When a candidate is going to attend SSB Interview, He or she will be put into one of the below given categories.

• Fresher Candidate
• Screen out Candidate
• Conference out Candidate
• Recommended Candidate
• Medical out Candidate
• Merit out Candidate

All candidates other than Fresher , are commonly called with a very popular name i.e. Repeater.

Difference between Fresher, Repeater, Screen out & Merit out Candidates

Candidates have a very common doubt that in which category they will lie. So today we will explain above four terms in details. We start with the type 1 i.e. fresher candidate.

Fresher Candidate in SSB

A candidate that is going to attend SSB Interview first time in his/her life is a fresher candidate. According to SSB Board members, he or she doesn’t know anything about SSB interview testing process. So they will treat him/her in similar way. Each and every single thing will be explained to them before the start of test. So fresher don’t bother about your SSB interview. It is a privilege also. We are calling it a privilege because you don’t having any preconceived idea. You are like a blank paper. Hence you will not have much difficulty in showing the real you.

Screen Out Candidate in SSB

It is 2nd type of candidates appearing for the SSB interview. Those candidates, who attended SSB interview earlier also and rejected on day 1 of SSB interview i.e. screening. Screening is the process that include

• OIR Test

• PPDT (Picture Perception& Description Test) &

• Group Discussion

Screening is the first round of SSB Interview in which around 60-70% candidates will be sent back on same day. Any candidates may have reached up to screening various times .This thing does not matter how many times he/she is screen out. If he/she never reached in stage 2 testing of SSB interview, he/she will be called as screen out candidate.

Conference out Candidate in SSB

This is the 3rd category of the candidates attending SSB interview. These candidates are well aware about the five days SSB Interview procedure. They had undergone the stage 1 and stage 2 testing. These candidates are rejected on 5th day of SSB interview i.e. conference. Hence they are known as conference out candidates. Stage 2 testing of SSB include

Psychology Testing

GTO Testing

Personal Interview

Conference

Recommended Candidate in SSB

This is the 4th and last type of candidates undergoing SSB Interview testing. This is the category of candidates those have successfully undergone through the SSB testing and got recommended on 5th day i.e. conference. These candidates may further be divided into three subtypes.

Medical out Candidate in SSB

Medical out candidates are those candidates who has undergone Medical Examination (6-8 Days) and failed in it due to any medical issue. It may be temporary rejection or permanent rejection. Temporary rejection is given in the case of any medical problem that can be cured or treated within 42 days e.g. overweight, underweight, stone, allergy etc. Permanent rejection is given in the case of any medical problem/diseases that can’t be cured or treated e.g. any serious problem e.g. Color Blindness.

Merit out Candidate in SSB

These are the most unlucky candidates. We are saying so because these candidates have gone through each and every test of SSB interview and successfully passed them but failed to make it to the all India merit list by some marks. All India merit list is made on written marks +Marks in SSB Interview.

Finally Selected Candidate in SSB:

These are the lucky ones who had already joined or joining their training course very soon.

That’s all about the Types of candidates in SSB.

Important Tips for Each Category of Candidates

Each category of SSB candidates has different challenges and advantages. Here are some specific tips to improve your chances of success based on your category:

For Fresher Candidates:

• Keep an open mind and follow instructions carefully.
• Since you don’t have prior experience, avoid overthinking and perform naturally.
• Focus on understanding the test structure before attempting.

For Screen Out Candidates:

• Analyze your mistakes from the screening test. Did you perform poorly in OIR, PPDT, or GD?
• Improve your observation skills and story narration in PPDT.
• Work on GD participation—speak confidently but don’t dominate the discussion.

For Conference Out Candidates:

• Your performance is already good, but you need to work on finer details.
• Analyze feedback from past interviews and refine your psychology and interview responses.
• Engage in structured self-improvement activities like public speaking and personality development.

For Medical Out Candidates:

• Always check the medical requirements before appearing.
• Maintain good physical fitness, proper weight, and overall health.
• If given a temporary rejection, use the 42 days wisely to meet medical standards.

For Merit Out Candidates:

• Improve written exam scores if appearing for entries like NDA/CDS to increase your overall merit rank.
• Focus on polishing your performance in SSB tests to maximize marks.
• Ensure your responses in the interview and GTO tasks are structured and logical.

By understanding your category and preparing accordingly, you can increase your chances of getting recommended and joining the armed forces successfully. 🚀