An Introduction to NDA SSB Interview

Every year lakhs of defence aspirants appear in the NDA exam which is the common entrance test for securing a position in Army, Navy and Airforce services after completing 12th standard or an equivalent from a recognized board. Once an aspirant has qualified the written exam and passed the cutoff, they receive a call /letter of selection from the UPSC. The Services Selection Board conducts a five-six day interview for the shortlisted candidates called NDA SSB. It is an intelligence and personality test conducted to check a candidate’s mental strength, general awareness and passion towards serving the nation. The exam takes place twice a year, first between January - April & then September - December respectively. NDA aspirants are looking forward to November for the Join Indian Army Recruitment 2019.

Below are the documents you must have for appearing in the NDA SSB exam - 1. Matriculation certificates2. Identity and Address Proof3. ST/SC/ OBC Certificate

Eligibility:

The students who want to join the air force through NDA have to qualify the PABT (Pilot Aptitude Test) and Computerized Pilot Selection System (CPSS). Your age should fall between 16 ½ to 19 ½ years. Those who are selected in the NDA SSB interviews and further in army or air force wing join the national defence academy. On the other hand, the candidate selected in the Naval academy undertakes 4-year B.tech training. If you join Indian Army Recruitment 2019, it will take you three years to become a commissioned officer.

Last year candidates:

The students who were rejected due to any medical reasons last year and now fulfil the requirements can reappear in the NDA SSB exam. Conversely, if you are were disqualified because of behavioural issues, you can’t take the exam again. The engineering graduates(B.E., B.tech) can Join Indian Navy Recruitment 2019 via CDS exam.

The 5 days interview consists of these sections - 1. OIR Test 2. WAT 3. SRT 4. EKT 5. Current Affairs

Now that you have understood the pattern and process of NDA SSB exam, here is how you can crack it -

1. Honesty - Along with having a brilliant mind, you should have strong morals and ethics to stand out. On the day of reporting all candidates are asked to fill the personal detail forms. Be patient and fill the form without a single error. If you fake anything in the form, the consequences will be severe. During the one-to-one interview, your sexuality, ethnicity, religion might be questioned; it is important to your cool. Such topics need to be addressed with diplomacy. All the interrogation is done by the examiner to assess your personality; it ensures you are here to serve the nation and not for the benefits a defence job provides. It is crucial that you know about the pressing issues in the country, India’s relations with the other surrounding nations and the situation of the defence.
2. Stay Calm - Before the psychology test, you might overthink and worry yourself to death. It is counterintuitive. OIR test requires a lot of brainstorming on your part. The candidates are shown flashcards with vague imagery. They have to describe the image using a pen and paper. Later, also asked to create a story combining the ideas of every candidate in the batch. In the WAT test, you simply state what strikes your mind after reading a word placed in front of you for 15 seconds. These tests are conducted to check both your communication and creative skills.
3. Cooperation - How well you manage to work with others plays a central role in the latter part of your five-day evaluation process. In group discussion tasks, the officers are looking for a leader in the candidates. If you keep valid arguments forward and present your ideas in a way the other candidates in your batch agree with, you show leadership. Creating an understanding with the other candidates and cooperating with the authorities is an impressive quality in the eyes of examiner.

Follow these three tips and you will certainly perform well in your interview. As soon as you are accepted by the SSB broad after successfully clearing the interview, you are ready to be moulded into a commissioned officer. Those who recently appeared in the JEE mains exams can Join Indian Navy Recruitment 2019 despite not attempting written NDA exam.

I am a passionate writer and I believe that studying can be a major hurdle, so I love to write about useful educational tips for students.