An Insight of How I Cleared the Indian Navy SSB Interview

On 12/12/12 A Gmail notification popped. “SSB INTERVIEW: SSC (TECH) ON 31 DECEMBER AT BANGALORE” It came to me as a surprise, never expected a call on the New Year eve, for SSB. I still made up my mind to go for it, you know new year party at a place where you dreamt of, for quite some time. 

The next 2 weeks I spent knowing myself, reading profiles about myself and making myself familiar with myself. Quite a confusing thing. 31st December we were asked to report at SBC-Bangalore City Station at 14:00 hrs. I was there by 12:30, only to be taken to the Selection Centre (South) by 16:45 hrs.

Day 0 or the day of reporting had me in a buzz. There were so many men from variety of places, Srinagar to Nagapattinam, Surat to Assam, with diverse experiences. Few had Indian Navy as their only choice, few had it as a passion and few came there for fun. I belonged to a category of all. Always thought there was a purpose of living and life’s unusually explaining events brought me there. By evening we were given chest numbers, 126 of them, mine was 57. I sort explanations of why it was 57 and could hardly make sense of it. That night we spent a huge dorm, we were asked to report at 6.30 a.m. next morning.

Day 1 I woke up at 2.30 a.m. got ready by 3.30 a.m. and slept. For obvious reasons, to avoid crowds and rush. By 7.45 a.m. our first round of written tests started, the ones which measure the O.I.Q or Officer Intelligent Quotient. It went on for two hours after which we had a break. My first friends Satish and Prijith were the ones with whom I was most of the time. It’s a heavenly feeling to find someone speak your language in a vast crowd which had only Hindi-Speaking people. Though the Hindi was different from one person to another. We had tea at around 10:30 a.m. and went for the much awaited PPDT-Picture Perception and Description Test. A picture was showed for 30 seconds and then on we were supposed to make a story of it. They look for sense and simplicity of the story. After a while we were asked to narrate the story and discuss. As soon as the discussion was over, I saw a 7/10 chance of me staying back for the next rounds. 

Day 1 is an elimination day, only 20-25 of the total candidates get to stay back. By noon, after lunch we had our results, chest number 57 made it to the next round. We were given new chest numbers, this time mine was 15 and the mathematical interpretation followed. There were 24 of us, who moved to the next round, which meant we will stay for the next four days.. Of which one chest number 18 quit for some personal reason. That evening I went home, 45 minutes away, took a bath and had a fruit salad on the way back and reached. The 23 of us were divided as 8, 8, and 7. The first 8,”Alpha”, the second 8-“Bravo” and the last 7-“Charlie”. I was in “Bravo”. We were shifted to a different place for the next 4 days. Remember we lived without mobile phones, with New Year just started. 

Day 2 promised lot of actions with mind. We had psychology tests TAT, WAT, SRT and SDT. Don’t worry I will explain. TAT is Thematic Apperception Test, where they show you 11 pictures, one by one for 30 seconds each. Then you are to make stories from those pictures and write them within 4 minutes. The 12th picture is a story of your own. You can actually see something. That’s totally your imagination. You cannot prepare for stories because their time constraints will clog your memories so preparation is waste of time. Don’t prepare, just go with the flow. WAT is Word Association Test where a word is shown for 15 seconds, you have to make the first thought in your mind about the word as a sentence and write it down. Sounds so simple. But I tell you, it is very hard. You can actually see your true self unwinding slowly in front of you and seated. Then it asks you-“Ennama kannu? Soukyama” (hey darling! Are you fine?). When you think it is over, it starts. SRT is Situation Reaction Test. They give you 60 situations to react to in 30 minutes. I reacted to only 48 when they said time was over. The situations test your common sense, presence of mind and a combination of both. They also look for your grit and determination to handle multiple situations at a time. By the end of this you will feel as if you solved three hours of Calculus Trigonometry and you are stranded not knowing what was given and what has to be found and where exactly you stand. To add spice, lastly you have the SDT-Self Description Test. You write about yourself- not like those you write in face-book with quotes and stories. No one wants to know if you are cool or hot, good or bad or anything close by. You write sensible stuff about yourself, what your parents think, your friends think, your teachers think, your colleagues think, what you think and what is it that you have to improve upon. Write the good and the bad, honesty pays you a big deal. The day is done. Few of them from alpha were called for a psychology interview, others were free to do what they want to do. I went around and got table-tennis bats to play. First time I was taught to play Table Tennis and it was a nice experience. Someone, whose chest number you only know, came forward to teach me how to hold a bat and how to play basic Table Tennis. That evening the entire 23 of us had a group discussion about life and its complex structures.

Day 3 we had the group tasks. My inspiration to do well was my GTO-Group Task Officer. The day started with group discussions. We had two of them. The first one with a choice of topics and the second one with topic given by the GTO. I saw a 5/10 chance of making it to the list because I spoke very less in the first discussion. The second one I got a grip but still stood no chance. After the group discussions we had the group planning exercise where maps were given and a situation, we had to be quick, logical and make appropriate decisions to meet the demands. We moved to the grounds. Starting we had the progressive group tasks, started slowly and went on to do it quickly. It was a half hit. After that we had the snake race, each team carries a snake like sack, and has to cross several obstacles to reach the other end. Whichever team reaches first wins. In the second obstacle, chest number 15 of the bravo team made a 7ft jump to ground to prize himself a chip-radius fracture. That’s me. Now with a broken left arm. Bravo was second in the race, they might have been distracted because of my fall. As soon as the snake race was over, we had the lectures, each one of us were given 4 topics to choose and talk about any one of them. I spoke well. Don’t ask me the topics, they will never be the same. After the lectures we had the half group tasks, Bravo was split into 2 and the tasks were given. If you are good with mechanics and logics, group tasks should be easy. Then we were sent back, Alpha and Charlie had individual tasks. I got a fully unpaid OC trip to Command Hospital Air force in Army jeep. I was given a sling arm to wear for the next 4 weeks and few tablets. That evening I had two glasses of fruit juices and a fruit bowl. Few members of Bravo had Psychology interviews that day. That night I spent reading palms. Yeah. I read and make a roughly close sense. I hit bed early and next day morning, we were fresh. 

Day 4 Only Bravo had individual tests in addition to final progressive group task and command task. I dint take part in Individual tests. It involved crossing levels, climbing, jumping, and balancing. By 8 the final progressive group tasks had started. Bravo did an excellent job. Quick and we glued as a group. Then we had the command task where you are the commander to do a task and you are given subordinates. I was given a task and to find two solutions. I saw a 6.5/10 chance of making it to the list. Later that day all others planned for sight-seeing Bangalore. I was called for psychology interview at around 11.15 a.m. my interview started went on up to 12.45 p.m. the questions began with Why Navy, then touched Engine design, bit of Geography, History, current affairs, Interests, School and College Life, Personal achievements, Family Back-ground and everything under the sun. You must speak the truth or you will be caught, dragged and hung in humiliation of the lie. If you do not know the answer, accept it. After the interview, I joined my friends for the Bangalore Sight Seeing. Shiva Mandhir, Lalbagh, Bull Temple, Tippu’s Palace, ISKCON, Vidhan soudha and Cubbon Park. 

Day 5 was really big. The conference day. All those who evaluated you will be seated in front of you and you will be having a final talk. Only one person will be interacting with you. The intensity will be high. The uniforms brimming in pride in front of you. Then I was asked few questions about the stay and my broken arm. Then around 2.30 p.m. the results were out. Chest number 15 made it to the last 6. Chest number 15 was recommended by 12 SSB for SSC (Tech) of the Indian Navy.