and dont tighten your neck muscles as its quite visible. 7. eyes- constant but dynamic eye contact. After the starting address, never look at the GTO or his colleague. Look at the group at all times. Where the GTO's there, its supposed to be a wall. 8. volume- if u speaks normally, your volume should be 25% more. 9. pitch- maintains a minimal level, and modulates YOUR pitch more or less depending on that. it should be likeable to the audience, dont make them hate u... 10.speed- each and every word should be audible and clear. Speak slowly. People complain that 3 minutes is a very long time, and how are they supposed to speak on a topic for so long. if u speak slowly , 3 minutes will be less for u... 11.words- should be complete and distinct 12.english- should be real good. Your looked upon with respect in the armed forces if ur English is good. And if u fall short of points in the middle, dont just stand there dumb, do make the way to ur ending address and then leave. IF U FOLLOW THESE TIPS U R ABLE TO SPEAK FOR FULL 3 MINS

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)- Commonly known as Picture Story writing.

A.) TAT

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ACTION: A BOY STAND NEAR A DAM & A BOY STAND NEAR A MOUNTAIN STORY:RAMAN WAS A CIViL ENGINEER and got posted in a rural area. there he found that people were suffering with poor irrigation and electricity facilities. he meet the MLa of that area a nd with his friend survey that area and found awater fall in a near by mountain.he send the praposal to the concerned authority to built a dam there and took aproovle.he along with his friende,majdoor and help of the villagers built adam there.it helped the villagers for irrigation and power production.
B.) TAT A young boy is contemplating a violin that rests on a table in front of him. C.) TAT at 18 SSB Allahabad Screening:- Person half seen with a gun and three females(fsrmers) doing croping. 2nd day 1) Person standing near a gate facing towards home and gate half opened. 2) One person in river another on a rock holding rope. 3) Three to four persons standing in front of notice board. 4) One boy inside water shouting and a small boat coming to him. 5) A lady near a dorr standing and a person coming to her. 6) A lady sitting on a bench and a person coming to her. 7) Two persons in jungle. 8) A man going from a tank standing, foot marks on sand of the person is there. 9) A boy sitting and a man behind him putting his hands on the shoulder of the boy (consoling like). 10) A person on a rope bridge and a person standing below. 11) Three to four persons sitting below a tree and a person standing. 12) You know it............... D.) 19th SSB Allahabad

1.Lone athlete He is the winner of the athlete-race, and is taking a bonus round. 2.A junior officer wid his senior A senior officer giving some individual tasks to his junior for his self-development. 3.A prsn in forest An enthusiastic and adventurous man stepped down on a lone forest trip. 4.Grp of students near a lake Some friends relieving at the lake after giving their final examinations.

15 5.Prs in a boat wid another prs pointing a gun on his head A troop of soldiers, who had attacked the small grp of terrorists, finally made it to arrest the head of terrorist alive. 6.Boy peeping from a window.A prns standin outside with face turned The boy is admitted in the board school. He is in his hostel room watching his parents/relatives leaving him. 7.Mountain peatk surrounded with forests A photo captured by a photographer to be decorated in a state level scenery photo gallery. 8.A man following another in a street A man showing a stranger the way to his destination. 9.Gprs of students in a fort Some friends collected at the red fort for the Republic Day ceremony. SEX OF THE HERO MUST BE THE SAME AS U . ITS REPRESENTS U 100% .IT SHOWS UR ATTITUDE, YOUR OLQ;S, YOUR BEHAVIOUR NOT OF THE PERSON OF YOUR OPPOSITE SEX. U HAVE TO HAVE IN THE PICTURE YOURSELF. IF IN THE PICTURE U SEE ONLY FEMALE WITH BACKGROUND ...U MAY ASSUME ONE MAN IN MID OR START OF STORY AND THEN CARRY ON WRITING
E.)

well the picture i saw was that of 2 women, one of them working in a lab on a microscope and the other one watching her..can anyone suggest how to represent myself in view of this scenario??? i was thinking in the lines of some discovery for curing some disease...well this portrays determination and hard work and a few other OLQs which is not dependent on what sex the hero is..right??..can any one explain how to tackle this and the cons of thinking the way i did??
F.) G.)

