Our friend Neha has taken pains to write to us the following post in which she has described in her own ways and in her own style, her experiance of how to face SSB . Thank you Neha!!!! Your post will be useful to many of us. Thanx 
Regards
Navaljourney.com
Neha says …….
The first thing….please come the day b4 call date….that way u can stay fresh for the testin day….cos belive me
..the first day will drain all your power out…
u ll see most ppl comin in casual clothes…but i ll advice u to be in your best formal attire….remember the first
impression is what matters….and i am sayin so…cos they wont giv u time to change and refreshen urself….ull be
directly taken to the examination all….
here are my tips to u…
1.der are 2 sets of 50 ques each and 27 mins for each…that makes 100 ques in 54 mins flat…..its actually the
aptitude of DRDO papers (1974 and 1975)…so if u find it…or know the level….u ll crack those problems easily
2.i attempted 89-91 ques …cleared phase 1 also one f my friends could manage only 60…still he cleared…while
another with 70-75 couldnt clear….. the fact is as it was stated by the conducting officer…they look for quality
and not quantity…so guys concentrate on givin correct answers…but keep an eye on the watch…
3.picture story writin…if ure sittin on front rows ull have an advantage of getting a good look on the picture and
better clarity….so u can act fast on the story..cos the pic is very very blurred ….now the important part….start
the story with the name u wish to give to central character…and also identify him with a characteristic quality.for
eg “sudhir was an intelligent business man’….”ravi was a studious boy” etc write as many characteristic quality u
can remember..and break it into sentences like ’sudhir was an intelligent buisness man .he was also very
diplomatic and broad-minded.” they say they giv u 4 mins for writin the story but belive me..they will say stop
30-40 secs before that..now u will have to discuss the story …say what u have written eEXACTLY that…refer
every character in the photo by the name…say slowly and keep it very abstract…cos the examiners give u only
15-20 secs individually for sayin ur story…and say DEFINITELY the characteristic qualities dat u have written in ur
answer book…
i GUARANTEE u will definitely clear phase 1….
in my batch 75 cleared out of 161 ppl cleared phase 1..and finally after 5 dayz 5 wer recommended out of the
remainin ppl for medicals …but remember one thing out of 4-5 recommended candidates
ONE CAN BE YOU !!!!….so never lose hope…..
i asked my friends includin neeraja..abt the % of aspirants who clear phase 1….the conclusion…ders no fixed
%..but dont think of it otherwise u ll get unnecessarily tensed….just believe in urself..even if 10 persons clear
phase 1…1 of them HAS TO BE YOU MATE…..
after clearin phase 1….the first thing ..n the most important….say WELL DONE to yourself and ur mates…
after havin a lunch u ll be told to assemble in the examination hall after 30-45
mins…again i remind u…no matter how much hostile the weather is … be always in your formals…if possible a
tie…remember u gonna be a officer so behave like one….it counts…
*************************************phase 2******************************
…now the game begins…..
u ll be given a 16 page answer book and it ll consist of 4 sections….
1.pp and story writin (11 pics and 1 blank …..4 mins 30 secs for each )
2.word association ( 60 words…..15 secs for each)
3.situation reaction test(SRT) (60 situations…30 secs each)
4.self description( abt urself,ur friend’s/teacher’s/parents opinion abt u,strengths,weaknesses,areas in which u
wanna improve…..15 mins for all)
general tip…please prepare for section1 and section 2 b4hand cos u ll not have any time to think…and hence buy
any book for ssb prep like pn joshi r others…atleast u ll get some ideas…
section1….
1.the story should always begin WITH A NAME of the character..say ram
2.higlight his qualities…as per requirement..for eg
if the pic shows military…write ram was brave,courageous…..
if pic indicates academics…write intelligent sincere and so on
3.write his dream..say IAS,engineer,DOctor,military etc..
4 how he achieved…by UPSC,IIT-JEE exams,MBBS entrance,NCC-SSB etc
5.now what he has bcm…officer,cheif engineer,medical dean , cheif etc
write damn fast….but remember ur handwritin reflects ur personality.. and physcologist are after that…hence
maintain it…but do complete each of the stories..
the last pic is blank…dis should be ur own story…but it should have a link wid the pic no 11 story…for eg comp
engineer on 11….then write like..”he developed a blah…blah software that…blah …blah
section 2..
take a deep breath…3…2…1….start…
60 words…..
each word for 15 sec….shown on the screen…..so u have to be lightning quick..u dont even have the time to
think…ur hands should do the thinkin …and dis can happen only if u come prepared…i attempted all of
them…most i found could attempt 50-55..not braggin…but true…
section 3..
