If you have just received your SSB call letter or are planning to join the Indian Armed Forces as an officer, you have probably heard the term SSB everywhere. But what exactly is SSB? What happens inside those five days? And why do so many candidates find it challenging? In this complete guide I will explain everything about SSB from the perspective of someone who has been through it and got recommended. Let us start from the very beginning.
What does SSB stand for?
SSB stands for Services Selection Board. It is the official selection process conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to select officers for the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. Every candidate who wants to become a commissioned officer must clear the SSB interview regardless of which entry they apply through – NDA, CDS, AFCAT, TES, SSC Tech, SSC Non Tech, TGC, UGC, NCC or any other.
Where are SSB centres located in India?
Army SSB centres are located at Allahabad, Bhopal, Bangalore, and Jalandhar. Navy SSB centres are at West Bengal and Visakhapatnam. Air Force SSB centres are at Mysore, Dehradun and Varanasi. You will be allotted one centre based on your entry and preference.
How many days does SSB take?
The SSB interview is a five day process. Here is what happens each day:
Day 1 – Screening test. This is the most important day. You appear for Officer Intelligence Rating test which is the OIR test and Picture Perception and Description Test which is PPDT. Based on your performance roughly 30 to 40 percent of candidates are screened in and the rest go home.
Day 2 – Psychology tests. If you clear screening you appear for four psychology tests — Word Association Test which is WAT, Thematic Apperception Test which is TAT, Situation Reaction Test which is SRT and Self Description Test which is SDT. These tests reveal your personality, values and thought patterns.
Day 3 and Day 4 – GTO tasks. GTO stands for Group Testing Officer. These two days involve outdoor and indoor group activities including Group Discussion, Group Planning Exercise, Progressive Group Task, Half Group Task, Individual Obstacles, Command Task, Final Group Task and Lecturette.
Day 4 – Personal Interview. Your one on one interview with an interviewing officer. This covers your background, interests, current affairs and why you want to join the forces.
Day 5 – Conference. All three assessors – Psychologist, GTO and Interviewing Officer – discuss your performance together. You appear before the full board for a final conference. Results are announced the same day.
What are the three assessors in SSB?
Every candidate is assessed by three independent assessors throughout the five days:
The Psychologist assesses you through psychology tests on Day 2. The Group Testing Officer assesses you through GTO tasks on Day 3 and Day 4. The Interviewing Officer assesses you through your personal interview on Day 4. All three assessors give their independent recommendation. For you to get recommended all three must agree that you have the potential to become an officer.
What qualities does SSB look for?
SSB assesses you on 15 Officer Like Qualities known as OLQs. These are grouped into four categories:
Planning and Organising – includes qualities like sense of responsibility, initiative and ability to Reason.
Social Adaptability – includes cooperation, ability to influence the group and likeability.
Dynamic – includes courage, stamina and determination.
Communication – includes power of expression and ability to speak confidently.
You do not need to be perfect in all 15 Qualities. Assessors look for a consistent personality that shows potential to grow into a good officer.
What is the selection rate in SSB?
On average only 1 in 50 to 1 in 100 candidates who appear for SSB get recommended. This sounds discouraging but the reason most candidates fail is not lack of intelligence – it is lack of self awareness and personality consistency across all tests. The good news is that with the right preparation and genuine self improvement anyone can improve their chances significantly.
How many attempts are allowed in SSB?
You get a maximum of 5 attempts for each entry. So if you appear for CDS you get 5 SSB attempts for CDS entries. Each attempt is a valuable learning experience. Many recommended candidates got through on their second or third attempt after deeply understanding what went wrong the first time. You can attend technical entries until you reach the age limit.
My personal experience as a repeater candidate:
When I appeared for my SSB I was nervous like every other candidate. But what helped me most was being completely genuine in every test. I did not try to give answers I thought assessors wanted to hear. I gave answers that reflected who I truly am. That consistency across all five days – psychology tests, GTO tasks, and interview – is what I believe got recommendation of person. SSB is not looking for a superhero. It is looking for a real person with good values and leadership potential.
SSB is one of the most unique selection processes in the world. It does not test your marks, your physical strength or how much you have mugged up. It tests who you genuinely are as a person. The best preparation for SSB is working on yourself – your personality, your awareness, your communication and your leadership instincts. Start today and stay consistent.
If you found this helpful share it with a friend who is preparing for SSB. Check out our other guides on this website covering Psychology tests, GTO tasks, OIR practice and PPDT in detail.
Want to know the most common mistakes SSB aspirants make? Read our guide here.”
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