A freshers mind is filled with anticipation and fear, when he/she goes for SSB interview. They try to gather as much information as they can before going to the interview, from various sources, both reliable and unreliable. It is said that for fresher’s it is a golden opportunity to get through, which is not so true. If you are good and deserving then someday or the other you’ll make it. But certainly, it is the best feeling to clear something in your first attempt. This article is especially for freshers, we have tried to sum up ten major points which you must know before going for the SSB interview.

1. OIR test is important and you must practice well before going. It forms a major part for your selection for the next round, and you must be prepared to perform well in the OIR. In some selection centres OIR is very difficult, so be prepared and do not take this lightly.

2. Clothes in the screening, I have seen people coming in jeans getting selected and those coming in full formals getting rejected. You should be in decent clothes. It is suggested that you wear formals, for women, salwar kurta would do. Wearing proper clothes shows that you are sincere.

3. Hearing to their instructions is very very important. It must be a practice to listen to others. Whatever instructions they give contain half of the information of what they want in that test. If you can follow them, you are sure to succeed.

4. In GD the amount of words you speak is not important, it is the quality that matters. Whatever you speak should be substantial and must guide the discussion forward.

5. Interviewing officers are very friendly and sometimes would be very nice, but they are not generous and they are not your friend! Be aware of them, do not speak your heart out, say whatever is necessary.

6. Speaking first in the discussion and being ahead in every task is never a guarantee for success. A good leader is the one who is able to take out the group at the time of crisis. You must be able to get along with the group well.

7. If they are pressurizing you, putting you under stress, then you are a compatible candidate and they want to make sure that you are good. So do not get worried when you are put under pressure in an interview or in command task. Try to deliver the best.

8. There are no officers monitoring you in the mess, or at the station or when you book out. These are just common myths that they even grade you at these places. Grading is done only during tasks, but you are expected to behave like a gentle person throughout, which is not much to ask for.

9. Take your extracurricular certificates along with you. AT the time of interview they want the file just before you enter. Preferably arrange all your certificates in a folder, from the most recent to the last recent. Make sure that the achievements you are about to write in your PIQ (One more point PIQ is very important, refer to our dedicated article on that), are seconded by a certificate.

10. This is the last point but is very important. Don’t forget to smile, breathe, it is not that hard, you just tend to complicate anything when you take undue stress for that and even easy things become difficult. So smile!