each candidate will be given a booklet containing 60 situations, each of 2-3 lines and the total time alloted is 30 mins..so be fast to read the situations and write ur response accordingly..remember ur response has to just like an ideal person.. i.e fearless, prompt and justified..i am givin here some situations for ur understanding
SITUATION:you prepared for exams,all ur friends passed ..u failed,so u…
ANSWER: I will study more next time…
SITUATION:while takin a mornin walk in a park.. u noticed a man lyin unconscious..so u will
ANSWER:will give him first aid and take him to the nearest hospital…
remember u must try to answer as precisely as possible with minimum number of words..and dont use words like i can,i may, i should in your answers
section 4..
write each in separate paragraphs as described b4….and remember…dis answer book will be in front OF YOUR
INTERVIEWER so remember what u have written…u ll be asked then….and den if ders a mismatch…..u blow it
off….
about your weaknesses…..as was suggested by neeraja..write sometin which can be improvised….like…dont say
ur impatient,hottempered etc…but say like ure a bit weak on GK,languages etc…
thats all guys……again say WELL DONE to ur overworked brain..
now the answer books will be collected back…and now the officer will brief all of you abt the schedule and the
rules to be observed during ur stay at AFSB..
DONT EVER EVEN THINK OF smartin ur way around dis rules… dont give them a chance to point a finger towards
u…
and den ull fill some forms….it will be self explanatory and also be explained by the officer…..dats the first day….
VERY IMPORTANT….TRY TO BE POPULAR AMONG UR BATCHMATES…TRY TO INVOLVE URSELF IN EVERY
CONVERSATION..amongst ur batchmates…u ll soon find out soon why i say so….now……nextthin….
jump to ur beds….have a good sleep ….THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN…..
dont panic if one test goes awry….the candidates are tested for totality in all the tests…one of my friends whose
lectuerette had gone somewhat ruffled was recommended….i ll see if i can make him write in dis blog…he will be
an inspiration for us..all
THE INTERVIEW
after day 1….in day 2 some ppl will have the gto round while others interview…and some others a day off…i had
the interview…so i ll discuss mine and some of my friends interview round now…dis was the best and most
amicable interview i ever had uptil now… u ppl will surely like this round ders no doubt abt it….
remember appearance always creates a impression on the interviewer..wear plain coloured shirt with a matching
tie if possible..and polished black shoe as the IAF officers themselves do… the perspiration should not be
apparent….cos the interviewer knows why a interviewee is perspirin even in a air condition enviroment…
after u enter the room…greet him..and dont sit until he tells so…. and then have a seat..say a thankyou and then
sit in an composed posture..u ll be sittin at 7-8 feet away from the interviewer…and hence can see u
completely…hence u should be in the best-est formals ever..now the interview starts…..
the interviewer will make u feel at ease by praisin u instantly b4 even u utter a word…cos u have given a brief
glimpse of yourself in the answer book in day 1… all the questions thereafter will mostly revolve around it…and
hence i said u should be careful while writin abt urself in the answer sheet in day 1..u ll suddenly feel that u re
only next to god…with this praises…but maintain ur calm and compose…acknowledge with ocassional nod and
thankyou..with a pleasant smile throughout the interview…..the general ques asked to me and my friends i have
written here
he will ask abt from where u cm from…what u presently do…abt ur mom and dad and siblings..friends…what
they think abt u…ur marks from 10 to graduation ( hence remember every damn % in ur academic life)..how do
u pass time on holidays..HOW U SPEND UR SALARY(after the boy’s explanation..the interviewer said u still have
3000 left…how cm u hav not accounted dat)….ur hobbies…dreams .ambitions…why the defence services..why
not other goverment/private jobs…why only the air force..how u came to know abt that opportunity….which
subjects u like…whats so special abt them…( a comp enggr was asked what features should i look on laptop
when i want to purchase one..and which of them is most important….why the base of laptop is hot…why only
duo and quad cores and not more than that….e mech enggr was asked why the ball swings..WHY CARS CANNOT
FLY…one of my friends joked if cars could fly den we would have called it an aeroplane and not a car..)…den
they ask for any extracurricular activities…strengths…weaknesses…how u like the ssb stay..the food..do u think
u will clear the ssb …if not then?…..
the current issues generall asked wer…. recession and its causes and effects.. 26/7 terror
attacks…naxalism……ram setu project..naxalism….role of india in third world countries…indian defence..india’s
stand against pakistan…role of china…the kashmir issues..dont worry abt it…thes topics are very much
speakable..but speak slowly n keep it as abstract as possibl….
some tips i say here…
dont put too much facial expression…dont waver ur hands unnecessaily….smile incessantly..speak what is only
asked abt u ..the more u ll blabber the more u ll be drawing urself into ditch…hence elaborate only when asked
for…..dont ask or accept a glass of water no matter how dry u re…dont move in ur chair…dont lean forward …if
u dont understand or listen to the question ..REQUEST him to repeat.. answer slowly…and again
abstractly….dont look away from the interviewer…get up only after he says..the completion of the
interview..thank him..greet him..
yups…dats it…another round over…get outta der….now loosen the knot…
if ure the startin no….the interview will start with u…and u ll soon be relieved of it ..otherwise…sometime wait
uptil 3-4 hrs biting ur nails..
anways…u ll njoy it……
day 3..mine was a much needed holiday…get outta here… explore the city…hangout with ur buddies…but return
to the centre before the said time deadline….otherwize expect a song from the air force officer…. u will messup
ur chance….so be aware of it…
day 4..the GTO round begins….