1. some young girls and boys seated around a table, table is full of stationary goods and some eatables. 2. one person standing with a knife while another one is lying (either on ground or on bed, it wzn't clear) 3. a lady is working in a farm and behind her there wz some smoke just beside to a hut. 4. a young boy on an elephant wid some people (2-3), surface wz muddy. 5. a girl looking herself into the mirror.
H.)

1. some young girls and boys seated around a table, table is full of stationary goods and some eatables. Group Studies going on for competitive examination. 2. one person standing with a knife while another one is lying (either on ground or on bed, it wzn't clear)

16 Drama at collage . 3. a lady is working in a farm and behind her there wz some smoke just beside to a hut. Prosperous farmer 4. a young boy on an elephant wid some people (2-3), surface wz muddy. Jungle Safari at Corbett national park 5. a girl looking herself into the mirror. Girl practicing speech to e delivered i her collage .
I.)

19th SSB Allahabad

1.Lone athlete He is the winner of the athlete-race, and is taking a bonus round. 2.A junior officer wid his senior A senior officer giving some individual tasks to his junior for his self-development. 3.A prsn in forest An enthusiastic and adventurous man stepped down on a lone forest trip. 4.Grp of students near a lake Some friends relieving at the lake after giving their final examinations. 5.Prs in a boat wid another prs pointing a gun on his head A troop of soldiers, who had attacked the small grp of terrorists, finally made it to arrest the head of terrorist alive. 6.Boy peeping from a window.A prns standin outside with face turned The boy is admitted in the board school. He is in his hostel room watching his parents/relatives leaving him. 7.Mountain peatk surrounded with forests A photo captured by a photographer to be decorated in a state level scenery photo gallery. 8.A man following another in a street A man showing a stranger the way to his destination. 9.Gprs of students in a fort Some friends collected at the red fort for the Republic Day ceremony.
J.)

MY 4 AFSB TAT PICTURES:

1)MAN TOUCHING FEET OF FATHER,SIS AND MOM LOOKING 2)MAN LOOKING IN MIRROR 3)TOPE IN DESERT AND MAN WALKING 4)THREE HANDS OVER A TABLE

17 5)MAN SAYING SOMETHIN T A VILLAGER. 6)MAN WALKING STEPS ON A SIDI. @Above 1)MAN TOUCHING FEET OF FATHER,SIS AND MOM LOOKING Boy came from abroad after completing his studies. 2)MAN LOOKING IN MIRROR A man getting ready (dressing up) before appearing for an interview. 3)TOPE IN DESERT AND MAN WALKING A man walking in the desert in search for water. 4)THREE HANDS OVER A TABLE Three persons taking resolutions with their hands stretched over the table. 5)MAN SAYING SOMETHIN T A VILLAGER. Doctor suggesting about something to a villager. 6)MAN WALKING STEPS ON A SIDI. A man is either stepping towards his flat fron office or going to his office.. @ above ur goin for ssb b positive n show some qualities thru ur TAT it was a suggestion!!!! 1. man goin to join army after takin blessings of parents.... 2. man is goin 4 interview..... inner depth determination confidence.... 3. an army officer is auditing the security n weopns in the desert area n brought out some improving ideas gave to seniors, accepted , encouraged 4.three studs are planning 2 organise a match in there scol/colg. 5. person guiding villagers to adopt to new technology n hybrid seeds n better irrigation facilities...... 6. studnt of colg made an excusite prject which l8r helped society n country even in de defnce force it was very useful; which was appreciated by all ..... came out wid flyiin colors
TAT 6.Boy peeping from a window.A prns standin outside with face turned father goin for his duty he making his child detemined n confident abt any problem hell face developing courage in him. K.) TAT at 18 SSB Allahabad Screening:- Person half seen with a gun and three females(fsrmers) doing croping. 2nd day

1) Person standing near a gate facing towards home and gate half opened. 2) One person in river another on a rock holding rope.

