Experience Bangalore

Experience - Bangalore!

What is Service Selection Board  ( SSB ) ?

The existing scheme of selection was initially designed in the US army, after the second World War. The system was adopted in the selection of officers in Army, Navy and Air Force for induction through National Defence Academy, Army Cadet Corps, Officers Training Academy, Indian Military Academy, Air Force Academy or Naval Academy.

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, willingness to set an example, compassion and a feeling of loyalty to the nation.

The selection process has the following stages/components.

(a) Psychological/Intelligence Test.
(b) Group Testing Officer’s (GTO’s) Test.
(c) Personal Interview.
(d) Medical Examination.

The Candidates are called through “Call Letters” to appear in 5 days Tests at SSB (Allahabad/Bhopal/Bangalore/Mysore/Varanasi/Dehradun).

SSB Selection Procedure Begins !

Screening Test (Day ZERO)@ SSB

After we all were picked up from Bangalore City Railway Station on 30th March’11, we were made to assemble at Reception Center.Later we were given

1.       PIQ form

2.       Identification form

3.       Assessment Score Card

4.       TA/DA Form, to be filled up. ( Canteen wala Will bring Cofee/Samosa and offer everything vade pyar se...Beware you will have to give 15rs later on. )
Before you start your journey to SSB please make sure that :

1.You have taken 10 Std to Currently pursuing marksheets or attested copies,  Call-letter too.
2.Appearing Certificate Clearly Mentioning that you will pass your examination By June(For UEX Entry)

3. If you have specs ,then the photograph which you going to submit there should be with specs.
4.Do carry Formal Clothes with you, by chance you werent expecting and were made to stay then…? Laundary fasciltiy is there but Quite Expesnisve (15 rs for a Shirt..Grrr )

First  Day (Written TEST ) @ SSB the crucial day of all !

1. Verbal and Non-Verbal Tests. ( 50 Questions Each. )
2. Picture Story Writing followed by Discussion of the Stories.

Note:    Once the Screening Test  was over, the results are declared  by 1 in noon. Those who cleared the test are supposed to stay back for the next 4 days and the remaining persons are dropped back at the Railway Station for their return journey.
So  do keep a advance ticket handy.
Also please dont bother about the answers marked in few answer sheets ,a s few of them had wrong answers just to misguide you or pranks played by some other candidate. They are using same set of question papers for past 10 years atleast i believe. Remember you  would run short  of time, so you got to hurry. There’s No Negative Marking.

Screened IN

Psychological Test  : Second day @ SSB

These tests are in four parts as under:

* Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) – Commonly known as Picture Story writing.

You would be given 11 slides + 1 blank slide.
For each slide 30 sec to view the sketch  &  we are expected to write a small story based on the picture. Here again the thrust is on portraying positive traits of personality .
For example : If in picture you are shown Graveyard and a boy , then  the character is  Christian named James…and has gone to offer to his dad’s death bed or so….
Write your own sensible non-fictional realistic stories.The last slide is a blank slide.
Rumour :It is often said that the psychologist reads the blank slide story first.

Note : No Need to Link every story to Army or so...or connecting some peak 4052 or battle field from nowhere. ( Well this is what i personally think so..)

* Word Association Test (WAT)
Only about 15 seconds are allowed to formulate each sentence and there are 60 words to be  answered.
Remember they want to see what strikes your brain first , what is your first thought or view regarding the word that you see. ( Can Write Random Words/Sentence : I ws Short of time and the word was Beautiful and i could only manage to write Katrina Kaif J bottomline is no need to mug up heavy sentences mentioned in so many preperation books available in market because what i felt is you will not get time to write them..keep it simple sily  )

* Situation Reaction Test (SRT)
Reaction of the candidate in response to everyday lifelike situations is analyzed.
Some circumstances, which may occur in the day-to-day life of ordinary individuals, are put to the candidates and they have to give their immediate reaction from among the multiple choices given.
Answers are not rated in absolute terms of right or wrong;
They are in fact weighted in the degree of correctness.
Time for reaction is very short, approximately 30 seconds.
There are 60 questions and time allotted is 30 minutes.
[ I could attend max 49 out of 60. Take Care to attempt in Serial. Try not to skip any in the middle]

* Self Description Test (SD)

We were given blank pages , and we were supposed to write on following topics:
1. What do you think about yourself  ?
2.What friends/Colleagues think about you ?
3. What  Parents think about you  ?
4.What do you want to be in your life ? Your mission, your aim & Your goals.

