SSB Interview Process — Complete 5-Day Selection Guide

Learn what happens on each day of SSB and how candidates are assessed across screening, psychology, GTO, interview, and conference stages.

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What is SSB Interview Process?

The SSB interview is a 5-day selection process. This is the only process through which all the tri-services, the Army, the Navy and the Air Forces, select the candidates at the officer level.
The purpose of the test is to check the candidate, the trainability of the candidate and, overall, his ability to perform the duty assigned to him as an officer. The whole SSB Interview process is based on Officer Like Qualities.
Unlike written exams, SSB focuses on how a candidate thinks, behaves, communicates, and performs in real situations. For that, a series of tests are conducted in three different categories: psychological tests, group tasks, and personal interviews.

Overview of 5 Days SSB Process

Screening Test

OIR and PPDT

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Psychology Tests

TAT, WAT, SRT, SDT

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GTO Tasks

Group Testing & outdoors

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Personal Interview

Interview with IO

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Conference Round

Final Assessment

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Day-wise SSB Process

Detailed breakdown of what happens on each day

The screening test is the first stage of elimination in SSB. A large number of candidates are screened out on this day.
The Screening Test is divided into two parts:
1. OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating Test): A set of verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions to assess basic intelligence, speed, and accuracy.
2. PPDT (Picture Perception and Discussion Test): This test is further divided into three parts:
Candidates observe a picture, write a story, narrate it to a group of 15, and participate in a group discussion to reach a final group story.
This stage evaluates the candidate’s potential to advance to the next (main) stage.


Only candidates who clear the screening move to the next stage.

Learn complete Screening Test →

Psychology tests are conducted on Day 2. The tests are designed to assess the candidate’s subconscious thinking.
These are written tests conducted under time pressure:
1. TAT (Thematic Apperception Test): Write stories based on images.
2. WAT (Word Association Test): Write responses to words quickly.
3. SRT (Situation Reaction Test): Respond to real-life situations.
4. Self Description (SD): Describe yourself based on what others think of you.
These tests reveal the candidate’s actual thought process under time pressure.
There are no right or wrong answers — only natural responses matter.


Learn Psychology Tests in detail →

GTO (Group Testing Officer) tasks are group-based activities conducted on Days 3 and 4.

These tasks evaluate how a candidate behaves and performs in a group environment.

A total of 9 tasks are included in the Group Testing:

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

Focus is on behaviour, not just performance.

Explore GTO Tasks →

The personal interview is a one-on-one interaction with the Interviewing Officer (IO).
It is usually conducted between Day 2 and Day 4.
The interview is based on your PIQ (Personal Information Questionnaire) and includes:

Personal background questions
Education and family
Situational and opinion-based questions
Rapid-fire questions
This stage evaluates:
Confidence
Honesty
Self-awareness
Communication

The interview is not about perfect answers, but about a genuine personality.


Understand Personal Interview →

The conference is the final stage of SSB, where all assessors come together to make the final decision.
During this round:
You appear before a panel of officers
You are asked a few basic questions
Your overall performance is discussed
Final decision is based on:
Consistency across all tests
Overall personality
Recommendations of assessors
This is where the final recommendation is given.


Understand Conference Round →

How SSB Evaluation Works

SSB uses a multi-dimensional evaluation system where candidates are assessed continuously across all stages

Continuous Assessment

SSB assessment is based on the candidate’s overall consistency across activities conducted during the 5-day process. Instead of judging a single test.

Multiple Assessors

Three independent assessors: a psychologist, a GTO, and an Interviewing Officer, evaluate different aspects of personality separately and then combine their observations.

Overall Performance

No single test determines the result. The final recommendation is based on consistent performance across all stages and the overall display of OLQs.

Selection in SSB is not about excelling in one test, but about demonstrating consistent officer-like qualities across all situations.

Role of Officer Like Qualities (OLQs)

OLQs are the foundation of every assessment in SSB

The 15 Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs) form the complete evaluation framework for SSB. Every activity — from psychology tests to GTO tasks to the personal interview — is designed to surface evidence of these qualities in natural, unprompted behaviour.
Assessors don’t look for perfection in all 15 qualities. They look for a sufficient number of OLQs at a level indicating that an individual can be trained for officer-level responsibility.

OLQs are not tested directly — they are observed through your actions, decisions, and responses across all stages.

FACTOR – I PLANNING & ORGANISING

  1. Effective Intelligence
  2. Reasoning Ability
  3. Organising Ability
  4. Power of Expression

FACTOR – II SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

  1. Social Adaptability
  2. Cooperation
  3. Sense of Responsibility

FACTOR – III SOCIAL EFFECTIVENESS

  1. Initiative
  2. Self Confidence
  3. Speed of Decision
  4. Ability to Influence the Group
  5. Liveliness

FACTOR – IV DYNAMIC

  1. Determination
  2. Courage
  3. Stamina
Explore All 15 OLQs in Details

Frequently Asked Questions About SSB Process

Common doubts asked by NDA aspirants preparing for the written exam and SSB interview.

The SSB Interview Process is a 5-day officer selection procedure conducted for officer entry into the Indian Armed Forces. The whole SSB is based on Officer-Like qualities (OLQs). The whole process is divided into three main tests: Psychological Tests, GTO Tasks and Personal Interview.

The Screening Test is conducted on Day 1. The test is divided into two parts: the Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) Test and the Picture Perception and Discussion Test (PPDT). Candidates who clear the screening move to the next stage of SSB.

Psychological tests are written tests conducted on Day 2. The purpose of the test is to assess the candidate’s subconscious thinking. The test includes: Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT), Word Association Test (WAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT) and Self-Description Test (SDT).

The GTO or Group Testing tasks are organised on Days 3 and 4 of the SSB process. There is a series of 9 tasks conducted. Some are indoor, and the rest are outdoors. The purpose of the test is to assess the candidate’s behavioural pattern in a Group.

Conference is the final stage of the SSB Interview, where all three assessors, the Psychologist, Group Testing Officer and Interviewing Officer sit together and discuss the candidate’s overall performance before giving the final recommendation decision.

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