Sample Personal Interview of SSB       

Sample Personal Interview of the Service Selection Board (SSB). Personal Interview is a conversation that enables the Interviewing Officer (IO) to assess the personality of the candidates by posing general and technical questions.

The candidate will be interviewed by the President or the Vice-President of the SSB Board to assess the ability and suitability of the candidate for a career in Indian Armed Forces.

Objectives of the SSB Personal Interview:

The basic objectives of the Personal Interview is to assess the following aspects : 

• Planning and Organization
• Effective Intelligence, Reasoning and 
• Organizing Ability.
• Power of Expression
• Social Adjustment
• Adaptation, Cooperation and Responsibility
• Social Effectiveness
• Initiative, Self Confidence and Resourcefulness.
• Courage, Stamina and Determination.

Sample SSB Personal Interview:

The candidate “Shubham” (a final year graduate who applied for CDSE Examination) enters in the room where the interviewer is sitting and reading the Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) Form of the candidate.

Interviewing Officer: Welcome Shubham. Have a seat! Ok Shubham, I saw a black pen in your pocket. Which pen are you carrying?

Shubham: Sir, I am using Parker.

Interviewing Officer:  Parker. That’s Great, Is it from Paris?

Shubham: Yes Sir.

Interviewing Officer: Where is Paris? 

Shubham: Sir, It is in France.

Interviewing Officer:  What is France famous for?

Shubham: Sir, No Idea.

Interviewing Officer: Think, It is something girls use very often.

Shubham: Sir Perfumes!

Interviewing Officer: Yes, Of Course. It is famous for Perfumes.

Shubham: Sorry Sir, I didn’t Know about it.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, Be Comfortable. Sit comfortably and relax. I want to assure you that whatever we talk will remain inside this room and between you and me. 

Shubham: Ok Sir.

Interviewing Officer: Tell me something about Yourself?

Shubham: Sir, I am a young achiever who was the Head Boy and Captain of the School Cricket Team. I won many cricket tournaments for my school and college and will be pleased to do the same for my motherland.

Interviewing Officer: That’s exceptional Shubham. So, where is your native place?

Shubham: Agra Sir.

Interviewing Officer: What’s the temperature in Agra and Tell me something about Agra.

Shubham: Sir, Now-a-days It’s 15° C in Agra. Agra is an historical and cultural city of the Uttar Pradesh.

Interviewing Officer: What is Agra famous for?

Shubham: Sir, It’s famous for one of the seven wonders of the world “Taj Mahal”  and a famous local sweet “Petha”.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham. Now, I will put you through Rapid Fire Questions. Hear them attentively and make sure you answer all the questions in a sequence.

Shubham: Ok Sir.

Interviewing Officer: Tell me about your academic qualifications, the exams you have taken, your achievements in academics, games and sports you play, your hobbies and extracurricular activities, the teacher/teachers you like/dislike, the friend/friends you like/dislike and Why?

Shubham: Shubham answers all the questions in a sequence with a pleasant voice and smile.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, Have you answered all the questions?

Shubham: Yes sir.

Interviewing Officer: Are you sure?

Shubham: Yes Sir. Damn Sure!

Interviewing Officer: Ok, You said that you have appeared in Medical Entrance Exams. Why did you not go for Medical Studies then?

Shubham: Sir, actually I wanted to change my subject like from Medical Sciences to Research in Agricultural Sciences because I was not confident with Physics and Chemistry.

Interviewing Officer: So, Why did you take Entrance Exams?

Shubham: Sir, actually my parents wanted me to appear once for the Entrance Exams.

Interviewing Officer: But you didn’t want to?

Shubham: No sir, It’s not that I didn’t want. What happened was that my parents told me to appear once for the Medical Exams. If I was able to get a good score then I could go for Medical Studies else I can pursue graduation of my choice and interest.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, How much did you score?

Shubham: Sir, I scored AIR 25000 in NEET and AIR 15,000 in AIIMS.

Interviewing Officer: You mentioned reading books as your Hobby. Ok, Tell me what books have you read?

Shubham: Sir, I have read One Night at the Call Centre (Writer: Chetan Bhagat), Half Girlfriend (Writer: Chetan Bhagat), Five Point Someone (Writer: Chetan Bhagat) and Who will cry When You Die? (Writer: Robin S. Sharma)

Interviewing Officer: What was the name of the boy character in Five Point Someone?

Shubham: Sir, the name of the boy character was Rhisabh.

Interviewing Officer: Tell me one good quality and one bad quality about the Rhisabh.

Shubham: The friendly and pleasing nature was one of the good qualities of Rhisabh.

Interviewing Officer: And what was the bad quality?

Shubham: Sir, the bad quality about Rhisabh was his irresponsibility. He called his girlfriend to his place when his parents were not at home.

Interviewing Officer: But he was in love and In love, Nothing is Right or Wrong!

Shubham: Sir, It doesn’t mean that he will cheat with his parents and cross the limit of being genuine.

Interviewing Officer: Shubham Do you have a Girlfriend?

Shubham: Sir, I have many girls as friends but no girlfriend.

Interviewing Officer: Why don’t you hve a Girlfriend? 

Shubham: Sir, I am a goal-oriented person & I don’t want to waste my time on such shits because the relationship distract a person’s attention from his career.