1.group discussion
2.military planning
3.group task
4.half group task
be in ur pt uniform (all white..shirt…shorts..socks…shoes)..u ll be asked to carry
a pen today ( req’d for military plannin)..watches are not allowed…(so dat u cannot decide the duration..in the
name of 10 mins …dey ll gv u 5-7 mins..)
1.group discussion
after all f u are made to sit in a semicircle..the gto enters… u will be amazed to see how friendly he will be..will
introduce himself very humorously…den he will explain how u will have to face the rounds one by one ..very
briefly..den he will ask each candidate for intro—name,qualification,occupation,hobbies,greatest achievement
der are 2 GD’s ..for the first u will be given 2 optional topics … select one after a mutual discussion ..time for dis is
1 min or so…and confer ur decision to the gto
…den he will sit behind ur group…and tell to start..
always address ur group member by their chest no..and people in general by “gENTLEMEN…be within first 4
speakers…speak loudly and clearly in order to be heard but don’t shout…cos more or less everybody will try to
speak simultaneously … remember to maintain ur composure …dont get angry…dont contradict too
much…express your own ideas rather than contradicting others…take sides…and stick to your point of
view..dont change sides ever…address to everybody and not a specific person…dont ever look towards the
gto…make sense of whatever u talk…and speak the whole point…don’t allow anybody to interrupt in between….
remember ur performance depends upon group performance…hence u should explain diversified ideas in order
that the group covers the topic in all aspects …..
the second topic will be given by gto himself…u dont have any option now…
immediately start discussing on the same lines as said before…
some of the topics wer terrorism,automobile market, role of agriculture in todays economy,transparency in
supply and demand market,indian democracy,girl child, educational reforms,influence of media etc
2 military plannin
der will be a pre-drawn printed map on the black-board…u ll be told to observe for 30 secs or so….mostly in all
cases …in the map der will be 2-3 villages and 2 or more cities (which are also referred to as district
headquarters),railway tracks,stations,roads-highway(called as metallic roads and motorable) and kacha roads
(non motorable), rivers,forest,temple…dats it….
the gto will den explain the narrative …in all stories the structure of narrative is more or less the same..
u re a group of friends…gone for picnic/visit/camp/…at a village/forest…. ..the time is 9 am…suddenly…a
person drowns…somebody gets robbed…injured/killed at an accident ..terrorist tryin to blast or remove fish
plates from railway track…dacoits plannin to steal/kidnap/harm…and the things u hav with u…cycles or cars,no
mobiles or no network on mobiles…
all of u will have the narration in front of u…and gto will ask u to clear any doubts after reading the
narrative…den ull be asked to hand over the narrative back to the gto…. all will be given a piece of paper..and
asked to write abt how u ll tackle the situation….
tips…prioritize the problems…..and its solutions……
first….immediate danger to life ( drownin ..injured ……to hospital and first aid)
second..the larger danger ( blowin of tracks… stop train at stn, police to nab culprits)
third-foil the kidnapping,stealing acts wid help of police
fourth–reportin FIR at police stn for robbery, and illegal acts already happened
remember police stations and hospitals if not indicated on the map is assumed to be present ONLY AT DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS AND NOT VILLAGES..and mobile ntwk available in cities…or use the telephones in cities to
contact the police station,hospital for ambulance,railway station ..to stop the train from proceeding further till
further instructions….
write in paragraphs..abt 100 -150 words-10 mins for it
3 group task..
the gto officer will tell u the the objective…4 obstacles in 40 mins..dats a BIG LIE..( u get only 20-25 mins )most
of the times even b4 starting the 3 or 4 obstacle the gto asks the group to terminate the mission…but dont
worry… he has already noted down the individual traits….and also ppl get recommended..( me thinks they save
time )
as for the obstacle–the helpin equipment will be a plywood stretchboard, a bulley , 2 ropes and the load..all this
things have to be taken from startin point to end point of each obstacle before startin next…i cannot describe the
obstacles..der are atleast 25-30 types of obstacles each with different solution( der can be 1 or more solutions to
the same obstacle)..hence it does not make sense to describe here…. be always in the forefront…always make
urself heard within the group..dont start immediately..first see what is der in the obstacle in front of u and then
start..otherwise u ll repent later and the officer will definitely see dat..dont shout at one another…keep
calm….say accolades …like bravo…well done to ur members…refer every member by his chest number..and
speak as much as possible in english..though hindi is allowed …..my suggestion will be learn fulcrum…cantilever
arrangements..it will help u…whenever u have violated a rule u have to start agin from beginning…but dont
worry the gto will be very much lenient in dat….
