To give an SSB interview, you need to understand the psyche and requirements of the interviewer, and to think by keeping yourself in his place. You need to think hard on the aspects and the expectations that the interviewer is keeping from you and how well you are prepared to take this challenge.

To think like the interviewer, you should make yourself aware of the job profile and the requirements for which you are going to be interviewed and what kind of people find the suitability in that respective line of work. It’s important that you are aware of your personality and inner nature and with that of people around you as well such as your friends and family.

ALSO READ: How To Prepare For The SSB Interview Questions? Part 1

Let’s focus on other approaches and ways that can prove helpful in the preparation of your SSB interview.

Be Honest and Be Smart
The interviewer will take some strange tactics to extract the information from you or to unveil the façade that a few of us carry. Remember, the interviewer has been on the other side of the table for quite a time and has interviewed countless candidates like us. He has been trained by one of the best institutions in the field of psychological assessment and that’s what makes him an expert in catching made up lies. Being honest will show him your true qualities and he will be able to assess on that basis alone.

But, many a time we get involved in some circumstances and situations in our life (The decisions that we regret) that we repent later and they can have a terrible impact about you regarding your personality. Such things should be kept away in the interview as you don’t want the interviewer to dwell on that grey area. For example, questions about your sexual activities can be asked and that can put you into some muddy grounds. The logic is simple as the army has a pretty traditional mind-set and such things aren’t looked well from their point of view and they consider it a hindrance in your studies. Though candidates who have graduated can be affirmative about this question NDA and TES aspirants should refrain from saying so.

Know People around You
It happens often that candidates stop at just knowing themselves and they make no efforts to know about their friends, family, and people around them. An officer in command of his men is expected to know each and every one of them as its necessary that he should have knowledge about their potential, strengths, weakness, character, reliability, etc. You will have to observe them and draw your conclusion based on your concrete observations and evidence. Remember, whenever asked about any person associated with you or any quality of that respective person – the interviewer will seek an example of that quality that has taken place in your life.

Also, if you don’t have knowledge about the behaviour and nature of your immediate family members then you aren’t a good observer or you are simply not interested in them as a person. The army is the extension of the traditional family and it acts as one with the Commanding Officer being called the “Old man of the family”.

Believe that you will get the Recommendation
Many of us prepare with the mindset that this job is really very necessary for us and if we don’t get recommended than it’s the end for our future dreams. Due to such thinking, nervousness develops in our minds which hinder our positive thinking and ultimately lead us to sabotage our preparation on the wrong tracks. You don’t beg for the job as it will lower your confidence and you will prepare with a cautious and doubtful mind which can hamper your chances. If you will think that you have the necessary aptitude and skills to get recommended than it will develop the deserving attitude in your mind.

Such an attitude boosts your confidence and makes you believe that you are here to get this job since you are passionate about this and not because you need it badly. Remember, you never beg for a job. You deserve the job and that’s why you came all the way down there to give a test of your skills.

Work on your Hobbies and Interests
Most of us take some things or activities which provide relief from our usual routine and gives us happiness. Such things when pursued in a rather serious manner are called hobbies. When they are in the normal routine and we are slightly inclined towards them then they can be termed as interests. Hobbies are more productive in the sense of pursuing and personality development. It’s totally fine if you don’t have any of the above as it’s not mandatory but if you have such a passion for anything then it is expected that you must have a good amount of knowledge for the same. Just don’t state hobbies and interests just for the sake of it, you will be easily caught by continuous grilling.

Common Sense and Awareness
Being an SSB aspirant, it is expected out of us that we all should be aware, have necessary common sense and general knowledge about our surroundings. It is a must that you should have knowledge regarding the history, geography, and polity of your city and state. You must possess the knowledge regarding the MPs, MLAs, counsellors of your city, Legislative area, and ward respectively. You should have the ground and practical knowledge regarding the above areas and have a strong opinion about the same. It is expected that you must have a complete understanding of the place you are living or belong to. Common sense about things around you, nation, politics, etc. should be kept in mind.

PIQ is the source of Questions
Most of us think that PIQ is an answer sheet that we have to just fill while it is the complete opposite of that. PIQ is the piece of paper that provides the basic insight about your profile to the interviewer and psychologist alike. 90% of the questions that are asked from you, found their origins from the PIQ only. You should have complete knowledge of what you are going to write in your PIQ form. Each and every point must be given deep introspection and any kind of questions that can originate from each of those points should be answered. Remember, multiple questions can be raised from a single point and consecutively related questions that maybe branch out from the parent question. In my opinion, download the PIQ form from the internet and practise filling it in a neat and logical manner beforehand and ask questions from self.

These are some topics that you must be aware of during the preparation of your SSB interview technique. Proper questions in a systematic manner will help you in forming and improvising the answers in a limited time frame and you should know how to answer these questions based on your understanding. It is fine to consult the internet to answer these questions but they shouldn’t be copied and instead written by your common sense and rational mind. Never copy any recommended candidate’s answer as you may be different in all the aspects of the SSB and hence what worked for him might not be suitable for your personality.

ALSO READ: How To Prepare For The SSB Interview Questions? Part 1

You can prepare for defence entrance exams such as NDA, AFCAT, INET, and CDS by taking Written Online courses as they will not only give you access to full-length quality lectures but will also provide the facility to take standardized mock tests for better study and strategic growth in the exam. You can take multiple quizzes after each lesson to ensure the full understanding of the subject along with creating your customized lesson plans. You can check out the course content along with other important specifics at SSBCrack exams.

You can also access them through the SSBCrack Exams app available in the google play store.

Jai Hind