“SUCCESS IS NOT FINAL. FAILURE IS NOT FATAL. IT IS THE COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS.” Hello aspirants, MANDEEP KULHAR HERE. I recently got recommended from 33 SSB BHOPAL for NDA – navy in my 6th attempt and believe me I didn’t take any coaching. All I did is believed in myself and overcome my shortcomings and keep going. Simply, its hard to continue but I did, overcome all negative thoughts myths and just did what I felt right. So today I am sharing my SSB experience. Its bit long to be with me till the end and you will surely learn a few things. So on the eve of 28th Aug, I reported at Bhopal station. An army bus to pick all of us. The bus was an hour late but that’s fine as I used that time to get familiar with others which helped me further in tests. Actual testing started the next day. DAY 1: We all 52 reported for our first test i.e. OIR test. I had already prepared for the same. So I finished all 45 questions in 15 minutes. Same with 2nd OIR test. So OIR is key for screening believe me. Prepare for dice questions with YouTube and SSBCRACK books and give your best. 2ND test is PPDT in which we were shown a hazy picture of a girl looking outside. I made a story on “solar energy” theme and after that discussed well in group discussion and everyone agreed to my story which was made final story. So I was screened in total 24/56. After that, we fill our PIQ forms. I already carried well-prepared PIQ form and filled same in all 3 forms. Your PIQ is your first impression so make it valid and write all true things. Don’t brag in it any false things otherwise you will be in trouble.
DAY 2: On this day there was psych test for which I started practiced 2 months earlier of my SSB , because of that I really performed well and completed all 12 stories with 120-150 words in each story which is important. In WAT I completed all of them 60/60 and all of them observational responses. In SRT I did 57/60 action oriented responses and completed my SD in time which I had already prepared earlier. So it really went really well just because of my daily practice. At the end of the day I was satisfied with my performance.
DAY 3: GTO -1
So I was all charged up with my preparation. As I studied well about all general awareness topics and I am in habit of reading newspaper. So I nailed in Group discussion(GD). Our topics were 1.”What is the reason of declining moral values in youth” options were social media, nuclear families and economic freedom? I stuck to social media and put points to prove it. So stick to one option and prove it, key in GD. I spoke first in both of them and it matters. I spoke 4-5 times or may be more in each GD. Another Important thing is to speak when everybody is exhausted of points.
In Group planning exercise I completed solution in time and speak first in GD and spoke 4-5 times to conclude for a solution. In progressive group task I was at the front and implementing ideas. And kept this rhythm In all following tasks. Don’t be at front without any ideas. Nor only give ideas. Do both things give ideas and also implement them. It’s key in PGT, HGT, FGT and command task.
In group, obstacle race doesn’t break any rule that’s it. Nothing else matters much. Help your teammates. If the rule is broken repeat the obstacle. I have broke a rules 3 times in GOR but every time I repeated it. Everybody does mistake, those get success who learns from their mistake and improve them. That’s all GOR is about. In individual obstacle, I did all 10/10 individual obstacles. The same thing applies in all GTO tasks. DON’T BREAK ANY RULES IF YOU BREAK REPEAT IT.
So after my GTO I was having my interview. I run to bathroom dressed, in formals and went for the interview, one already knew most of the questions so prepare them in advance and keep improving your replies daily. IO also asked me a lot of physics questions like about Bernoulli theorem, Archimedes principle and its application in ships, current national and international affairs, about navy, commands, rank, how plane fly, about INS Vikramaditya and about length conversions and all. So give answers confidently and just be honest that’s all they want. If you lie you’re going to die. It went for smooth 1:15 hours and I was happy at the end of the interview.
DAY 4: GTO-2
It started with the command task. I was called 2 times as subordinate. During my turn, My task turned out to be very difficult but I managed to do it. GTO kept changing colors. After completion, he asked me to sent back my subordinates and do it alone. So again he asked me to apply different methods and I did as he said with help of hints he kept giving me. So listen to GTO every time that’s very important. My command task went for ½ hour which surprised everyone and everybody including me thought I did really well.
After that, the last task of GTO is FGT, I did task along with help of team. I kept to remain in front and cooperating with others and did it in time. Don’t dominate but cooperate also perform on your level don’t be a dummy.
DAY 5
“Day is a day not good or bad but this one is really the day of happiness”. We were ready for results. I somewhere knew this time I will make which comes out to be true. When psychologist announced chest no 18. Explaining that feel of getting rejected for 5 times, giving 3 NDA exams, cooperating with my BTECH and being the topper of college for two sems , losing 12 kg of weight , going through that 2 years of pain of rejection but at end hearing your chest no is the best feeling in the world.:). I kept going I knew I would make it one day. I knew the value of that moment, that life-changing moment. I just never accepted failure so you must do. keep going It will come to you when you will be ready. 5/24 got selected most in any NDA- navy batch in 33 SSB Bhopal.
IMPORTANT – Download eBooks for SSB Interview Preparations
- Thematic Apperception Test – TAT
- Lecturette Topics Part-1 eBook [100 Topics]
- Word Association Test – WAT
- Situation Reaction Test – SRT
- Officers Intelligence Test – OIR
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