here i ve copied some links from one of the post from our comrade chetan.. u ll get
an idea about what these tasks are i am talkin abt
(Post by chetan » Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:40 am)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvB2kPnuzOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzSt88jmSWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEvschLAtxk
4. half group task…
the group will be divided into half and each sub-group will be told to cross one obstacle(may be same or
different)…
dat will be all…for that day….one more day gone and the D-day is next day.. so brace urself for the next day…be
confident ..that u will clear it….even if one task goes wrong dont wory u can always cover it in another
task…..the totality of your performance matters…and it depends heavily on your group performance…. so
always think of yourself as a part of the unit….dont be a radical amongst your group….but try to give a effective
dimension to the group..and that can happen only when u are closely knitted with your group….
day 5…the heartbreak…
the final gto tasks were
1.lectuerette
2.command task
3.individual obstacles
1.lectuerette
u speak for 3 mins max…and u ll be sounded an warning bell 30 secs b4 the 3 mins are over..
some of topics i remember wer…internet,naxalism,single parenting,pollution,indian elections, judiciary system,
water conservation,golden quadrilateral,role of women today
u ll be given 1 min to think over the topic and den deliver the lecture in front f ur batchmates and the gto
tips….
–maintain eye contact with each of em turn by turn
–keep in mind atleast 5-6 pts..(u tend to fuh-get 2-3 )..n cover the topic broadly
–speak slowly with loud voice and balance ur intonation
–remember to start with…intro abt topic..body…conclusion (ask urself..what..why..where….how..it ll help u)
2.command task..
the gto will call each f u individually….ask u some informal questions…show u the obstacle (single) which u ll have
to cross… will ask u how many helpers(batchmates) would be required..(most of us guys..said 2)..
remember u re the commander so u ll give instuctions to ur batcmates…not them…
tips…
–never ask any question to ur helper..also dont ask for their feedback..
–make them do all the work..by instructing them with reference to their chest numbers
3.individual obstacles..3 mins total time alloted
u must have boy like agility…otherwise u ll i am afraid literally fail…so do some workout b4 comin to the ssb
i suggest..jumping,running (sprint),climbing,improve ur gripping strenth..
i ll try ma best in describin those…
1.parallel ropes== http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2ZkNn7fHRk
2.monkey crawling== move on a horizontal trunk
either walk on it (verrrrrrrrrrry tough)
hang upside down by grippin wid ur arms and legs and move (the easiest way)
sit on it..and push urself forward (u ll go insane..so dont try)
3.move thru inside of a hangin tyre==hold the tyre and put ur legs inside first and then the body
jump like a circus lion thru burnin ring
4.jump over a horizontal 3 ft high rope
5.jump from a the edge of the rising platform to a distance of 4-5 ft
6.run..climb the risin platform and climb the 8 feet wall (thin plywood board) ==pull your bodyweight to the top
wid ur shoulders..and then pull ur leg upward
7.climb a 8 ft high ladder onto a platform..jump to the platform (at 1 metre distance separated by air)..and then
to the sand below
8.move over a narrow tree trunk==walkin or sittin and pushin forward
9.climb a rope..der are no knots to help u climb..u climb it with ur sheer grippin power and then climb down and
dont slide down…
10..tarzan jump..climb a 8 ft high ladder..jump to the rope at 1-1.5 metres frm u….and climb down..
tips….
they can be done in any succession … i suggest 6..is tough but not impossible..attempt it last..9 and 10 are not for
faint hearted and have a pretty high probality..of injurin ur fingers..
our officer told..if u dont feel sure dont attempt..rather than make a fool of urself..
most of us could complete 7 of them.. each obstacles has different points..the tougher the more points..total 55
points..the toughest having 10 points…the easiest havin 1 point…
finally…the hour of the d-day arrives..
all are assembled in the hall..each one is called individually to the conference (14-16 ppl)…consistin of the
president in middle flanked on one side by interviewers n physcologists and on other the gto officers..all n their
uniforms..they ask u some informal questions…mostly abt ur experience in the ssb stay..
finally all of u are made to proceed for the lunch and again move to the hall after half hour or so…
and den the the words by the officer… “the gentlemen who have cleared phase two are…..chest no…chest no…
congratulations…”…so some leave with blue uniform reality..while others again with a dream… its life so accept it
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