Group Testing Officers (GTO) Test : Third and Fourth day @ SSB

Please note before you read this , remember dont bother or panic if they dont follow they same sequence. Few GTO officers may change the sequece of the tasks that all depends on Board to Board & Centre to Centre.

* Group discussion
We were given topics like :

First GD :
1. What is the major reason Tourism in India is suffering Terrorism, Lack of Maintaince of the heritages , Promotion and Marketting. ( I supported the second one)
2. Libya Colonel Gaddafi Issue and the role of UN.

Second GD :

 The Driving Force of Youngsters of India these days is a) Babes b) Gadgets c) Drugs.

( Thought to go with a) but dropped that b) is safe deal :P )

Please remember few points while you are appearing for  GD :
1. Speak and let others  have an opportunity to speak..Maitain Peace.
2.Try to be patient,calm composed and less agressive .
3.Dont worry if you speak less but make sure you speak the best!

*  Military Planning Exercise
A model of a real life practical situation  would be  shown to  group of candidates and then you would be  asked to arrive at a plan of action.
Initially you would be  asked to write down their own plan of action  and thereafter they are expected to go over the different views and arrive at a consensus or group action plan.  [Time factor again there.]

In this please make sure you dont give fictonal suggestions like do calculate how much time takes to travel particular distance. Ex Few friends end up assuming they  will reach the particular destination in 10 minutes that means they would be  travelling at 300KM/hr.

Evaluation of the analytical ability of the candidates,interaction with other candidates, their ability to function in a group, appreciate the situation and plan accordingly.    It gives an opportunity for the group to select a leader or for a leader to emerge in the group. Then it remains to be seen whether the leader can come up with the necessary qualities to carry the group towards a solution to the problem.

Before you start any of the task , GTO officer would brief you up regarding where we need to cross some field without touching the ground and by not violating the rules which were told us before the task and it was a team work. [  Simpler terms out of bound area thats where you need not to touch & more..]

Note : Again I will suggest be a team player, no need to be over smart or put hypothetical solutions. Just stay natural.

* Progressive Group Tasks
Here then entire group is given series of task which they have to clear out.Assessment of candidate participation in-group activities, planning and intelligent assessment of the situation put to the group. This test reviews individual qualities in the context of a group.

* Group Obstacles Race [ Snake Race]

We had series of 10 tasks , hurdles to be cleared along with Snake . There were few conditions but infact it was too awesome. You got to clear 10 feet height, walk on pole n more..

( Plz no need to Show Heroic while jumping from 10 feet wall. GTO may charge you by sayin “Those who wear skirts use the rope but i tell you wearing skirt is better than getting both the ankles broken and getting hospitalized...not me but one of may friend was unlucky..so its wise to curtail Male ego at times. )

* Individual Obstacles
You would be given 10 obstacles  like series of obstacles and activities such as rope climbing, climbing walls, jumping, etc.   & this task was of 55 Marks.
Personally speaking,  i did tasks of marks 9,8,7,6 to score more leaving other tasks which were of less weightage.
According to me , attitude  , approach of the candidate towards a task matters rather than how many sets of task you repeat.

The obstacles are as follows :

1. Difficult jump. (Jump over a small slide from the opposite side.)

2. Long jump. (jump across a 6 ft.* 3ft. drum.)

3. Zig – Zag Balance (walk over a zig-zag balance and complete I and land properly.)

4. High Screen jump ( jump over a slide and over a screen placed on it and land properly.)

5. Burma bridge (walk across a structure of rope tied between two ends of post carefully. Climb form

any side and climb down from other side.)

