SSB- A test of overall personality
Hello!!!! Everyone, my name is Rutam pimplapure. I dwell from Nagpur, Maharashtra (Orange City).
I have cleared SSB 3 times.
For TES-42(Army) from 17 SSB Banglore
Merit rank-38th
NDA-143(Army) from 19 SSB Allahabad
Merit rank-59th
NDA-144(Army) from 17 SSB Banglore
(Merit awaited)
I am a medical out candidate.
I took coaching for SSB interview from AFPA.
Currently I'm pursuing B.tech in Mechanical engineering from Government College of engineering, Amravati.
#My hobbies and interests are
Reading novels, reading newspaper,
Playing badminton.
#Note.
I am writing this so as to put foreward some learnings that I have got through my experience and journey, preparing for SSB interview. This are my learnings that I thought I should share, I hope that this may help you out in your own journey. Even if you are not preparing for SSB you can give it a read and may find something to learn out of it.
service selection board (SSB) interview
Practically SSB interview will be termed as a method of selection of officers into defence forces. It is a 5 day long procedure, comprising of stage 1 (screening test)
which comprises (officers intelligence test) OIR tests and (picture perception and discussion test) PP&DT
Stage 2
consists of 3 techniques on the basis of which the personality of the individual is tested.
That are 1.psychology (manasa)
2. Interview (vacha)
3. GTO (Karama)
Ending with a conference.
Which tests personality on basis of 15 (officers like quality)OLQs mentioned below.
This may be the practical answer that anyone will give through books.
.
What I advice is rather than appearing this SSB as an examination we must consider it as a test of personality.
Because it's not an exam for which you will study 2 months and make it.
It's the test of personality which you yourself have developed from the birth, your school life, college life. It is all built up Inside you and SSB is where it all is examined by assessors.
You may notice I have written words like vacha manasa and karmana.... They all relate,one in SSB is tested all way through what he writes(manasa), what he speaks(vacha), what he performs(karma).
Here I will clear that masking anyone's personality and lies will not help.
I'll give you an example.
If a person who does not run is asked to write how much he can run... He may write 10km
Same person when asked personally, he says 5 km
But when he is asked actually to run the truth comes out.
For this you need to be truthful to yourself.
If you can't then better learn,
If you can then better improve,
If you are good at it better excel,But never stop.
There are certain things that you must do to prepare for SSB interview.
1. Knowing yourself(strengths and weakness)
2. Developing a positive aspect
3. Having knowledge of current affairs
4. Reading
1. knowing yourself
"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result of hundred battles"
Sun Tzu(the art of war)
Knowing yourself is the key to perform well in the SSB interview. As I already mentioned that the personality which you have developed from childhood is going to be tested, so you must self introspect yourself, And know the best that you have developed in all these years, something that you have been good at, or your strengths.
If you know your strengths, you will better be able to portray it in your psychological tests writing it down in self description.
Same way, it will help you in the personal interview, the more you know about your strengths the more you can express.
Same way you need to know... Where does your weakness lies, where in all those years, you have lacked somewhere. Knowing your weakness you are halfway to the path of improvement. How you are tackling the weakness is the other half.
.
I'll explain with my example
After I got conf. Out from allahbad in my first attempt, I started self introspecting myself, strengths were not hard to find.
What was hard to find were the weaknesses?
I thought a lot about them, from childhood
2 of my weakness were,
I. I didn't play any sport in school, as our school focused more on academics
2. Being the youngest member of family,
I was the one with least responsibility and practical knowledge.
.
This are the things which I thought of myself, everyone has some or the other weakness,
No one is perfect. Have courage to admit weakness and wisdom to gradually improve over the weakness.
For the first, I started playing badminton after my 12th and developed it as a hobby.
Also to maintain fitness I workout for ½hour everyday and try running 5 kms in less than 30 mins
For the second, I started helping out In home,
Started taking some responsibility.
Similar way you need to find it for yourself and start improving. It will definitely help.
How knowing your weakness can help you?Here is a small example, how you can portray your weakness, in order to put it in front of assessors.
Small example
1.Saying,
"we lost."
And saying
"we lost, but we will work hard and surely win next time."
The truth that they lost exists in both.
But how well you are able to articulate it is when you know what you are, that makes all the difference.
2. Developing a positive aspect
"What really separates people who are habitually upbeat and optimistic from those who are consistently miserable is how circumstances of life are interpreted and processed"
- excerpt from "the monk who sold his Ferrari"
What optimistic means is the person who finds opportunity In everything.
This positive aspect about everything is going to help you through the life not just the SSB.
As life has its ups and downs, and your reaction to the circumstances decides the course of your life.
Where this part will be useful in SSB is the point. this according to me is the best way to improve your performance in psycology test.
Instead of looking for a good story to write, or to practice many stories on various pictures. It is better to stay happy in the life we are in.
Better one example is the situation we are in right now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. After lockdown has been implemented. There are many who have reinforced themselves with new skills at home, those who enjoyed the precious time with there family, focusing on small happy moments that gave them boost to face everyday with energy. When you start enjoying small but valueable moments everyday like the early morning chirping of birds or the sunset that looks beautiful in evening, the drizzles of rain..... This are small, but they have a deep impact on our thinking. And what we think, is what we become.