Interviewing Officer: So you have many girls as your friends. Will you name them?

Shubham: Sir, they are Kavya, Niharika, Yashika, Tanya, Ojesvi and Himanshi.

Interviewing Officer: Has any one of them ever proposed you?

Shubham: No Sir.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, What is Global Warming?

Shubham: Sir, Global Warming is the rise in the temperature of the earth due to the rise in the concentration of the greenhouse gases.

Interviewing Officer: Name any two Greenhouse Gases?

Shubham: Sir CO2 & NO2.

Interviewing Officer: What’s their importance?

Shubham: Sir, the greenhouse gases are responsible for the Greenhouse Effect.

Interviewing Officer: What is greenhouse effect?

Shubham: Greenhouse Effect is the effect which is caused when the increased concentration of the greenhouse gases traps the harmful infrared radiations emitted by earth after reflection.

Interviewing Officer: Ok, Tell me about how you spend time with your family and Whom do you tell your problems?

Shubham: Sir, Most of the time I spend time with my mother in kitchen and help her to complete the household works. When my father is at home, we generally discuss about the current issues going on in a society. My brother is serving in Indian Army. In terms of problems, I share them with my brother.

Interviewing Officer: Why?

Shubham: Sir, because we are of the same generation. We understand each other well and of course we share a very friendly relationship. So that’s why I find it comfortable to discuss them with my brother. Moreover, he gives me a better suggestion and advice according to the situation because telling the problems to your parent’s means upsetting them. My parents are very conscious about me. So, if I face any problem, they get worried and upset.

Interviewing Officer: How elder is your brother to you?

Shubham: Sir Seven Years.

Interviewing Officer: That means he is 27 years now. Is he married?

Shubham: No sir.

Interviewing Officer: So when does he want to marry?

Shubham: May be by next year.

Interviewing Officer: Do you want to marry?

Shubham: Yes Sir but first, I want to achieve my aim and have my own identity in society.

Interviewing Officer: Ok, Also homosexuality has been legalized by the Delhi Court. Is this Right or Wrong?

Shubham: Sir. In my Opinion, It is absolutely wrong. 

Interviewing Officer: Why?

Shubham: Homosexuality is something against the nature that creates an imbalance in the nature.

Interviewing Officer: As you have mentioned WWE as your favouritete show, Tell me who is your favourite wrestler?

Shubham: Sir, It’s Roman Reigns.

Interviewing Officer: Why not John Cena?

Shubham: Sir, No Doubt! John Cena is an extraordinary wrestler but since he came into relationship and hollywood, he is not able to catch up with the audience.  

Interviewing Officer: OK. Do you watch Discovery Channel?

Shubham: Yes Sir.

Interviewing Officer: Tell me the difference between a tiger and a lion?

Shubham: Sir, both belong to the cat family.

Interviewing Officer: Yes but what makes a lion as the king of the jungle? 

Shubham: Sorry sir, I don’t know. I will definitely checkup and find the right answer.

Interviewing Officer: Actually, I saw it on Discovery Channel.

Shubham: Sorry sir, I must have missed it.

Interviewing Officer: Why do you want to join Indian Army?

Shubham: Sir, I have grown up in Agra near Paratroopers Training School so I was always fascinated about Special Forces. Moreover, I want to join the Indian Army because it offers me a unique chance of holding a job that provides a good status, a good future prospect, an active life and an opportunity to serve the nation.

Interviewing Officer: What’s motto of the Parachute Regiment?

Shubham: Sir Men Apart, Every Man an Emperor.

Interviewing Officer: Where is the Regimental Centre of the Parachute Regiment located?

Shubham: Sir I am not sure!

Interviewing Officer: Ok Guess It.

Shubham: Sir Bangalore (Karnataka)

Interviewing Officer: Yes. It is.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, Have you taken any coaching for preparing for SSB?

Shubham: Yes sir.

Interviewing Officer: From where?

Shubham: From The Colonel Defence Academy.

Interviewing Officer: Where is it?

Shubham: Sir Agra

Interviewing Officer: Who runs it?

Shubham: Sir, It is run by Lt. Colonel (Retd.) AS Rana.

Interviewing Officer:  Ok, Tell me the neighbouring countries of India.

Shubham: Sir, they are Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, and Nepal.

Interviewing Officer: Is anything left?

Shubham: No sir.

Interviewing Officer: Is Afghanistan neighbour of India?

Shubham: Yes sir it is but it is not considered as the neighbour of India.

Interviewing Officer: Yes Right. If we look at it map-wise, it is a neighbour of India but it is generally the area under POK.

Shubham: Yes sir.

Interviewing Officer: Ok Shubham, Thank You So Much. Good Day and All the Best!

Shubham: Thank You Sir.

Conclusion:​​​

Shubham is generally well prepared and has a good capacity to sustain protracted stress and strain during the course of the personal interview.

• The questions have been correctly answered but shows lack of General Awareness & Reasoning Ability.

• Shubham should have shown more confidence in parents rather than brother’s and sister’s. 

• The data regarding the neighbouring countries is well answered by the candidate.

This would have given you an idea that how deep IO can get with his questions. Prepare likewise and don’t be casual in your approach towards the interview.