UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) SSB Interview and Personality Assessment Syllabus

What does SDT stand for and what is its purpose?

SDT stands for Self Description Test (also called Self-Appraisal Test); it asks the candidate to write their own honest assessment of how they are perceived by others and how they see themselves.

Whose opinions must a candidate write about in the SDT?

The opinions of (1) parents/guardians, (2) friends, (3) teachers/superiors/employers, and (4) the candidate's own opinion of themselves — plus the kind of person they want to become.

List the five psychological tests conducted by the psychologist in the SSB.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), Self Description Test (SDT) — and in screening, the PPDT story writing.

Who conducts the GTO (Group Testing Officer) tasks and over how many days?

The Group Testing Officer conducts them, typically spread over two days (GTO Day 1 and GTO Day 2) of the Stage II testing.

List the nine GTO (Group Testing) tasks.

1) Group Discussion, 2) Group Planning Exercise (GPE), 3) Progressive Group Task (PGT), 4) Half Group Task (HGT), 5) Lecturette, 6) Individual Obstacles, 7) Command Task, 8) Final Group Task (FGT), and the Group Obstacle Race (Snake Race).

What is the Group Discussion (GD) in GTO tasks, and how many discussions are usually held?

It is an informal, unstructured discussion on given topics where no leader is appointed; usually two GDs are held — the first on a choice of topics, the second on an allotted topic.

What is the Group Planning Exercise (GPE) also known as, and what are its phases?

Also called the Military Planning Exercise. Phases: model/map explanation by GTO, reading of the narrative, 5 minutes individual written solution, individual narration, group discussion to reach a common plan, and a group representative explaining the agreed plan.

What is the Progressive Group Task (PGT) and how many obstacles does it usually have?

PGT is the first outdoor group task where the group crosses a set of obstacles (usually 4) of progressively increasing difficulty using helping materials (plank, rope, balli), keeping rules in mind.

What three structures/colours are typically used to mark rules in PGT obstacles?

Start line and finish line; out-of-bound (colour-coded, e.g. red = out of bounds for men and material) areas; and rules about the load, plank, and balli (e.g. plank cannot bridge beyond its length).

Name the standard rules that apply to most GTO outdoor tasks.

Group rule (stay together where required), colour rule (don't touch out-of-bound red areas), distance/rule of plank and balli (cannot bridge gaps beyond their length), and the load must be carried across as instructed.

What is the Half Group Task (HGT)?

A task similar to PGT but with the group split into two halves, so each smaller group crosses one obstacle; it lets the GTO observe candidates who were less visible in the full-group PGT.

What are the Individual Obstacles, and how many are there?

A set of ten (10) individual obstacles numbered 1–10 (by difficulty/points) that each candidate attempts alone within a fixed time (usually 3 minutes), scoring the point value of each obstacle cleared.

How is scoring done in the Individual Obstacles task?

Each obstacle carries points equal to its number (1 to 10); a candidate earns the points of each obstacle successfully completed, and may repeat obstacles to maximise the score within the time limit.

What is the Command Task in GTO testing?

A task where each candidate, acting as commander, is given an obstacle to cross with the help of subordinates (helpers) they call; it assesses leadership, command, planning and the ability to use resources.

What does the Command Task primarily assess about a candidate?

Leadership ability, self-confidence, decision-making, organising/cooperation skills, and how the candidate behaves in a position of authority while commanding subordinates.

What is the Lecturette?

An individual task where each candidate picks one topic from a card of four topics, gets about 3 minutes to prepare, and then speaks extempore for about 3 minutes on the chosen topic before the group.

What is the standard timing of the Lecturette?

About 3 minutes of preparation after choosing one topic from four, followed by a roughly 3-minute extempore talk.

What is the Final Group Task (FGT)?

The last outdoor group task, similar to PGT, where the whole group crosses one obstacle together; it gives a final opportunity for candidates to demonstrate group effort and Officer-Like Qualities.

What is the Group Obstacle Race (Snake Race)?

A competitive race where groups carry a rolled tent (the 'snake') across a series of obstacles, following rules, testing team spirit, stamina, cooperation and competitive determination.

Who conducts the Personal Interview at the SSB, and roughly how long does it last?

The Interviewing Officer (IO), usually the President or Deputy President of the board, conducts it; it lasts from about 40 minutes to over an hour depending on the candidate.

What document forms the basis of many Personal Interview questions?

The PIQ (Personal Information Questionnaire) form filled by the candidate, covering family, education, hobbies, achievements, games/sports and personal background.

What is the 'Rapid Fire' technique sometimes used in the Personal Interview?

The IO asks several questions in quick succession (a single long question or rapid set) to test the candidate's listening, composure, presence of mind and ability to answer multiple points logically.

What is the Conference (Board Conference) at the end of the SSB?

The final stage where all assessors (IO, GTO, Psychologist and President) meet, discuss each candidate, and collectively decide recommendation; the candidate briefly appears before the full board.

Which three assessors independently assess each candidate at the SSB?

The Interviewing Officer (IO), the Group Testing Officer (GTO), and the Psychologist — each assesses independently before the Conference.

What are the three broad factors/clusters of Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs) used in SSB assessment?

Factor I – Planning and Organising (effective intelligence, reasoning, organising, power of expression); Factor II – Social Adjustment (social adaptability, cooperation, sense of responsibility); Factor III – Social Effectiveness (initiative, self-confidence, speed of decision, ability to influence the group, liveliness) plus Factor IV – Dynamism and Determination (courage, stamina, etc.).

How many Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs) are assessed at the SSB?

Fifteen (15) OLQs, grouped under four factors, are assessed across the interview, psychology and GTO tasks.

Name the four OLQs under Factor I (Planning and Organising).

Effective Intelligence, Reasoning Ability, Organising Ability, and Power of Expression.

Name the OLQs under Factor II (Social Adjustment).

Social Adaptability, Cooperation, and Sense of Responsibility.

Name the OLQs under Factor III (Social Effectiveness).

Initiative, Self-Confidence, Speed of Decision, Ability to Influence the Group, and Liveliness.

Name the OLQs under Factor IV (Dynamism / Determination).

Determination, Courage, and Stamina.

Which assessment technique is common to both Stage I and Stage II of the SSB, and how do they differ?

Group Discussion on a perceived story — in Stage I it follows the PPDT (narrating and discussing the picture story); in Stage II GTO tasks the GDs are on social/abstract topics rather than a picture story.

Compare TAT and WAT in terms of stimulus and response.

TAT uses ambiguous pictures (11, including a blank) requiring a full written story per slide; WAT uses single words (60) requiring one quick sentence each. TAT projects deeper personality themes; WAT captures spontaneous attitude.

Compare PGT and Command Task in terms of leadership focus.

PGT is a cooperative group task with no appointed leader, assessing teamwork and group functioning; the Command Task makes one candidate the commander with helpers, directly assessing individual leadership and command ability.

What is the key difference between the Lecturette and the Group Discussion as GTO tasks?

The Lecturette is an individual extempore talk on a self-chosen topic (assessing confidence and expression), while the Group Discussion is a collective, unstructured exchange assessing social effectiveness and the ability to influence a group.