6.Tarzan swing
( While taking the leap fold your body and legs and leave the rope at the instant where

you feel it would be accurate for you to jump and cross the line.)

7. Monkey Jump (Climb on a big staircase structure and jump on the land safely.)

8. Double Ditch 8ft.*3ft. and 4ft.*3ft..(cross the 1^st ditch with the help of a rope and the second one

with ease ,just by proper leg work..)

9. Commando walk aka Tower of Victory (walk from any side up and down from another, maintain balance..)

Tip : Please make sure you walk  quicker on Tower of Victory as it starts shaking if you stay more on the podium.

10. Tiger leap (walk up a podium, leap and catch hold of a rope, count 1001,1002 and start coming down, don’t come rushing down , but do it step by step.).

The best way of doing this is to follow this sequence:        10, 9, 8, 4, 6, 7, 1, 2, 5, 3.

* Command Task [ Half Group Tasks ]
In this task each, individual will be treated as commander  and  you  need to order your subordinates so  appointed by you  in crossing the obstacle . Please make sure while you are commander, the subordinat doesnt give you tips on pretext of helping you . Infact that might be troublesome for you.

( While you Get stuck or hold the planck GTO may Ask you “ Isko Chand par Lekar Jayega kya ? or Million times “ DO YOU HAVE IT IN YOU “. Its good not to react and just Ignore. J

* Lecturette
You would be given 3 minutes to prepare & 3 minutes to speak.

Topics  for example given to us were :
1. Private Sector Vs Govenment Sector.
2.APJ Abdul Kalam
3. Privatization of Electricity Board.
4. Teenagers & Sex-Education/ Safe Sex Practice in colleges.
5. Population Explosion India
6. Mobile Phones.
7. CommonWealth games.
8. India Foreign Policies.

Your level of confidence, your way of presentation , your clarity of thought all matters.

* Final Group Task
Again you would be given small group task to complete.

Interview:

They are generally held  during  morning/afternoon/evening hours on 2nd/3rd/4th day. You would be informed well in advance. I had my nterview at  4:30 PM to 5:30 PM Approx on 3^rd day.

Now you would be wondering what they ask in  interview  ?
All the details which you have filled up in PIQ form after  you are  Screened in.
They would be testing how honest you are to much more…!

Questions may relate to current happenings like Libiya, Egypt, Japan, Obama Visit, Common Wealth Games,  Views on politics, religion, and nationalism [ like India & its relation with neighbouring countries]  may be sought from the candidate.
Even  your attitude towards family, friends, sports, games, hobbies, etc. are analyzed on the basis of the answers.

A balanced view with an intelligent assessment of the pros and cons is the best one.
Please dont be too free with them, else they  will get  you  to a comfort too comfy level and you wont even get to know , knowingly unkowingly you did  bundle of mistake .You may reveal all those things which you had never dreamt of or had planned to conceal them.

Note :

1)      I felt the interviewing officer knows much more more Engineering than me ( I am from EC, but my Mechanical,Computer Science and Electrical friends also felt the same) Do not try to befool him.

2)      Stay Prepared for Unexpected Questions. ( e.g Did you ever had sex..If yes Than how and when and with whom..Protectecd/ Unprotected bla bla. If not “ You sure you will clear surgical medical tests ? )

3)        Try to be as honest and attentive as possible, No Need to be Over Smart. Pheko utna hi jitna samet sako bas.

Board Meeting: Fifth day,Judgement Day @ SSB

The candidates are required to appear before the complete Board of Examiners comprising of President, Dy President, all the psychologists, all the GTO’s and Technical Officer.

