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How to Prepare for CDS SSB Interview?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

The CDS SSB Interviews are fast approaching and is the 2nd and most important step of the selection process. The CDS SSB interviews will test the students on their basic aptitude, general awareness, their overall personality, and also the personality a candidate carries when he or she presents himself or herself. In this article, we have provided the CDS SSB preparation tips for the upcoming examination.

CDS SSB Interviews

The CDS SSB interviews are mandatory if one aspires to qualify for this exam. A lot of students wonder about how to prepare for CDS SSB interviews. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CDS Exam for admissions to the Indian Military, Naval, and Air Force Academy which will pave your way to the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.

The exam is conducted in offline mode. The whole selection process is divided into two stages. The written exam and the CDS SSB interview. Also, the CDS SSB interview is further conducted in two stages. The Psychological Aptitude Test and The Intelligence Test. The number of seats is around 450. The first round tests the candidate in three areas, which are English, General Knowledge, and Elementary Mathematics.

How to Prepare for CDS SSB?

Candidates who qualify in all three papers make it to the interview. The CDS SSB interviews are just on the doorsteps and it’s time to pull up your socks and get ready to ace the interviews. Our interview preparation plan caters specifically to SSB and can assist you how to prepare for the CDS SSB interview and make the best out of the time at hand. Here we are sharing some of the best strategies to crack the CDS SSB interview on the first attempt.

Best Strategy to Crack CDS SSB Interview

The CDS SSB interview is a 5-day process. This lengthy process tests you on multiple aspects like your overall personality, teamwork, and your basic outlook towards life in general. Knowledge plays an important role in the CDS SSB interview process but your personality takes the driver’s seat in the whole process.

  • Take up situations and try out various solutions to those situations. Imagining ends and developing solutions are important in building up your convergent and divergent thinking skills. This will build in your creative cells and will prepare you to take on challenges and then come out of them in multiple ways.

  • Teamwork is really important. You should build up your social skills by interacting with different people. This will build your confidence and you will get to know multiple perspectives on a common topic or issue. This will build your understanding of multiple subjects and you will emerge as a confident and well-informed person. Interpersonal communication skills will help you get through Group Discussions and other group exercises.

  • Building your general awareness and general knowledge is important for CDS SSB interview. The interviewer will test you on both static general knowledge and current affairs. A well-prepared candidate would be one who has an aggregate picture of all the domains i.e. business, economics, politics, etc.

  • Analyze your strengths and weaknesses. This is the most important point to remember for your CDS SSB interview. You should work on your weaknesses and build a concrete wall around your strengths. Suppose you are well versed in current affairs, your focus should now be on building your personality and working on how to present yourself in the CDS SSB interview.

  • Read answers on Quora where people share their interview experiences. These answers provide valuable insights on how to tackle a particular question and how to conduct yourself during an interview

  • Personality building and group exercises will bring out the best in you and make your interview ready. Take the help of experts and mentors through CDS SSB interview online coaching to structure your preparation.
  • Reading books can be a very effective tool to improve your vocabulary.
  • Physical fitness is also taken into consideration when you are planning to make your entry into the defense industry. Exercise regularly. A healthy and fit person leaves a lasting impression on the interviewer.

CDS SSB Interview Process

To plan out a better strategy for CDS SSB interview preparation, one must be aware of the rounds which are conducted during the interview. Knowing the SSB Interview round details before the interview will prove to be of great help as you can work out the skills required accordingly.

Day

Rounds conducted

Insights

Day 1

The Screening Round

Two tests are conducted: Officers’ Intelligence and Rating-test (OIR) and Picture Perception and Descriptive Test (PPDT)

An elimination round as you have to qualify these two rounds to move to the other rounds

Day 2

The Psychological Aptitude Round

Four tests for about 2 hours: Thematic Apperception Test, Word Association Test, Situation Reaction Test and Self-Description Test

Aims to check your creativity and presentation skills

Day 3

Group Exercise

Conducted by a Group Testing Officer (GTO)

Set of 9 tests which may include Obstacle Races, Group Discussions etc.

Test of teamwork and endurance

Day 4

Group Exercise and Interview

Questions asked based on the Personnel Information Questionnaire

A panel headed by a senior officer

Day 5

Conference

Final day for all except the AFA candidates

Introduction session- Introduced to the Board of Officers

Day 6 (Only applicable to AFA Candidates)

Pilot Aptitude and Battery Test (PABT)

Aptitude test to be a pilot

An all-around vamping of your personality has to be done to clear the process with flying colors. All the rounds will have to be tackled independently and will need a lot of hard work.

Preparation Tips for CDS SSB Interview Process

The round-wise CDS SSB interview preparation tips have been given below for you to work on:

1. Screening Round – This is an elimination round as candidates who will qualify in this round will be moving ahead. This round tests your reasoning skills and creativity.

  • Work on building your convergent and divergent reasoning skills by practicing basic reasoning questions on patterns, critical reasoning, arrangements, etc. Solve 50 questions every day.
  • Search for random pictures on the internet and try writing at least 5 points on what you feel about the picture. This will bring out the hidden creativity in you.

2. The Psychological Aptitude Round – This round judges you on the type of person you are, your emotional quotient, things that drive you, things which you give in too easily, etc.

  • The only key to success in this round is to build your comprehension skills and practice writing stories on pictures.
  • Building in your vocabulary will take you a long way. The WAT round is all about words. The more words you know, the better you perform. You can buy cue-cards or make them on your own by taking one alphabet every day and randomly picking out words starting with the same alphabet.
  • Practice various case studies available online. This will help you in reaching conclusions and provide necessary solutions to various situations.
  • Also, knowing yourself is the key. Face your weaknesses and accept them. You should know what you like before the interviewer gets to know it.

3. Group Exercise – This round will test how you behave in a team and how well you present your interpersonal skills.

  • Interact. Interact with everyone you meet. Be it your driver, your colleague or anyone you come across in general. Interacting with people will give you a perspective on other people’s opinions.
  • Participate in discussions at your lunch table, cafeteria, etc.

4. Interview – This round is the ultimate tester. An interview is conducted so that the panelist gets to know the real you.

  • The mirror technique always helps. Stand in front of the mirror and ask questions. If you can face yourself, you can face any interviewer.
  • Ask people around you to ask questions and judge you on your answers. Constructive criticism has always been the best way to go about things.
  • Work on your vocabulary
  • Read various interviews on Quora or any other recommendations platform, pose the same questions to yourself and answer those. Be honest with your answer.
  • Know your strengths and weaknesses well as the interviewer might pose questions on why you behave a particular way etc.

Your main focus should be on your comprehension skills. You should brush up on your social skills to be in the game. One can easily ace the CDS SSB interviews with confidence and a little effort.

Conclusion on CDS SSB Interviews

The candidates who are shortlisted in the CDS SSB interview are then introduced to the Board of Officers. After that, the candidates have to clear some basic medical tests which mark the end of the selection process. The marks scored on the written test are also considered while making the final decision.

Confidence is the key to all good things in life. Stay confident and work hard. Everything else will fall in place. Brush up your general awareness to have an overview of the things going around you. Also, how you present yourself must be in sync with your psychometric answers. Be yourself. Speak up with utmost surety as the interviewer is looking for the real you in you.

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