Services Selection Board (SSB) is the Personality and Intelligence Interview spread over 5 days which scientifically analyses each candidate's potential and compatibility for commission into the Armed Forces of India.
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There are many ways of earning Commission as an Officer in Indian Armed Forces, both for civilians (after 10+2, Graduation, Post Graduation), as well as for Serving Personnel. Whatever be the mode, SSB is the step all have to clear, except for the Medical Corps. There is no limit on the number of attempts that can be made and the SSB Assessors encourage candidates to appear again for SSB.
The interview exercise is mainly a Psychological [[Asessment]] of the personality of the candidate, to gauge his/her potential as a future Officer in Indian Military. The tests conducted by the SSB aim at selecting individuals with OLQs (Officer Like Qualities).
These qualities include Effective Intelligence, Sense of Responsibility, Initiative, Judgment (under Stress), ability to reason and organize, Communication Skills, Determination, Courage, Self-confidence, speed in Decision-making, Wllingness to set an Example, Compassion and a feeling of Loyalty to the Nation (India).
Most of the tests require average intelligence. The SSB attempts to gauge the natural responses of the individuals. The tests are graded into various categories of both individual and group variety and each batch of candidates goes through the subtle testing pattern in the course of a few days. They are under observation not only while they perform in various psychological tests but even as they conduct themselves during the course of their stay at the SSB headquarters, where they are billeted for that duration.
The SSB Board is not concerned with the number of vacancies. Its responsibility is to assess and then, recommend. After recommendation, the candidates appear for Medical Examination and after that is the Merit List. Those who finally make the grade join for training and hence become Commissioned Officers.
Origin of these type of testing belongs to first world war era. In first world war, large number of casualties on battle fields necessitated recruitment of best fighting talent in armed forces. For this need, psychologists designed some scientific tests which assesses candidate's Officer Like Qualities (OLQs). Over the years SSB testing has been improved based on feedback and has been proved to be an effective and accurate way of selecting candidates who are capable of being at least an average officer after training although SSB is the world's toughest army test.
The candidates who are declared by UPSC as having cleared the written exam or recommended by Preliminary Interview Board (PIB)in case of Territorial Army (TA), as well as those shortlisted in Direct Entries are called through Call Letters to appear for SSB (Allahabad/Bangalore/Bhopal/Dehradun/Mysore/Varanasi/) at the Centre allotted to the candidate. There have instances when the call-up letter fails to reach the candidate and the onus lies on the candidate to be alert and contact the office after a reasonable amount of time if the letter is not received when UPSC written has been cleared. Similar is the way for service candidates, except for that their movement is intimated to their seniors via movement orders. For navy there are three selection centers all over India i.e. Bhopal, Bangalore, Coimbatore. For Air Force the selection centers are situated at Dehradun, Mysore and Varanasi. For Army the selection centers are at Allahabad, Bangalore and Bhopal. For example a selection center is divided into many SSB boards such as, the Bhopal SSB(Services Selection Central) center is a combined board for Army and Navy, is situated in Sultania Infantry Lines. There are four boards in Bhopal, they are named as numbers, For army it is 20 SSB, 21 SSB, 22 SSB. For navy it is 33 SSB. There are five boards in Selection Centre East, Allahabad, again named as numbers, 11 SSB, 14 SSB, 18 SSB, 19 SSB, 34 SSB.
Reporting on the center is usually one day before first day of testing. Time of reporting varies from center to center. Sometimes the candidates need to report on the same day of testing i.e. DAY 1 or Stage I. On the day of reporting, the candidates are required to verify their educational documents from assigned staff. Candidates are then allotted chest numbers or a vest on which a number is printed on it. This vest or chest no. becomes the identity of a candidate, as it is easier to identify a person by a number than his/her name. The chest number is also used while interacting with fellow candidates during testing. The results are also announced by calling the chest numbers of recommended candidates. Candidates have to return their chest numbers whenever they leave the campus of a selection center. SSB is a two stage process. To qualify for Stage II, a candidate needs to clear Screening Test or Stage I. On the date of reporting, the candidates are picked from the railway station and during the evening, certain Forms and Travelling allowance forms are filled. Candidates are also briefed on testing schedule and general instructions, which must be followed throughout the duration of stay in selection center.
On the next day, is the Stage I, in which candidates are given Intelligence Test (Verbal and Non-Verbal), then there is a Picture Perception test, in which a slide (hazy or clear) is shown for 30 seconds, the candidate has to observe it very carefully and in the next one minute he/she has to mark number of characters seen in the picture in a box made in the sheet provided to them and the main theme of their story. First the mood of character whether in positive, negative or neutral, then approximate age and sex. Candidates also need to identify one character which they saw first, which is often termed as Central character or main character of story they are going to write, this character's details should be encircled so that assessor can identify which character has been observed by the candidate as a main character. In a 4 minute time candidates need to write story, it is expected that a candidate should write a story in 70 words or more. Candidates are advised to write the story on the picture shown to them but some candidates describe the picture which gives them a disadvantage over others. Once the written part is over then comes the second part which is the continuation of first part i.e. written part, the candidates are given their sheets back to revise there stories and were told to sit in semicircular fashion for a Group Discussion. First each candidate will narrate his/her story in one minute without looking at sheet to the rest of candidates one by one, in the duration of one minute. Often the candidates take more than one minute to narrate their story, in that case the assessors give chance to next candidate. As individual narration of stories ends with the last candidate, it is expected that the group should start the discussion and come to a common story, as it is obvious that all candidates can perceive the same picture with different theme or background and a different story from one another. This sequence is popularly called PPDT- Picture Perception and Discussion Test. After the completion of these tests, results are announced and those who do not make it in this attempt are dropped back to the railway station and the successful ones are retained for 4 days of detailed assessment. A certain number of candidates are short listed based on their performance in screening round, rest are sent back. The screened candidates are required to fill the Bio Data forms known as “Personal Information Questionnaire” (PIQ). PIQ is very important- there must be no cutting and consistency in each of the four or five copies of PIQ you are to fill. PIQ is also the basis for the individual candidate interview, which is scrutinized by the Interviewing officer before the interview of the candidate.
TAT is very similar to PPDT, but here the candidates are shown clear pictures, in which the candidate has to observe it for 30 seconds then needs to write a story on it in four minutes. There are total 12 slides are shown, 11 slides will be shown one by one i.e. after 4 minutes and 30 seconds the next slide will appear. The twelfth slide will be a blank slide where a candidate is supposed to write any story of his own choice. But here candidates will not be marking the no of characters and related information, also there will be no group discussion on it.
Group Testing Officers (GTO) Test (Third and Fourth day) The following tests are conducted in this category :-
Note:Interview :- (Held during afternoon/evening hours on 2nd/3rd/4th day)
On the final day, every Assessor and the candidate sit together for and have a chat- the fate of the candidate for that SSB is decided by the Assessors collectively there. The candidates are required to appear before the complete Board of Examiners composed of President, Deputy President, all the psychologists, all the GTOs, and Technical Officer.
After the Board Meeting of every candidate is over,the final result is declared within ½ an hour. Selected candidates are required to stay back for their medical examination (takes about 3 to 5 working days) in the Military Hospital nearby or at a different place and the remaining candidates are dropped at the Railway Station.