Hello, aspirants, My story is a little bit longer, so please read it only if you too want to motivate yourself. After reading success stories of many other people, finally, I am happy to share my story as well. The journey started during my childhood when I saw army men and got inspired to be one of them. My parents were always patriotic and they too encouraged me to be like them. But, my parents were under a misconception about my eyesight, that wearing glasses is a permanent disability to join forces and so they explained me this issue, being a little kid I cried a lot that night but I accepted it and moved on. So my passion was locked deep inside me and had to move on with another goal, so I chose to pursue MBA. But the passion for olive green was still igniting in me and so I joined NCC in college to get a flavor of army life. I was a part of the Rajpath parade contingent in 2014 and also got selected for Youth Exchange Program to Kazakhstan and Bangladesh (2014).And it was during this camp that I came to know about medical standards of Army and was shocked to know that a particular range of eyesight is acceptable. I felt like rising out of ashes like a phoenix and again got myself on the track of trying for the Army. I kept on preparing for MBA entrance exams and for army simultaneously so that in case I fail to clear ssb, still, I’ll be leading a happy life. Eventually, my hard work paid off and I got admission at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Bengaluru campus but got conferenced out in my first attempt at Allahabad. I was deeply sad and felt like losing and questioned myself whether I have it in me or not. But, I gathered my hope as I had read a lot of success stories of people making it in their 23rd attempt, so it always pushed me to not give up and to try again and again. The time came in my second attempt at 31 SSB, Kapurthala where I got recommended. Now, I have happily left my MBA seat and got into the extra ordinary profession of the Army. Many people ask as to how to prepare for SSB, so I’ll discuss how my ssb went and what extra I had put in to make things work.
ONE GOLDEN ADVICE, PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO YOU BEFORE ANY TEST BECAUSE EVERY ASSESSOR HAS A HABIT OF CHANGING BITS AND MINOR OF INSTRUCTIONS ACCORDING TO HIM AND SO HE CHECKS IF YOU TAKE INSTRUCTIONS SERIOUSLY OR NOT. SO PLEASE CAREFULLY LISTEN TO INSTRUCTIONS IN ENTIRE 5 DAY PROCESS.
Day 1 – Screening
My group had a very rough start and so was divided into two groups. Mine group had people with good communication skills and so everybody was shouting. But eventually, we all came to a consensus and I was nominated to give the group story. For screening, please be to the point, give narration within time limit and co-operate with the group. Be cultured and humane, everybody has to come get screened in so please behave with your group. Listen others and talk to them like friends.30 got screened in out of 150 and I was number 18
Day 2- Psychology
In all TAT, WAT, SRT and SD I was brutally honest with my responses. I had practiced a lot for these tests as because I analyzed that I lacked in these tests and had got out because of psych tests in my first attempt. I read the book- An appointment with Psychologist, in one of the success stories and had read it after getting conferenced out and realized my mistakes. I advise all to read this book, but only after when you have already practiced a lot for psych testing. This book will give you an insight but please don’t follow anything blindly. Mix the book with your responses, make a common conclusion about your responses and then chose the path that you think is correct for you in psych tests. Please talk to your friends, parents, teachers for SD and write honestly about yourself in it. The psychologist already has made a perception about and just wants to know whether you too know about yourself or not, so please be honest in writing.
Personal Interview
Soon after my psych test, I was called for the interview with the board president. I was prepared for it but didn’t see it coming right away after psych tests. The president sir was very harsh on me and was constantly provoking to see my reactions. He grilled me in my first 10 minutes of entry in his room. President sir gave me rapid fire of around 10-15 questions and kept on confusing by interrupting me. He got personal even on very small things and at times he even shouted. Here is the key friends, any assessor is not your enemy, even if he scolds or shouts at you, he just wants to know about your reactions and personality. There were many questions I couldn’t answer but I remained honest and kept saying sorry sir, I didn’t know the answer for anything I didn’t know. For preparation, Please write down all yours answers in the copy, practice to speak them and be honest with your answers. He asked me about my favorite area in GK, and I said international affairs and he threw a lot of questions in gk but thankfully I had answers to all those questions. He asked about ransom ware attack, GST, south china sea and all these in good detail. If you claim something, then please be ready that he is going to test you on that, so please be ready with your answers. He got really furious when he asked me the topic of my national debate competition where I stood second and soon as I told him “ TERRORISM” he got so furious as if he will shoot me now and discussed really long about it and even passed comments on me , but that was the reality so I stood by it and answered everything and showed my debating skills to him and I could make out that I had convinced him with logics and examples. He asked me to give an exact measurement of his room, a question on directions and one basketball match to be organized. The interview went for an hour but it was the most grilling interview ever happened to me, my confidence went really low but as soon as I came back to line area, all my buddies started cracking jokes and I was cheered up again.
