Follow These Key Points Before Starting SSB Preparation

The Service Selection Board (SSB), set up by the Ministry of Defense, undertakes the SSB Interview to evaluate prospective candidates for recruitment in the Army, Navy and Air Force. The benchmarks on which the candidates are assessed include intelligence, personality, compatibility and potential. Hence, mental preparation holds prominence over physical preparation, although physical fitness will be an added advantage.

Everyday observations show us that people exhibit a wide variety of personality traits; some people are outgoing, some creative, and others nurturing. This variation is not trivial, as personality deeply affects the way people think and act.

Our personality cannot be transformed overnight, it takes months and years.  In order to acquire the personality profile desired by the SSB, continuous and diligent effort is required to be focused towards ‘becoming the person’ that they are looking for.

In order to enhance your chances of success, the following few tips may be borne in mind while preparing and attempting the SSB.

Things to keep in mind during SSB preparation:

1. Begin your SSB preparations as early as possible and do no wait for receipt of the Call Up Notice.
2. Understand the rationale behind the selection process. It is more important for you to understand why a test/task is being applied in that particular manner, rather than getting to learn how it is to be approached.
3. Figure out your strengths and weakness in relation to the expectations identified. That is where a professional in the field can help you to identify your grey areas and assist you to prepare an ‘Action Plan’ for preparation.
4. Further polish your strengths to use them as your force multipliers and work relentlessly towards improving the areas that you find weak.
5. Improve your knowledge base by reading books on general awareness, including major current affairs issues at national and international level. Remember all great leaders have been a good reader.
6. It is essential to have a good power of verbal and written expression. Regularly practice by delivering lectures on topics of common interest to friends or even in front of a mirror.
7. Indulge yourself while there is a discussion going on in a group. This will help you to open up and speak at later stages.

1. Get rid of stage shyness by being more interactive and extrovert with family and friends. Endeavour to acquire skills of public speaking with correct RSVP (Rhythm, Speed, Volume and Pitch) so that your speech is coherent, clear, concise —- and naturally impressive.
2. Develop interest in outdoor sports, take part in co-curricular activities and inculcate hobbies which will add to the quality of your Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ).

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Things to keep in mind during conduct of SSB:

1. Be fully prepared, physically and mentally by empowering yourself with the knowledge of what is expected out of you at the SSB. The familiarity will give you abundant confidence, as you will have no fear of the unknown.
2. Listen to every assessor’s briefing/questions very carefully and do not digress from what is required of you in your response.
3. Take initiative and make friends with the complete lot of candidates, especially, your own group formed for PPDT discussion for Stage-I and GTO group formed during Stage- II of the selection process.
4. Make sure that you extend a helping hand to other candidates, during and post the conduct of every days activities at the SSB. Remember, if you throw up `Good, only `Good’ is bound to come back to you.
5. Be punctual, properly attired and display eagerness and enthusiasm to do the assigned tasks. Positive body language and high energy level displayed by you will go a long way in achieving success.
6. Display decent social graces and good mannerism while interacting with assessors & staff, be polite with fellow candidates and act as an invaluable member of the team rather than being individualistic.
7. During various group discussions, be receptive to the views of others and contribute qualitatively without being repetitive, verbose and inarticulate. Remember, it is not about how many times or how much you have spoken, but, it is what and how relevant you were in your contribution.
8. Be appreciative of the views of others and do not participate with the sole aim of wining an argument. Remember, yours is just another point of view and you may use logical justification by giving arguments and examples to support your view point.   Be patient, flexibly receptive and genuinely sensitive to different viewpoints without showing aggression or getting agitated.
9. Endeavour to display your general awareness during various discussions/lecturette & during interview by IO, by illustrating specific examples of actual events while giving responses, e.g. facts and figures, some data that you may recollect, names of people/place, dates, etc.
10. In the outdoor tasks, ensure that you always remain in the inner orbit of activities and display adequate team spirit and dynamism.
11. Maintain a cheerful disposition and composure while being subjected to stressful circumstances during outdoor tasks or personal interview and give logical responses. Do not come under pressure when the IO or any other assessor is seemingly harsh with you, he only wants to ascertain your limit of stress tolerance.
12. Proper time management during the complete testing (including, free time at your disposal after each day’s activities), especially, psych tests; will help you to reduce your stress level.
13. Prior to commencing the psych tests, mentally ‘psyche’ yourself to be a `positive’ thinker and discard all negative thoughts that come to your mind. You will realize, that your outlook has become positive, which will in turn have a positive effect on what you express on paper.
14. Learn the art of filling up the Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) and mention authentic details. Incorrect information written in the PIQ may lead you to a tight spot during the interview.
15. Take each task individually and give it your best shot. Do not get disturbed, in case some of your responses in some test/task have not gone too well. It is all about your overall demonstrative performance in each test / task that counts towards your overall performance.
16. Visit the town in your spare time and must get back complete details and significance of what you saw; as you may be quizzed on it during your interview or the Board Conference.

Start your SSB preparations with these specially curated ebooks.

Stage 1 SSB – SSB Oir ebook

SSB Psychology Test – Click Here

SSB Group Tasks  – Click Here

Thematic Apperception Test – Click Here

Situation Reaction Test – Click Here

To Download Free SSB Material – Click Here