I have been away from the platform for a couple of weeks now. I really missed writing a lot. Where have I been is a question I will be answering all through this article and hope you will like reading it.

You never know what is gonna happen next :

I am a computer science undergrad who was gonna start a techie life in private sector to join a normal 9 to 5 job. I had applied for job profile of an engineer at Indian Airforce and gave an exam named AFCAT(Airforce Common Admission Test). I also had no idea about applying for the role but a close friend of mine informed me about the same and there was just one day for the forms to close. I applied just a night before and was really unsure about the syllabus and all. Also the exam was 2 3 months away. I just applied out of every other fresher applying to different positions in order to secure a good job. Soon the exam took place and it was so compatible with my course study that I had to put no extra efforts in preparation. The result was soon out on one normal wintry day back at corona times when we were gone back to college.

I happened to cleared both the general and engineering test cutoff and now was the most important part of it i.e. the Service Selection Board(SSB). In these boards, they check that do we have qualities for becoming an officer and it is done through three pronged method of testing. There are centers all over the country for selection in armed forces in India called SSBs. For Afcat exam SSBs, we have four AFSBs(Airforce Selection Boards) here and the place which I chose as my center for testing is 1 AFSB Dehradun which is my city Dehradun only. This way I didn't need to travel like others who were there from several kilometers away(different states of country).

Three Pronged Testing :

Prior to this testing, I would like to tell you all that it is a 5-6 day procedure and either aspirants go back to home on first day after screening(only screened in candidates go further for testing) or after 5th day on getting selected(recommended) or conference out(rejected). On the very first day, we had to report before 6:30 in the morning and there was a general identity verification. Then we were provided breakfast and instructions for the upcoming events. For screening, there were two tests OIR(Officer's Intelligence and Rating Test) and the second one is PP&DT(Picture Perception and Description Test). In OIR, we are given two test of 40 questions each having reasoning and we are given 17 minutes for each of them. Second test is PP&DT in which we are shown a picture for 30 secs and then we are supposed to write an story on the observation we made in it in following 4 minutes. We also have to narrate the same story in the groups of 8 each and then the group has to arrive on an consensus about the story. Those wo pass OIR and also write a factful story as observed from the image, narrate it well and help reaching in consensus about the story get screened in. I got screened in and was happy that I wouldn't be sent back to home after all the previous month preparation and expectations of family.

The first day was really hectic and all over mobile phones and gadgets were taken away on this day only. We all were left with our clothes and other accessories of daily use only. After getting screen in, there was a document check immediately and then we were divided in groups of 8 each. We got along quickly, 8 of us shared rooms together and luckily, my friend was there in my group with whom I registered for this exam. We shared a room and like old times back in college, we got to spend time bouncing around. Actually all 8 of us made friends very quickly and we got along like we already know each other. In the evening we had our first test among the three. We hardly got an hour to take rest and at 5:15pm we all assembled outside the hostel area we were staying in.

I will describe all tests in short :

Psychological Testing :

• It has 4 test in it the first one being TAT(Thematic apperception test) where we were to write 11 stories seeing one image in 30 second then writing story and same for all the others. The 12th one was a blank slide and we had to write a story of our own.

• In this testing only, there were three other tests. Their names being WAT(Word Association Test), SRT(Situation Reaction Test) and SD(Self Description).

• In WAT there were 60 words each flashed on screen for 15 secs and we had to write a sentence for each.

• In SRT, there were 60 different situations given to us and we had to write the first response that comes to our mind for each. We were given 30 mins to finish all of those.

• Psychological testing went on for somewhere form 2.5 to 3 hrs.

• It's hard for me to explain how they assess our minds through these tests but you can google about each one of them and there you can read descriptively about each one of them.

We were there from 6:30 in the morning and the day was called off at 11:00pm with a personal information form filling after the test. We went to our rooms and discussed the day in brief. Tried to know each other and soon went to sleep.

The next day was a break for half of our group while half of us had their interviews scheduled. Each group had one day as break day and it was super boring as we couldn't go out due to rain. It's not like we were allowed to roam out but we had playing time in our schedule and there were great arrangements for the same there. But rain spoiled all of it. We played ludo which we got issued from the authorities there.

Meanwhile we became friends and the bonding was so strong that we wanted all of our group to get recommended. We had this in mind all the time that it would be a historical event if we all from same group got recommended at the SSB.

