Day in the Life of an SSB Aspirant: From Screening to Conference

Candidates who are dreaming of clearing the defense exam should know that the life of a defense aspirant is not at all easy. Being in this field you have to face many challenges and tough situations. Many of you have noticed the personality of defense officers and their lifestyle. They live a simple, but disciplined and classy life. So to be like them you have to also maintain a lifestyle that defense officers follow. Therefore, in this article you will get to know about the day in the life of an SSB Aspirant from Screening to Conference round and what routine they follow.

What is the lifestyle of a SSB Aspirant?

• Time management

A focused aspirant knows the value of time, so he never has to waste his time doing silly things. He prepares his timetable and follows it regularly. But this does not mean that he only gives time to studies, he gives time to his hobbies, go for outings, spend time with family and friends as well. The aspirant only has an aim of clearing the SSB Interview, therefore he follows a strict time table.

• Mental and Physical state

To succeed in the SSB Interview candidates work on their mental and physical health, because mental and physical fitness play the major role in the SSB Interview. So, in order to be mentally fit they read books based on motivation, positivity, and inspiration. They do meditation to avoid overthinking and negative thoughts. Whereas, for physical fitness they involve themselves in various types of exercises, and yoga. Additionally, they eat healthy food and maintain their diet.

• Hard worker

Candidates preparing for the SSB interview are very hard working, they just do not start their preparation 2-3 months before. They do preparation before 6-8 months. They make a strategy, analyze the syllabus and work accordingly.

• Strong will power

The aspirants are aware of the fact that the defense service is not an easy job. Therefore, they are always ready to face any type of challenges with a strong mindset. The SSB interview is a crucial interview and there is no surety that the candidate will get success in the first attempt. So it requires a lot of patience and motivation to try again and again until you succeed.

• Sharp observer

The SSB aspirants are very smart and sharp observers. Nothing can be hidden from their eyes, they are genius in their academics and they always make a plan before doing any task after which they work on it. They can easily find out the difference between real and fake people.

• Leadership qualities

It is said that a good officer is someone who always takes his team along. Leadership is one of the Officer Like Quality, which aspirants try to develop in them. A good aspirant will always take care of his team members, he will listen to their problems, and any decision with their consent. But for doing all these things an aspirant should be firm and empathic in his real life too.

• Logical thinker

A genuine aspirant is always a logical thinker, who takes all the decisions logically. His logical views automatically help him to make the right decision and never regret in life. Aspirants with such traits are full of confidence and focused in life. In fact, logical thinking helps a candidate during the GTO tasks to make a correct strategy.

• Optimistic in nature

A serious defense aspirant is always optimistic in life. He overcomes his hurdles and weaknesses by practicing and working on them and by making them their strength. A candidate who is optimistic finds a solution to a problem instead of complaining about the problem.

What happens with aspirants during the SSB Interview?

The SSB Interview is a five day procedure conducted at the SSB center. The aim of conducting this interview is to select well deserving officers for the Indian Defence. The SSB interview is divided into two stages, where candidates have to go through various tests and difficult tasks. Therefore the very first day is known as a reporting day where candidates report on time at the center.

Stage 1 Screening Test

First test is known as the screening test, which is divided into two activities-

1.Officer Intelligence Rating Test
2. Picture Perception and Discussion Test

• The Officer Intelligence Rating Test is conducted to check the reasoning ability and aptitude ability of a candidate. During this test a booklet is given to the candidates, which consists of 50 verbal and non-verbal questions and the time given to them will be 30 minutes.

• The second test is the Picture Perception and Discussion Test. This test is conducted to analyze the self-confidence, power of expression, communication skills and mental ability of a candidate. In this test candidates will be shown an image for 30 seconds then they have to write a detail of the image and frame a story related to that image. Remember to mention the age, gender, and mood of the characters related to the shown image. After this candidate will be divided into groups where they have to narrate the story within one minute.

Stage 2 Psychology test

This test is conducted mostly on the second day of the SSB interview to check the personality of a candidate. The psychology test is divided into four parts-

1.Thematic Apperception Test

In this test 12 images are shown to the candidates for 30 seconds. After that candidates have to write a story related to the shown images within the time allotted. This test is the most significant test and it brings out the real personality of a candidate and reveals his mindset.

2. Word Association Test

In WAT 60 words are displayed on the screen and candidates are asked to write a sentence related to the word immediately.

3. Situation Reaction Test

This test is conducted to analyze the behavior of a candidate in different situations. Here candidates are provided with a booklet containing 60 questions related to different situations and candidates have to write the responses within 30 minutes. Remember the reactions should be real and genuine.

4. Self-Description Test

In this test candidates are asked to write about themselves based on the opinion of their family, friends, and teachers. But candidates must avoid writing any fake or negative opinion.

3. Group Test

The group test is conducted by the Group Testing Officer, the motive behind conducting this test is to check the ability of candidates during group tasks. This is an outdoor test where candidates are divided into small groups and here they have to complete various tasks with group candidates. The tasks given to the candidates are-

(a). Group Discussion
(b). Group Planning Exercise
(c). Progressive Group Task
(d). Half Group Task
(e). Group Obstacle Race
(f). Snake Race
(g). Individual Obstacles
(h). Lecturette
(i). Command Task

4. Personal Interview

This test is considered a very crucial part of the SSB Interview procedure because candidates have one-on-one conversation with the interviewing officer. The duration of the interview can be more than 60 minutes. Here, the interviewing officer asks questions related to candidates’ academic life, personal life, current affairs and 5 days SSB procedure.

5. Conference

Conference round is conducted on the last day of the SSB interview. During the conference round candidates face the panel of officers, who examine the candidates on various parameters and if the candidate satisfies the panel with his answers, then he is sent to the military hospital for the medical exam.

Conclusion

In order to succeed in the 5 day SSB Interview process, candidates must bring discipline in his life and start living the life officers live, to understand the seriousness of the SSB Interview.