Dear, fellow defence aspirants! I’m Satyam Pandey, and I’d like to share my journey of surpassing all odds and clearing the SSB Interview (Services Selection Board). It’s been a long road, filled with ups and downs, but I finally reached my destination through perseverance, hard work and dedication.  

I started preparing for the SSB during my final year as a civil engineering student. My first attempt was in April 2022, where I was “conference out” and eventually same performance for the next four attempts. 

At first, I was totally disheartened and felt miserable, but I knew I had to keep pushing myself. In my own assessment, I knew I had to work hard on psychological assessment, as a result I started working on my observation skills, practiced OIR, and refined my perception of the picture-based tests. 

Since those initial setbacks, I haven’t been screened out again. But with each step forward, comes with a new set of challenges. It was clear that getting through the initial screening was just the beginning and real test lies post screening-In. Thereafter, as a matter of fact, I got “conference out” another five times, but this time I was surrounded by like-minded friends. Some of them got recommended, and I learned a lot from them.  

My assessment is that, SSB is all about those 15 Officer Like Qualities (OLQs). In order to succeed, you need to demonstrate these qualities to three independent assessors in the SSB Interview. 

The key for repeaters is to gain Insights of your personality and evolve on each passing day by working on those lapses.

After unsuccessful 10 attempts, there was no turning back for me. I was determined to achieve my dream and I worked even harder on my psychological assessment by writing nearly 20 stories, and I practiced 05 Word Association Tests (WAT) and Situation Reaction Tests (SRT) every day. 

For the personal interview part, I systematically prepared my Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) and Common Interview Questions (CIQ). As for the Group Testing Officer (GTO) tasks, I realized that teamwork, initiative and problem-solving are crucial. Your focus should always be on finding the best solutions for the group. 

Finally, on April 20, 2024, two years after my first attempt, I got recommended from the 22 SSB Bhopal through the SSC (Tech) 63 Entry Scheme. It was an incredible moment for me, a fruitful result which culminated with years of hard work and perseverance. 

So, if you’re on the journey to wear the uniform, it’s all about persistence, learning from your mistakes- learn, unlearn and relearn, and never give up Attitude. Keep working on you, stay calm and stay focussed. 

Your success is just a matter of time. Good luck!