18 3) Three to four persons standing in front of notice board. 4) One boy inside water shouting and a small boat coming to him. 5) A lady near a dorr standing and a person coming to her. 6) A lady sitting on a bench and a person coming to her. 7) Two persons in jungle. 8) A man going from a tank standing, foot marks on sand of the person is there. 9) A boy sitting and a man behind him putting his hands on the shoulder of the boy (consoling like). 10) A person on a rope bridge and a person standing below. 11) Three to four persons sitting below a tree and a person standing. 12) You know it...............
L.) screening tat

rajesh an army officer is helping village ppl in border areas to proceed there cultivation. 1. prsn came after giving an IAS xam and later on came out to be winner 2. a national swimmer got struk wid muscles pull n sink which l8r on helped by his coach practise hard came out as champ. 3 grp of frnz combined studied for colg exams n r seeing there result n all result was up to there xpectations 4 boy came for swimmin n got struk in whirlpool l8r on safe guards came to provide help to him. 5 boy came after winning the war from enemiy fields 6 son after hard work n practise came out wid expected result n is coming to take blessing frm her mother 7 studs came for pcninc struck in midway of jungle widout losin patince find there way thru compass n map 8 army officer told by attentive villagers abt whereabts of terorist is goin to put a chk on thm 9 an army officer died and his son is mourning over his father death tht person motivates him to bcom an army officer 10. ppl gone for xpedition a boy fell the team is helping hm 11. ppl r discussing abt organising a match in colg

u have to write a story.seean ex-an accident site.see how to write.

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ravi mathur was a 24 yrs old intelligent and helpful man.he was a college student. one day he was going to colg for his exams and he saw that an accident had taken place as two cars had collided.he immediately rushed to the place and organised the spectators tto help the injured.he gave first aid to the injured.and the volunteeres agreed to take the injured to the nearest hospital.he arranged the people to park the car.then he went for his xm.after xm he rushed to the hospital to see them and wished them to recover faster. that,s it

TAT (thematic apperception test) is one of the psychological test in SSB in which u'r shown some pictures and u hv to write a short story abt it which must give some positive moral like confidence, helping nature, intelligence.n all other OLQs (officer like qualities).. There is a word limit dear, bcoz i attended recent SSB at allahabad for the second time, over there the Pshcologists who was briefing how to write on a TAT told that your story should complete within 100 words. Because more then 100 words becomes overlengthy and you dont hav that much space also to write, So in a nutshell write story with max. 15 lines., which contains some past ( 1-2 lines) , present (10-12 lines) and the future ( 1-3 lines). And as you all know write a positive and a constructive story which has some outcome, some motto to be achieved. TAT is all about this. I would lyk to suggest something.....Dnt appeiciate ur hero...dnt use adjectives like ....he is helpful ,intelliegent,brave........Show these qualities in his deeds !!!!
M.) TAT => a boy reachs a river bank , he needs to cross,finds only 1 boat with its rower,from far he sees the other bank devastated N.) 20 SSB at Bhopal

1. Girl standing at the window starring at something.......... 2. Girl stopping a crowd keeping her hands wide... 3. A Lady was lying on a floor or something likethat.. 4. Lady standing out of the house....and watching sumthing.... 5. A boy standing in between a girl and a man.......... 6. A man lying on other man legs....... 7. A Lady giving something to another lady...
O.) tat 0f 14 ssb

1.single person in boat cloudy enviornment 2.two young boys adderessing group of young boys with some banners 3.one one mountain one down 4.people surrounding a person lying down 5.a person reading paper on chair 6.one person following other(shadow) 7.rope bridge legs are seen 8.young man with small children 9.construction scene small children and villagers 10.shadow against white mountain

20
P.) tgc-110 attended on 4-9-09

PIC-1----A BOY MOVING IN A COLONY AND A SHADOW GOING INFRONT OF HIM PIC-2----A BOY DROWING IN A WATER PIC-3---A BOY JUMPING ,ABOY ON GROUND AND A PERSON HOLDING A DAGGER INFRONT OF HIM PIC-4---ABOY SITING ALONE WITH A DOG IN A GARDEN PIC-5--THREE MAN ON A SNOW WEARING DRESS OF SKING PIC-6--A BOY ADREESSING A CROWD A MIC ALSO SEEN NEARBY HIM PIC-7--A MAN ON ROPE COMING OUT OF PLANE IN THE SKY
Q.) IMA-128 ALLAHABAD

IMA -128 ALLAHABAD PIC 1- BOY IN FACT SHADOW(DARK) STANDING ON A HILL SIDE WEARING A TRACKING COSTUME. PIC-2 TWO BOY SITTING ON A TREE N A RIVER IS FLOWING UNDER THEM. PIC-3 A GROUP OF STUDENT STANDING N A BOY IN LEADING THEM(IT WAS A CAMP) N A TEA IS BEING PREPARED ON A STOVE. PIC-4 A DEAD BODY N A BOY IS SITTING NEAR IT N A MAN IN HOLDING HIS SHOULDER. PIC 5 A BOY N A GIRL CHATTING ON A ROAD N A BOY IS JST BEHIND THEM. PIC 6 A BOY IS RACING ALONE IN FACT PRACTICING. PIC 7 A BUNCH OF BOY WITH HOLDINGS N TWO BOYS ADDRESSING THEM.
R.) TAT for 21-09-09 screening