(Butterfly pic is captured by me)
Thoughts have immense power, whenever you come accross a situation try to interpret it in a complete and positive way, in daily life practice this.
Now coming to the practical part of psychological tests. What mistake I did and understood later in the part of story writting was,The picture is shown to us for 30 seconds And most of us in frenzy start writing down story the moment picture is shown.Whereas the time 30 second is alloted for observation of picture, what you should do is to try and obeserve carefully everything you can inside that rectangular boundry.And then think of a good theme, keeping in mind all details you have observed. It happens many times that we don't get the idea and writing time starts. Instead of panicking keep thinking for a good theme, and don't start writing unless and untill you get a good theme you can build up a story upon. As soon as a theme strikes your mind, give it a breif past, a descriptive action, and a small outcome of action.The most crucial event being striking of thought, this is the moment on which your further story depends.Being happy, thinking optimistic, and enjoying small moments will help you come accross a good theme, cause that is how our mind works. If there is a negative picture, then apply the rule of mathematics negative×negative= positive.It means that if there are elements of anger, voilence in the story, try to weave the story In such manner that this elements are used on negative elements of society, or to wash away evil.We all know voilence is bad, and yet if it is used to drive away the evil elements (terrorists, naxals, dacoits etc) it is considered for a good cause. Never ever try to copy or write a pre conceived story on the image, try to be as original as you can.
'There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. There is no such thing as a negative experience, only opportunities to grow. From struggle comes strength. Even pain can be a wonderful teacher.'
This is how one deals with negative thoughts.
3. having knowledge of current affairs
"The first, the primary, indeed the cardinal attribute of leadership is professional knowledge and professional competence.Professional knowledge and professional competence have to be acquired by hard work and by constant study." - Feild Marshal Sam Manekshaw
How the current affairs plays a crucial role in SSB interview?
Having the knowledge of current affairs, helps us in 3 fold ways, as current affairs will help the person to have abundance of knowledge relating to current situation, geopolitics, national news and various different schemes and agendas of government.
As I have mentioned above that it helps in 3 fold ways as if you only have grip over current affairs.
It primarily helps you in lecturette
As you never know which topic may pop out from the card, being prepared for the worst. Is best.Once you have the knowledge, your half task is done. What you need to understand is to try to structure your thoughts and arrange it in a systematic way, so as it becomes easy for you to perform in the lecturette . If you don't have the knowledge, then you will keep beating around the bush waiting for the time to end.
Second, same preparation will be enough for you to face the interview.
You will not have to do anything different,
The current events in the world,
National news, international news if you have understanding, you will be able to answer him undettered. This is the power of knowledge.
Third, it will help in GD.
Similar way in the GD the knowledge will help you putting the point. Those of you have been to SSB and attended one, will understand, most of the candidates talks of there own opinion & a fish market as they call is created.
But the moment someone starts quoting facts, figures, numbers or statistics. Everyone stopsAnd listens to it, this is how current affairs plays its role.
But how can one aquire such knowledge.
The answer lies in the next aspect .
4.Reading habits
"It's not what you will get out of the books that is so enriching
— it is what the books will get out of you that will ultimately change your life."
-excerpt from "the monk who sold his Ferrari"
Reading, you would wonder. what we have been doing form childhood, we all know how to read, but not all are able to understand, interpret and apply what is written and that is what makes the difference.
If you have a reading habit, be it anything, other than your academic books, may it be novels, any genre will do. Reading blogs, magazines. That is very good habit and must be cherished.
Those who don't have a habit, I really urge you to start reading, start with one page, gradually you will improve.
After all journey of thousand miles start with a single step.
I challange you to start your journey if you haven't yet started it will be hard for now but it will be worth it.
Credits to ig page indianarmybrat
To prepare for SSB I will advise making newspaper a ritual. Along with books for preparation of SSB interview like "ssb interview the complete guide" by cdr NK Natrajan.
It has detailed explanation of many topics that would come handy for improving your knowledge, for GD as well as lecturette.
I would like to have your complete attention to what am going to tell next it will definitely help you to improve your reading.
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Before reading anything, be it newspaper article, a novel, magazine, an event in history, or anything.
Think for a while for the purpose of reading.
Why are you reading it for and what you expect to learn once you have finished reading.
Once you have decided the purpose.
And we will here talk about purpose of preparing for the SSB interview.
Whatever you are reading, try "reading it with intent" to understand it. It means read it in such a way that once your reading is completed, you must be able to summarise the article in one third of its actual length. It is like getting a gist of the article breifly after you have read it.
If you are reading newspaper, you must read as if this are the topics that the interviewing officer is going to ask you, i.e focus on details like facts, figures,names of appointments, the acronyms used in the articles and try to remember them. Reading of newspaper also has ways, there is no need to waste time reading useless articles. Whenever reading newspaper we must read editorials and ideas page. Along with national and international news. Always check for the writer, try to read unbiased articles, different opinions and make your own view on the topic or issue, based on all this reading. It would really be helpful.
As soon as you are able to implement this, it will add up to your knowledge and will be helpful to you for performing in the SSB as well as the real life too.
Credits to ig page psych.opinion
I hope this would have helped you gain some knowledge. You all have it in you!!!!!!!!
I hope that you grab the opportunity with the preparation........
ALL THE BEST!!!!!!
JAI HIND!!!!!
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