You will be breifed evrything befote that. They generally ask “ how was the Stay” and “Any Suggestions “ and answers usually one should give “ Fine Sir” and “No Sir” respectively. After the Board Meeting is over, the final result is declared within ½ an hour thats roughly approx lunch break.

Selected candidates aka Recommended guys  are required to stay back for their medical examination (takes about 4 to 5 days) in the Military Hospital near by or at a different place and the remaining candidates are dropped at the Railway Station for their return journey.

Medico Tests,Once you are recomended by your SSB Board!

Medico test varies again from centre to centre.[I am writing about what we had ] Air Force Command Hospital. A Guide Will be There Plz remember its manners to ask for the packed lunch to others and to behave like a gentleman. ( just kiddin)

Day1 : Form -fillup formalities.
Day2: Blood,URINE, X-Ray. Ultrasonic/ Radiology.
Day3: EYE test and Dental, ENT.
Day4: Heart and general Medical. ( Dil Dard Se bhar dete hain !@!##@$sadfw )
Day5: Surgical tests.

{ Day5 : There are many rumours about this Surgical test, nothing to worry   You can easily clear the same. }

You may get TR/PR depending on your health conditions.Mostly people get unfit for knock Knees, EYE,Under/Over weight, eyes problem ( Its advisable to wear specks when you have over 4 power even though you may not look DUDE,srry Deepak) abnormal body structure ( Angles are managable by following few tricks invented by Mayank babaji) etc..and yeah ~Dil Kyon ye Mera Shor Kare ~ problem has no tricks they have Echocardiography equipments. ALAS. L

If you get unfi then you ought to report within 42 days to  nearest centre for checkup ,so as to be eligible in the same merit list .

After clearing the Medical tests,  you will have to wait for merit UES FY-20  merit list .If you are successful to top in the Merit List, the candidate will be called to join  the training academy. For those who make it through this interesting challenge the future holds a lot of promise and national responsibility.

Conclusion :

DO YOU HAVE IT IN YOU. If you have you have it if not than not. Keep it simple Sily.Please dont be disappointed to not have made to the final round, just because some big personalities like Rahul Dravid, Shah Rukh Khan, APJ Abdul Kalam all of whom were at one time SSB Rejected Candidates.

Note:

*     Candidates appearing for the first time for a particular type of entry are paid 2nd class return journey fare from the place of their residence to the place where they have come for the interview.

( Its WRONG : RULES ARE CHANGED They Pay only for the first timer no matter whatsoever entry you have appeared before. Mine was the first time but few of my friends exchaned quite a few words but of no use.)
*        For repeaters they dont give TA ( travelling allowance).
*      Accomodation and messing are free for the entire duration of their stay while under going SSB Tests.

If you have queries please let me know ,would be glad to help you & guide you !

All the best !

"" Soldiers are not what we most often see portrayed on the screen. The best of them, the ones who ascend to generals' stars, are thoughtful students of their profession, scholarly commentators on history, and gifted observers of human psychology. The profession of arms is every bit as broad and deep as medicine or law. Like physicians, officers must know their subject in every detail, for they deal in the currency of life and death, and some mistakes can never be corrected. Like attorneys, they must plan everything in exquisite detail, because in some arenas you have but one chance to get it right."


-INTO THE STORM.




Gallery.

Recommended Five 

           with Navy Guy "Syam Mohan"

(Tedhi Spine Waleh Bande )

(Dil Walah Banda )

Fit Bande

Medical Lines..

  

Neuro..Kampte hathon wala Banda...

Time par Medical ho jane waleh bande..

Note : Experience/ Details / Pictures are collected from diversified sources. Efforts have been made to keep it simple and useful however if for one it fires back. No Responsibility. ( I am just not getting what these publishers type in the front page just hope i covered everything and safeguard myself) and yeah All RIGHTS RESERVED. :P

--------------------------------------------

Vivek Vyas

Final Year Undergraduate,
Department of Electronics and Communication
Jabalpur Engineering College, Jabalpur(M.P.)

+919424951671