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SSB Full Form, You All Need to Know About SSB

Kanika Goyal

Updated on 04th July, 2024 , 4 min read

The Service Selection Board (SSB) selects candidates for officer roles in the Indian Armed Forces. The board uses a structured evaluation process, including interviews, personality assessments, and psychological tests.Service Selection Board is an organization that tests the candidate for enrolment in Indian Armed Forces. Every individual has to go through it. The board tests the mental and physical fitness of the candidate using a standard protocol. 

 

The protocol consists of evaluating the personality of the candidate, psychology, physical fitness and intelligence for becoming an officer. The board panel consists of mainly a Psychologist, Interviewing Officer and Group Tasks Officer. Out of five days, every day is a new challenge and a new task faced by a candidate. And the one who clears all the stages with the required marks gets selected. Let us discuss day by day tasks and challenges.

SSB Full Form Overview

The Indian Armed Forces use the SSB interview, which is a multi-step process, to judge the personality, intelligence, and skills of candidates for officer training. It is designed to identify individuals who have the potential to become effective leaders and officers in the military. Candidates to the Army/ Navy/ Naval Academy and Air Force must obtain the minimum qualifying mark on the written exam to go for SSB interview.

 

SSB Info

Details

Full Form

Services Selection Board

Purpose

Selecting candidates for officer positions in the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force)

Selection Process

Multi-stage process including Screening Test, Psychological Test, Group Testing, and Interview

Duration

Typically spans over 4 to 5 days

Location

Various SSB Centers across India

Tests Conducted

Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR), Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT), Group Testing, Psychological Tests, Conference, and Personal Interview

Qualities Assessed

Officer-like qualities such as leadership, communication skills, decision-making, teamwork, and more

SSB Direct Entry

Technical Graduate Course

Tech Entry Scheme

Advocate General

NCC Special Entry Scheme

University Entry Scheme

Navy’s Executive and Technical Branch Entry

Navy’s Education Branch Entry

Navy’s Pilot/ Observer Entry

IAF’s Meteorology Branch Course

Non-Technical Short Service Commission Courses

Technical Short Service Commission Courses

Covered Exams

National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Examination (NDA & NA Exam)

Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE)

Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT)

Commonly Known SSB Centers

Allahabad (Army), Bhopal (Army, Navy, Air Force), Bangalore (Army, Navy, Air Force), Kapurthala (Army), and more

Serving as an Officer

Successful candidates join the respective academies for training to become commissioned officers in the Armed Forces

 

SSB Full Form

The full form of SSB is Services Selection Board. The primary organisation in charge of evaluating candidates for posts as officials in the Armed Forces is the Service Selection Board. The Board uses the conventional evaluation procedure, which entails interviews, personality tests, and insight tests, to determine the legitimacy of becoming an official.

The Indian Ministry of Defence has established the Service Selection Board (SSB). Candidates who successfully pass written exams like CDS, NDA, AFCAT, among others, receive invitations to participate in the SSB Interview. The SSB Interview is a comprehensive two-stage process of five days, during which selected candidates undergo various mental, psychological and physical tests.

A continuous five-day selection procedure by recruitment officers is called the Service Selection Board. The screening test is conducted on day one. Mental exams are conducted on day two. Many chores are finished on days three and four.

 

Aspect

Evaluation Method

Intelligence

OIR test: Measures general intelligence and reasoning

Leadership

Group tasks and individual interview: Assess leadership, decision-making, and ability to work under pressure

Personality

Psychological tests and interview: Evaluate personality traits, motivation, resilience, and emotional maturity

Physical Fitness

Medical examination: Assess physical fitness and ability to withstand military training and service requirements

 

One can also appear for SSB Interview by getting shortlisted direct entries – TES, TGC, UES, SSC Tech etc. The selected students then need to appear before a Service Selection Board for an Intelligence and Personality Test.

Service Selection Board Procedure

The routine entails assessing a candidate’s personality, psychology, and aptitude for becoming an officer. Each day of the five days presents a new difficulty and task to the candidate. The candidate who completes all stages with the required marks is chosen. We have discussed the daily tasks and difficulties besides the SSB full form detail.

  • Day 0: On the particular day of service selection, this is the reporting day. When arriving at the company, the candidate must submit the necessary documentation, and the verification procedure begins.
  • Day 1: Stage 1 of the testing is conducted on Day 1. This contains a Picture Perception and Description Test and two cognitive tests. The candidates are shown a picture for 30 seconds, either clear or fuzzy, as part of the exam.
  • Day 2: On Day 2, either a picture story writing assignment or a thematic apperception test is given. Similar to the PPDT, but with a clearer image. Once more, the candidates are shown an image for thirty seconds before having four minutes to create a story.
  • Days 3 and 4: There are several tasks for the applicants on days 3 and 4, and these tasks are a mix of solo and group duties that a candidate must complete within the allotted time. After that, an Interviewing Officer conducts an Individual Interview.
  • Day 5: A panel of officers conducts a formal consultation with each candidate on the last day. The officers check the candidate’s life-based abilities throughout this straightforward conversation. Based on the candidate’s overall performance, the result is finally declared.

SSB - Grounds for Disqualification

Candidates will not be considered by the SSB if they have any of the following medical conditions:

Knock Knee

  • Kidney Stones
  • Flat Foot
  • Pigeon Chest
  • Sweaty Palms
  • DNS
  • Defective Color Vision
  • LASIK Surgery
  • Piles
  • Over/Under Weight
  • Veri-Cocele 
  • AIDS

Other than these medical conditions, the candidate must have a color vision standard of CP-III and a minimum of 14 dental points with sound teeth.

Conclusion

To sum up, SSB stands for Service Selection Board, which is an organization of the Indian Armed Forces for the selection of candidates into the three wings of the armed forces. This selection process is a five-day process that consists of OIR tests, PPDT tests, Psychology Tests, Physical and Mental Fitness Test and at last the Interview and the conference with the officers. And based on overall performance the candidates are selected.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the SSB exam tough?

SSB is one of the most challenging interviews. The candidates undergo several rounds and evaluation exams during this period to help determine their aptitude

How many attempts are there for SSB?

There is no restriction on the maximum number of attempts, and the SSB Assessors urge candidates to take the SSB repeatedly.

Does the SSB pay for traveling to the respective location?

Yes, the Service Selection Board pays but only for fresh applications. They pay for 3rd AC train tickets and Normal Bus tickets.

Where are SSB Centers located?

SSB Centers are located across India. Some commonly known SSB Centers include Allahabad (Army), Bhopal (Army, Navy, Air Force), Bangalore (Army, Navy, Air Force), and Kapurthala (Army).

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