A man with long coat standing in a cave like place holding some file like thing. some thing was there behind him a light coloured substance. some guys meant those were men but i didnt percieve as mem. most of them including me assumesd him as a archeologist.
S.) TAT PICS

I had been to SSB-Bangalore 24 SSB from 04/11/09 to 09/11/09 and luckily got recommended. Here are the pics which i remember:1) A boy standing in front of mirror and wearing shirts. 2) Two army personals in a position to attack one with a rocket launcher. 3) A well dressed person talking to a farmer. 4) A person running towards a village. 5) A boy playing with tank and a women standing in front a picture having flower on it. 6) A boy sitting and thinking. 7) A lady moving in storm. 8) A boy moving away from a tank on sand. 9) Group of NCC students and one boy going pointing towards something. rest two I don't remember sorry for that and the last one was the blank one.

21

SSB Testing Process

the sketch

the whole testing process is in two stages.stage one - on the day after ur reporting day at the selection centre , u have to go through two tests. one is intelligence test, comprising of two tests with an interval of rest between.these tests have 50 questions each , and determine the OIR -officer's intelligence rating.they consist of simple linguistic,logical,analytical,and mathematical questions to test ur common sense. it is important , but it mainly affects u'r total score at the SSB,not ur selection in stage one.the governing test is the PP&DT-picture perception and description test.u are shown a picture,for 4 min.and u have to write a story on it,in those 4 minutes.after that u are made to sit in a group, and take part in a discussion over that story.the main thing that will get u selected is whether u speak or not.i saw guys with damn good stories ,being rejected,and equally bad stories being selected. if u speak , ull be selected.coz they want those guys to stay for the next 5 days, who will show their qualities , and not the ones who dont have enough confidence to do so
the hypothesis

u must have seen the '' DO U HAVE IT IN U?'' tagline an umpteenth time in recent times...and we all fret over wat the IT is? this is what MAJOR H.S. KALSI tells the students at the BAALNOI ACADEMY , NEW DELHI, as told by my friend... OFFICER-LIKE-QUALITIES: FACTOR ONE - PLANNING AND ORGANISING 1.EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE - ur ability to solve practical problems , it supplements ur basic intelligence , which is just ur theoretical knowledge of the subject.......the question asked is WHAT? 2.REASONING ABILITY- watever u do in life must have a definite reason... the question is WHY? 3.ORGANISING ABILITY- the ability to use the available resources to the maximum probability of an expected result... the question is HOW? 4.POWER OF EXPRESSION- this is the ability to express urself ACCURATELY, BRIEFLY, and CLEARLY...and it is instrumental in mobilising the manpower u have into the work u want to get done. FACTOR TWO- SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT 1. SOCIAL ADAPTABILITY- social relationships and how one manages situations in the family, and in the society. like u come home late, and ur brother is angry with u for that, so how wud u respond....or like , u want to join the army , but ur mum is not aggreeing with ur decison, how will u handle it? 2.COOPERATION- this is ur spirit to help others and to make a situation cheerful and happy.u should be well-meaning,friendly,helpful, believing in give-and-take,and displaying team-effort.. 3.SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY- whatever u do must be done with a sense of duty and discipline.never break any rule or law.its called civilization. FACTOR THREE- SOCIAL EFFECTIVENESS 1.INITIATIVE - taking first step in a new situation in the right direction and sustaining the effort. so at any cost , u must volunteer in life..

2. SELF-CONFIDENCE - ur faith in ur abilities. avoid the use of the words TRY,COULD,SHOULD,MAYand CAN, at all times...make it a practice.. strong body language,loud and clear voice, and self-belief. 3.SPEED OF DECISION - it's significance is paramount in AIR FORCE, that's my personal view. u should be able to decide in a split-second. and it should be correct, coz at all times u have to supprt u'r colleagues life too.. 4.ABILITY TO INFLUENCE A GROUP - to make a positive impact on others by virtue of intelligence, performance and behaviour. if u are not sure of what u believe in and what u are trying to do, then HOW CAN U MAKE OTHERS BELIEVE IN IT AND DO THE THING? 5.LIVELINESS - a very important factor, as it can turn the most negative of situations into ur favour. u must be active and cheerful in watever u do. display high levels of energy and maintain a SMILING FACE AGAINST ALL ODDS..

