UPSC NDA & NA SSB Interview and Personality Assessment Syllabus

SSB Interview and Personality Assessment syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for SSB Interview and Personality Assessment in UPSC NDA & NA, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Screening Stage (Stage I)

   3 topics

   • Officer Intelligence Rating Test
     • Verbal reasoning
     • Non-verbal reasoning
   • Picture Perception and Description Test
     • Perception of the picture and story writing
     • Narration and group discussion of the story
   • Screening Conference and Selection
2. 2

   Psychological Tests (Stage II)

   4 topics

   • Thematic Apperception Test
     • Story construction from pictures
     • Time management and clarity
   • Word Association Test
     • Spontaneous response to stimulus words
     • Reflecting positive attitude
   • Situation Reaction Test
     • Responding to everyday situations
     • Practical and effective solutions
   • Self Description Test
     • Self-appraisal from various viewpoints
     • Honesty and self-awareness
3. 3

   Group Testing Officer Tasks

   4 topics

   • Group Discussion and Group Planning Exercise
     • Discussion on topical issues
     • Military planning exercise
   • Outdoor Group Tasks
     • Progressive Group Tasks
     • Half Group Task and Group Obstacle Race
     • Command Task
   • Individual Obstacles and Lecturette
     • Individual obstacle course
     • Short individual lecturette
   • Final Group Task
4. 4

   Personal Interview and Officer-Like Qualities

   4 topics

   • The Personal Interview
     • Background, education and motivation
     • Current affairs and general awareness in interview
   • Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs)
     • Effective intelligence and reasoning ability
     • Social adjustment and group influencing
     • Sense of responsibility and determination
   • Conference and Final Recommendation
   • Medical Examination and Standards

SSB Interview and Personality Assessment flashcards for UPSC NDA & NA

19 of 49 cards from the SSB Interview and Personality Assessment deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the full form of SSB in the context of the NDA & NA selection process?

   Services Selection Board.

2. How many stages does the SSB selection process consist of, and what is each called?

   Two stages: Stage I (Screening — OIR test + PP&DT) and Stage II (Psychology, GTO tasks, and Personal Interview, ending with the Conference).

3. How many days does the full SSB testing procedure typically span?

   Five days (Day 1 = Screening/Stage I; Days 2–5 = Stage II psychology, GTO, interview, and conference).

4. What are the three assessors (techniques) that independently evaluate a candidate at SSB?

   The Psychologist, the Group Testing Officer (GTO), and the Interviewing Officer (IO).

5. What does OIR stand for in the SSB screening test?

   Officer Intelligence Rating test.

6. What two types of questions make up the OIR test?

   Verbal reasoning and non-verbal (spatial/figure) reasoning questions.

7. On the basis of which two screening components is a candidate's screening (OIR rating) decided in Stage I?

   The OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating) test and the Picture Perception & Description Test (PP&DT) performance combined.

8. What does PP&DT stand for in the SSB screening stage?

   Picture Perception and Description Test.

9. For how many seconds is the picture shown to candidates in the PP&DT before they write their story?

   30 seconds (the picture is shown for about 30 seconds).

10. After viewing the picture in PP&DT, how much time is given to write the story, and what details about the main character must be noted?

    About 4 minutes to write the story; candidates note the number of characters, and the main character's age, sex, and mood.

11. In PP&DT, what happens after candidates write their individual stories?

    A group discussion is held where each candidate first narrates their own story, then the group discusses to arrive at a common story.

12. At the end of Stage I screening, candidates are sorted into which two outcomes?

    Screened-in (retained for Stage II) and screened-out (sent home the same day).

13. What does the psychological testing battery at SSB consist of (name the four tests)?

    Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), and Self Description Test (SDT).

14. What does TAT stand for and what is its purpose?

    Thematic Apperception Test; it is a projective test where candidates write stories about shown pictures to reveal their personality and attitudes.

15. How many pictures are shown in the TAT, and what is special about the last one?

    11 pictures are shown — 10 are actual pictures and the 11th is a blank slide on which the candidate writes a story of their own choice.

16. In TAT, for how long is each picture shown and how much time is given to write each story?

    Each picture is shown for about 30 seconds, followed by about 4 minutes to write the story.

17. What does WAT stand for in SSB psychology testing?

    Word Association Test.

18. How many words are shown in the WAT, for how long each, and what must the candidate do?

    60 words are shown, each for about 15 seconds, and the candidate writes the first sentence/thought that comes to mind for each.

19. What does SRT stand for and what does it assess?

    Situation Reaction Test; it assesses how a candidate reacts to everyday and challenging real-life situations, revealing practical decision-making and Officer Like Qualities.

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