Interview Day :

The third day was interview day for half of our group. All of us who had interview scheduled got up at 5 in the morning and then got freshen up and ready in the formals with our shirts tucked nicely, ties in place and shoes shining black. We all took breakfast and left to the waiting room after our hostel in-charge addressing us at 6:30. My turn came at about 9'o clock in the morning. To my surprise, I had two interviewers ready to kill me. They made sure to make me comfortable and then rapid fired me with a set of questions ranging from my hometown, family and friends to my professional and personal life in a deeper way. The interview went on for an hour straight and they left no chance to test me about who I am and am I even a truthful person and are my answers in accordance with the self description I wrote in psychological testing.

They also asked questions like what kind of talks you have with your parents, your bond with your brother, about my pet : shedding season and breed and all other things to know me at a personal level. It went hard sometimes when they got fixated at a point to obtain the answer out of me and it was all so sudden and rapid that any person had no chance to frame a lie as an answer for any situation.

The Final Two Days : Group Testing Officer's :

This was the final day and now our group was to be tested for coordination, commanding skills in a group as well as an individual, our communication skills, our discussion skills in a group as well as manners and mannerisms, our keenness to participate in tasks, sharpness to hear the instructions and above all how well we get together as a group and how hard we try to support all others while expressing ourselves.

They had a series of tests planned for the same :

• The first test was Group Discussion in which wasn't to be mistaken for a debate and the ideas were to be put across humbly and in a manner so as not to cut other guys or not let them put their opinion.

• The second test was Group Planning Exercise and it was like we are shown a map for five minutes and the officer described all the locations and objects in it. Then he gave us a situation in which we had to use the resources and locations shown in the map and provide a solution about the same problem. We were explained the problem by officer for five minutes after the map being shown and then we were given 5 minutes to read the problem and have a look at the map at same time. Then we were supposed to write our solution about the same in the next ten minutes. Cadets had to discuss their solutions after it and then had to give a solution with group consensus in 3 minutes. We did everything but were unable to propose a workable group solution.

• It was the time to get our hands dirty now. The next exercise was Progressive Group Task. In this, we had 4 obstacles in front of us and we were given helping materials(a plank, a rope, a wooden rod and a load to carry to other end). We had to propose a solution and entire team was supposed to cross the obstacle. Every obstacle had a start and a finish line and we couldn't touch the ground after the start line and before finish line. We could only bridge those obstacles and make our path to the finish line. It was fun and we had 45 mins for all four of them. We did it with flying colors.

After PGT the day was called off and we were supposed to perform three more tasks on next and final day.

The Conference Day :

It was day of decision. From 6:30am in the morning, we were escorted to Ground Task area for three of our remaining tests and after it, we were supposed to rush for conference where the SSB senior officers would have a final talk with us.

At 7:15 we were ready and the tests were :

• Half Group Task was the first one. We had already participated as a group of 8 in many of the tasks and the purpose of test as told to us was to test the group in halves so that those who couldn't perform or show their skills would now get a fair chance to showcase themselves. The group were divided in two comprising of 4 and 4 members. We were given only one obstacle and we had to do it in 15 minutes.

• Lecturette. In lecturette we were given a chit on which four topics were written. We had to choose one topic and think on it for 3 minutes. Then we were given 3 minutes to speak on it in front of our group. While one reads the next one would go with his chit and utilize those three minutes for analyzing and choosing his topics. The exercise really went well for me and I chose my topic : "Dress Code" which was easiest of all.

• The next task was command task. After diving group in halves, it was time to further analyze each person's skills individually. In this, every person has to be a commander once and was given an obstacle. He could choose any two members from his group for help and was supposed to cross the obstacle with the help of helping material. He could take no intellectual help from the helpers and would only give them commands to bridge the obstacle. Every cadet was commander for 15 minutes. He had to bridge across the obstacle and was supposed to carry the load safely to the finish line.

• This was the last minor task to ease off the tension of performance from our heads. We were again assembled as group and was given a final obstacle to bridge through. We did it nicely.

We went back to our rooms, got dressed up in 15 minutes and were back in the reporting area. All of us were escorted to the waiting room and were called one by one for conference. Conference was a short conversation between management of board and candidates which went on for hardly 1 min. We were all routed to the hall and once all 72 members had their conference, the results were announced.

One day one, there were 227 candidates out of which only 72 got screened in and on the result day only 5 got recommended. It was a proud moment for me when they called out my chest number in front of all other cadets and aspirants. I was one of those 5 chaps who will be having their medicals to check our fitness for the armed forces.

I had a very unique and different aspirant of living in a military establishment and coordinating with people I had known for 5 days only. It was really one of its kind and I was lucky and deserving to have been recommended in the first try only when there were 15 times repeaters competing with me.

Thanks for reading!!!!!

Image source : google images

I have not used many pictures in this article because of the confidentiality and integrity towards my military.