Interview

This is a face to face interaction of a candidate with the officer(who is one of the assessors at SSB). This test is considered as most sophisticated yet very important in a candidate’s selection. One can imagine that more than an hour of psychology test and two days of GTO is equivalent to 30-40 minutes of Interview.

Thus this holds a very important deciding factor in selection, and also because it is one to one interaction, the questions based on your PIQ form, and the responses candidates give.

Candidates are told one hour before the interview in SSB, in AFSB the schedule is told on the very first day after screening.Thus candidates should be mentally prepared for the IO even before SSB, the formal attire is worn on the day of interview. Many times it’s scheduled just after GTO, so candidates don’t get time to change so they go in GTO dress only.

Candidate is made to wait in the waiting hall before the Interviewer calls in, Candidates are told when and how to enter in the Interviewer room. Use this time to read magazines/newspapers etc .

Officer would greet the candidate and ask to sit on the chair kept in front of him. The IO would then start with some rapport building questions and gradually towards the info given in PIQ forms, and generally the interview goes from 15-45 minutes. It may exceed more than 45 minutes, in case IO wants to drill down the candidate in order to assess or to confirm the doubts, if any.

Candidate would then be asked to leave and wish good luck.

• Prepare in and out related to details mentioned in PIQ form filled by you.
• Go through the types of questions and try to find the answers to those.
• Be confident in your answers with positivity.
• Find answers to every question that comes to your mind.
• Improve communication and expression to give crisp and clear responses.
• Use Mirror technique to prepare yourself for the interview.
• Question yourself , your surroundings, know more about yourself.
• Build OLQ in real life and it will reflect in your  words, actions.
• Introspection and Curiosity are  the Key to crack Interview.

Rapport Building/Miscellaneous Questions:

The very moment candidate enters the Interviewer room, the IO greets you and asks you to sit on chair in front of him at some distance,

There are certain kinds of questions which are asked to make you comfortable and acquainted with the interview to be held.

Questions:

1. How you came to SSB Centres, by which means, details about journey (distance , speed of your vehicle, where you stayed in city (if at all) .
2. How were your other assessments of SSB before the interview , Rate yourself out of 10.
3. If you are a repeater , one may face questions like : why you were not able to get selected last time, what improvements have you done this time.
4. Why do you want to join defense forces, which regiment, squadron, etc.
5. Whom do you think will get selected in your group in SSB.
6. When was the first time you thought of joining forces.
7. What are your other plans if not defense forces?
8. Tell some latest national/International News affairs
9. Who all you got close to during SSB, what you did in the waiting hall.
10. How is the stay at SSB, and do you have any questions for me?

Rapid Fire Questions based on candidates PIQ form.

Rapid Questions:

1.Tell me about your education starting from class 10th onwards, scores/percentage , subject you chose, why those subjects, what all competitive exams you appeared for, favourite subjects, favourite teachers, subject and teacher you didn’t like and why, What were the activities/sports you were part of.

Cross questions;

Why is the percentage of class 10, 12 or graduation high or low, any specific subject’s score is low , then why ?

Tell some instances/qualities of your fav teacher , what was your rank in competitive exams, what were your plans after 12th , for male candidates why you have not given NDA or other 12+ entries.

IO ay ask some questions related to favourite subjects, technical/non technical.

What you have learnt in your school and college days.

Questions related to activity/sports mentioned  like famous personalities associated with games, your best match/biggest achievement.

2. Who all are there in your family, tell about their education, occupation, income, how you spend your time with them, tell their strength and weakness, what do they think about you, who all are your best friends in girls and boys, whom do you confide to in your family, tell any instances you discuss, whom you are more close to and why.

Cross questions; 

How do you contribute to family affairs ?

What was the last things/issue discussed with your closed one

What they will tell about you if asked.

Tell the number of strengths and weaknesses of your best friends, family members.

3. Tell me about your pass time activities, your achievements, about your education/Organisation you work for(for employed) , how you spend your salary/pocket money , what is your weekday and weekend routine, your strength and weakness,tell me about the city you live in, hometown. Who decided the streams you chose, what all have you learnt in the past 5-10 years, how you keep yourself physically fit. Have you taken any coaching why yes or no ?

Apart from all these the candidate must know about the forces, chiefs, some weapons, cabinet ministry, general knowledge, subject knowledge, some basic calculation questions may be asked based on conversion, parents posting(if defense personnel) etc.

After reading you will feel like most of the questions are personality based, as this is the thing which is being assessed in a candidate for selecting, basic awareness of surrounding is expected which adds on the impression but not having doesn’t  stops the selection, as the Gk part can be improved but the basic psychology will remain intact and with due process one can improve. Hence the key to crack the interview is ‘’Be Curious’’ towards everything, and this is going to help you find all the answers and the presence of mind will boost the confidence in the given response.

JAI HIND