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FACTOR FOUR- DYNAMIC 1. DETERMINATION - to make things change, despite obstacles and setbacks. u must have a desire to fulfill these desires,make urself deserving and give determined effort. 2.COURAGE - the ability to take calculated and purposive risk. never loose ur cool in peril. remember - COURAGE IS NOT THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ON, RATHER IT'S CARRYING ON WHEN U DONT HAVE THE STRENGTH. 3.STAMINA - the ability to withstand protracted mental and physical stress. these are what the ''IT'' consists of. besides, keep that in mind , that whenever u take a decision or action , it should be in the bounds of attainability, should be devoid of emotional input, and should be based on positive thinking. three P's of personality P- POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR P-PRACTICAL RESPONSES P-PLEASANTNESS OR CHEERFULNESS and ABC of personality, A-ATTITUDE B-BEHAVIOUR C-CHARACTER
the lecturette

the 12 features observed during lecturette.. 1.arrival in front of the audience- a proper establishment of eye contact and avoid abrupt start...look at each and every person's eyes before u start.u'll have their attention for sure. 2.form of address- greet the GTO and the other candidates 3.way of standing- feet a bit apart,like at stand-at-ease, erect posture 4.movement of body- should be stable, no transfer of weight from one leg to another, dont tighten ur knees as its quite visible and shows ur nervousness. 5.position of hands- at the back, dont wave them too much , coz they say that, if u need ur hands to make a point, ur speech isn't powerful enough.even if u do so , bring them at the back as soon as possible, in the stand-at-ease posture.. 6.head movement- dont jerk unnecessarily, and dont tighten ur neck muscles as its quite visible. 7.eyes- constant but dynamic eye contact. after the starting address, never look at the GTO or his colleague. look at the group at all times. where the GTO's there,it's supposed to be a wall. 8.volume- if u speak normally, ur volume should be 25% more.

23 9.pitch- maintain a minimal level, and modulate ur pitch more or less depending on that. it should be likeable to the audience, dont make them hate u... 10.speed- each and every word should be audible and clear. speak slowly. people complain that 3 minutes is a very long time, and how are they supposed to speak on a topic for so long. if u speak slowly , 3 minutes will be less for u... 11.words- should be complete and distinct 12.english- should be real good. ur looked upon with respect in the armed forces if ur english is good. and if u fall short of points in the middle, dont just stand there dumb, do make the way to ur ending address and then leave...i have seen people screwing the whole thing very bad... again, if u fall short of time, that is the 30 second warning has been given , dont leave abruptly, the formula that always works- '' well, friends , i think , that will be all for now.. may be some other time'' it should be so friendly and so attention grabbing that the GTO should give u a full 10 for such a great show, at the end of the day , just being urself is what counts, but then as i always say , forewarned is forearmed......just try to minmise mistakes and dont step on the wrong stones....
group planning....or military planning

while group planning , always consider all the problems , list them in order of priority, check out the problems that don't need to be solved, there are some such problems for distraction...then form ur plan.it's not necessary that u go ahead to narrate ur plan....but it'd be appreciated if u add some valuable points to the plan of the narrator. coz a common plan is never created, so the plan the narrator speaks about is only his plan...and thus subject to changes...
other tasks.....

during the individual obstacles, try to form a route that will save u some time , and keep that in mind that if u try the obstacles that u are afraid of , it will give u a vantage point. a soldier is not expected there, just a spark is hoped for. if the GTO sees that u can try to fight against ur fears, then he knows for certain that u can be trained to fight against them...and that's all what counts.. if u'r group does some out of bounds act while the tasks, always bring it to the focus of the GTO, and never think that if he didnt say something , he was not watching. ur honesty is being checked there....during the command task , it doesn't necessarily matters ,how many times u've been selected as a subordinate,or u've made a right plan or not....he just sees ur spirit.whether u lead from the front or take a backseat.if u lead from th front dont do everthing urself, keep in mind the qualities of the people in ur group...coz u'll have to select ur subordinates in their absence.selecting the folks with the right attitude will always help u. if u have friendly terms with some one, u can select them , but the GTO shouldn't get the hint that there's such a setting. doing favours is not expected. but then if u were good in ur task , then it may help u if u've been selected many times as a subordinate. if u've not been a single time, never think it will be in ur negative side. remember people always do mistakes coz they give importance to all the wrong things that they think are important.
and.....

