What is Seen in a Candidate in SSB Interview? | Preparation Tips for SSB Interview - CDS PDF Download

Candidates often ask me at the end of all the tests what assessors look for during the selection process. It's unfortunate that they don't even know what they're being tested on. This chapter will cover the 15 qualities known as Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) that are assessed in the Services Selection Boards. By the way, all three assessors evaluate these same 15 qualities using their respective tools and techniques as described in later chapters. Therefore, it's important for candidates to understand what is observed at the SSB.

Factor I: Planning and Organizing

• Effective Intelligence (EI): This is the ability to find practical solutions to problems. It differs from basic intelligence measured by verbal and non-verbal tests. EI focuses on your problem-solving skills and ability to handle everyday challenges.
• Reasoning Ability (RA): It refers to the capacity to understand a given situation and reach logical conclusions through rational thinking. RA assesses your receptiveness, inquisitive nature, logical reasoning, and ability to identify the essence of a problem.
• Organising Ability (OA): It involves the systematic utilization of resources to achieve effective results. Assessors are interested in how you employ various resources to produce outcomes.
• Power of Expression (POE): It is the ability to adequately and clearly communicate one's ideas.

Factor II: Social Adjustment

• Social Adaptability (SA): It is the ability to adapt to the social environment and interact well with individuals and social groups. Assessors focus on your adaptability to group members, your interactions with them and the assessors, as well as your tactfulness in dealing with others.
• Cooperation (Co): It is the willingness to participate harmoniously with others in a group to achieve common goals. Being a team player is crucial, and individual goals should be secondary to group objectives. Assessors will closely observe your teamwork attitude.
• Sense of Responsibility (SOR): It involves understanding the importance of duty, social norms, and expectations placed on an individual, and willingly giving one's energy and attention to them. Assessors want to determine if you comprehend your responsibilities as a child, student, and citizen. They also assess whether you understand social standards and expectations, and if you consistently give your best effort without needing reminders. For example, if you perform poorly in school or college without a valid reason, it suggests a low sense of responsibility. As a student, your duty is to study hard, and failing to do so indicates a lack of responsibility.

Factor III: Social Effectiveness

• Initiative (Inv): It is the ability to originate an action. The assessors see if you take the lead in the right direction and sustain it till the result is achieved.
• Self Confidence (SC): It is the faith in your own abilities to meet stressful and unfamiliar situations.
• Speed of Decision (SOD): It is the ability to arrive at a workable decision quickly. There are two components of this namely, appropriateness of the decision and quickness in arriving at the decision.
• Ability to Influence the Group (AIG): It is the ability of a person to influence others in the group to achieve the objectives set by him/her. What is seen is, if you can convince others to do things willingly that you want them to do without use of any force.
• Liveliness (Liv): It is the capacity of a person to remain calm and cheerful when faced with difficulties, and bring about a cheerful atmosphere in the group. What is seen is, if you get unduly worried or disturbed when faced with difficult situations.

Factor IV: Dynamic

• Determination (Det): It is the ability to exert sustained effort to achieve objectives despite obstacles and setbacks. Assessors look for focus, concentration, and consistent work towards goals.
• Courage (Cou): It is the ability to recognize and take purposeful risks. It's important to take calculated risks after careful thought, rather than making impulsive decisions that could endanger others' lives. Thus, the emphasis is on "calculated risks when necessary."
• Stamina (Sta): It is the capacity to endure prolonged physical and mental strain. It includes both physical and mental endurance.

Subsequent chapters will provide a brief description of how these qualities are assessed.