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Day 3- GTO 1
The group discussions were on topic- 1) the causes of the rise of terrorism 2) How can be uniform civil code be implemented. The discussions were very smooth, as agreed in the group, we all didn’t make it a hassle and let everybody speak and so we had a very healthy discussion.
In group planning, we all had different ideas and ways and all of us were right in our own ways. We discussed 3 out of 5 problems and the GTO seemed satisfied with it. A group member was nominated to narrate the solution. For anybody who narrates, the GTO might encounter you with a few questions, please be calm and give a correct answer to him. He will try to confuse or grill you, but please don’t get nervous he has no personal issue with you. He is playing his duty, you do yours.
In PGT, I remained calm and performed like I was playing with my team. Where people had ideas and were advancing, I didn’t get in to showcase myself unnecessarily even if I didn’t have an idea. I let my team go ahead and didn’t affect their speed. I gave in ideas wherever my team got stuck and helped my team to cross over. I realized that with every difficult obstacle, my participation was increasing in the group but I did not get in without any idea of how to cross the obstacle. I cheered up my team on occasions, took the load and carried it and helped to a maximum of my ability.
In HGT, same was followed as in PGT without any change.
In snake race, I was shouting all the time like anything. I was giving war cry like a mad person but thankfully my group also supported and didn’t make me look like an alien. I did all the obstacles, being tall, I helped at the wall and helped in all possible manners and my group was first in the race. At the first gate vault we were to make figure 8 on the obstacle but I made an inverse 8, as soon I could go back , GTO came and asked if any violations and I immediately raised my hand told about my fault and gave penalty to my team, there is no harm in doing mistake but it is definitely an issue If you don’t accept your mistakes and friends believe me they definitely don’t want somebody who is not courageous enough to accept mistakes.
GTO 2
I performed 11 obstacles and was able to do swiftly as I had been keeping up my physical fitness.
I have a habit of participating in extempore and so I performed great at lecturette. I advise all to please read newspapers daily and read them in front of mirror and practice for lecturette daily
In command task, my GTO had a small chat with me regarding my career plans, my family, and my MBA plans. He gave me an average difficult task and I was able to do it until the last stage where I got stuck. GTO asked me what happened and told him honestly about the issue. He gave hint and I picked up and as soon as I could do anything, he stopped my task sending my thoughts into doubt about how did I perform.
In FGT, I did the same thing as PGT, HGT and remained calm, took the load, gave in two ideas and cheered up my team.
SSB Psychology eBooks:
BOARD CONFERENCE
Before my conference started, board took good 10-15 minutes to call me in, as soon as I went in, they asked me a couple of more questions about my college and family and asked me few questions on foreign exchange reserves, wpi and inflation(being a commerce graduate). They asked me to give 10 uses of a tumbler. They asked for genuine suggestions on line area and mess and I gave one for each. The GTO was repeatedly bouncing his head left right from me towards the deputy president, that they do intend to confuse and to distract and so please don’t be distracted.
Finally, the time came to announce results they said chest no 18 and I jumped and shouted my name in glory. I had finally made to the point of earning that plus sign on my chest number.
After getting recommended, the board president met us and he shook hands with me and said “so, you think that the interviewer wins every time and not the the interviewee ?? and you think that your interviewer went worst? “ and started laughing and I was stunned. I didn’t have any answer to him because of my emotions.
3 of us got recommended from 30 and with immense happiness, we carried on with our medicals. Merit has been released and I stood 17th on merit and my other buddies as well made it to final vacancies. One of us 3 has even topped the list of merit and we all three are eager to earn those stars on our shoulders.
Friends, please work hard with that passion and zeal to succeed because it’s the fire in you that takes you to the zenith. Dream big and dream every day because dreams come true every single day. If any single person has down what you desire, then be sure that you too can do that.
JAI HIND, HITESH SHARMA
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