dont try to talk much to those folks who are shouting out too much about how they were interviewed.it will add to ur doubts and apprehension. just before my interview, i was so nervous that i called one of my teacher from the paracommando, that what should i say if asked about my fav subject.wat if i am not able to answer something.he said that, the IO wants to know about u, not how much u know...even he will not be knowing all those things.if u know the answer,good for u, if u dont , he'll be observing how u react to it.just be confident... get a good sleep before ur interview, dont think much about it, get refreshed and cool, and dont talk about the interview while in waiting room...it's not gonna help u.....

24 all that i am telling u is not expected to change ur psychology in such a short notice.so dont feel bad if u feel so....just try to minimise ur mistakes and that will be all....
the psychological tests.....

it's such a comprehensive topic that to give an all encompassing detail was simply a too tedious task..... the very thing that makes psychological tests' analysis difficult is that u often fail to be neutral. if u wanna describe the tests and how one shud face it....u end up putting ur perspective on display. i knew such people...from a long time be4 my SSB....and dint wanna do any such misleading task. the army psychologist is generally a DRDO officer from the department of psychological research. often they are raw recruits to psychology under the guidance of a couple of veterans. the psychologist's test series happens on the third day from the day of ur reporting on the center. the next day of screening. it consists of 4 tests. the first is TAT- thematic apperception test, WAT- word association test, SRT-situation reaction test, nd SDAT- self-description and appreciation test. the motive of these tests is to analyse each and every candidate on the given yardstick of the 15 qualities.....while there are equal chances of it not being so, i'd like to make a point that by academic instinct and orientation the psychologist who will assess ur paper is inclined to make certain add-on judgements from ur handwriting...crossed out words...and mistakes....the no. nd type of picture, word, or situation that u didnt respond to...and obviously the coherence of ur responses spanning over each of the tests.
TAT- Thematic Apperception Test

to begin with TAT consists of a slideshow of pictures. normally a set of 10 pictures and an 11th blank one. the candidate is shown every picture for exact 4 minutes.after that another pic comes on screen. within these 4 minutes u r expected to see, think and write a story on the pic. while people wrongly misinterpret it as a way to cheat the test....the psychologists emphatically advise that one should spend the first 30 seconds observing the pic. one should start from the outline or frame of the pic....and move towards the centre. observe every minute detail that u can think of. 30 seconds may seem very less but it's not as it seems. coz watevr u observe in 30 seconds is sure to better ur story than if u start off writing from the 1st second. the idea is TO TAKE UP THE STORY FROM GRASSROOT LEVEL AND LET THE TESTER SMELL THE GRASS. this stage is called resource building. u can look at wat time of day it can be. it's outdoors or indoors. it's a sun or a moon. lamp is on or light is cuming frm the window. and many more details. when at the centre, count the characters. their age,sex,attire,mood, posture,everything. like if a woman is in saree u can call her Sheela. But if she's in western attire like skirt...or trousers, etc...ur imagination will b appreciated if u call her sum christian name. if the house seems well decorated frm inside...it will be foolish to make a story abt sum poor family. may sound crap but the key to crack a gud story is imagination. now CHOOSE A HERO. the story must have a hero. here u are tested again. the objective of TAT is to assess ur motivation, ur needs , ur maturity, and ur thought process. like if a man having sum family problem or social ones.....he'll be shown pics with subjects like a parent nd child....or a social gathering...etc. in the same way , the candidates are shown pics which spearhead their thought process in a direction relative to their age, and wat is expected of them.
Any sort of preparation is never a must for the SSBs. But forewarned is forearmed. So if you do opt for a coaching... nothing wrong with that. mostly they have ex-officers, so the facts taught will be all right. The point is don't learn by rote, anything that teach under the category "101 ways to crack SSBs".Period. Stuff like that don't exist. Just let them help you build a mindset. Avoid premeditation of the Testing process at all costs. Do no practice for things like WAT, TAT, etc. They obstruct the process that we call...."being yourself". this is paramount through the interviews. Be what you are and take pride in it. don't step on the wrong stones... and don't worry about the right stones. U'll see urself through. Gud Hunting!

25 -> dont get confused. the first group discussion will be held in Picture Perception and Description Test. on the day of screening. this is when u see one picture and write a story on it. then a group of arnd 10 is formed and is askd to "narrate their stories one by one". after the last story has been narrated, a discussion has to start which as they tell you... shud end up wid a common story. now this never happens... the common story thing. so basically they jst want a discussion and see who speaks and who gets subdued. the scene often is a fish market... coz here turns are nt given. it's a GD and anyone can speak whenver he wants. it's recommended that u shud listen to others and find a chance to speak. the proper discussion on topics comes later on day 3 or 4. it is called Group Discussion. two topics r givn.... the grup cn choose the topic for discussion... rest is the same as PP nd DT. after first discussion... the grup is askd to do it again on the 2nd topic. ->
Psychology tests

Just before entering the testing hall , relax and make your mind calm . Keep away aggressive thoughts coz that'll affect your thoughts while you answer . And BE YOURSELF 1) Thematic Appreciation Test In TAT they'll show you 12 slides . 11 of them will have some picture or situation in it . The characters , age , sex , mood and all will be clear in the pictures unlike the slide for screening . You'll get 4 minutes for each slide to frame a story . Frame some story which conveys some quality like friendship , sincerity , honesty , bravery , adventure , safety etc . Don't make your stories defense oriented , that'll sound artificial . Be sure that all has a positive thinking . The last slide will be blank , imagine a slide and write the story . You are not suppose to describe the situation of the picture , but write a story connecting the past , present and future of the situation . 2) Word Appreciation Test In WAT , about 60 words are projected and each will sustain for 15 seconds . You'll have to write down the first thought that comes to your mind seeing that word . Time is very less , so write the first impression . Your response must be positive even for negative sounding words . For example Knife - a surgeons knife can save lives . Your responses should reflect officer like qualities mentioned in the first few posts in this thread . 3) Situation Reaction Test In SRT , you'll be given around 60 situation and 40 minutes . Just write your responses . Don't justify your acts , coz time is very less and your aim should be to answer as many questions as possible . Don't be aggressive . They are looking for officers who tackle situations logically and not officers who fight for everything . 4) Self Appreciation Test In SAT you are asked to write an essay in 4 paragraphs , regarding what your parents think about u , your teachers think about u , your friends think about u and what u think about yourself . Be modest and present your ideas . Dont boast . Nothing much can be told about this test coz it depends from person to person . All the best guysssssssss

26 snake race is all about that military slang calld Josh. they observe how much spirited do you get in a task. it's a high adrenaline task so you kno wat is expected. at first , screaming slogans are awkward... but after the first two -3 obstacles.... you get a feel of it and scream no matter what. it's the simplest task and it's just about the primitive warrior spirit. individual obstacles is also a very simple task. there's an obstacle course... marked 1-10 or 12... carrying the same marks. but it's not about scoring and doing as many as u can. it's about wisely choosing what you think you can do and then doing as many as u can. avoiding tough obstacles is noticed. and doing stuff ur afraid to ... goes in ur favor. the time is about 2.5 min... but i've seen that if sumone cant do much... GTO calls it off sooner... and delays it if sumbdy is doing evrything enthusiastically. do try the tuff ones... cuz by default they carry higher marks. fear factor is always in play. u feel stressed out becuz of a time limit... on the run. pay attention to details which show that even under psycho-physical duress... you think straight and linear. by linear i mean... not in a web-of-interrelated-factors. linear thinking involves just the problem and the solution and one-path approach. evry other variable like nervousness...fear... watevr, has to be controlled. it's not the score which backs u up... it's your effort. always add a point when given a chance during military planning. that shows how you thought about it. cuz when the group is askd to reach a common plan and send a representative.... the situation is ... no common plan. and the representative just talks abt his own plan. and our omniscient GTO knows it out of experience. so he gives everybody a chance to interject. which you should if you really have something different. there's really no harm in not saying anything. in my case, the representative had a point that in his plan... his group will take a jeep and go to help out ppl. now as per provisions.... there was no jeep the GTO talked about. so i said tht u dont have a jeep, and u certainly cant assume that. cuz in that case ur whole plan will crash in a chain reaction if u cant find a jeep. such observations come handy.