Personal Interview is very important part of SSB Interview Testing. It is a one to one interaction or better say “chit-chat”. One will be the candidate and 2nd one will be the interviewing officer (IO). Your subject knowledge, general knowledge or IQ is not testing during Personal Interview. It is just a cross check of your filled PIQ and match of Psychology Test report that you are honest & aware about yourself and surroundings or not. We are calling it a chit chat because the IO will make you feel comfortable with light questions e.g.
What you were doing before entering in this room ?
What you were doing in the waiting room? Watching TV ?
One thing, you should keep in mind is that IO will be having your PIQ (Personal Information Questionnaire) on his table. So don’t ever try to make him fool by telling wrong facts about you and your education/hobbies/achievements etc.
True speaking, personal interview is not a test. It is just a formal talk about you & with you. You have to answer questions about you and your life and past. But still for most of the candidates, facing Interview is not less than a nightmare. Some obvious reasons are given below.
SSB Personal Interview
During whole interview, the interviewing officer will remain busy in writing something on a paper. This “something” is your future at SSB centre i.e. personal interview report. He/she will write your personal interview report according to your answers. SSB board members will cross check your answers with your psychology report and GTO report.
One very important point about PI is that sometimes IO will show you that he/she is not listening to what you are saying, but it is just an illusion created by him. He is listening to every single word of your answer. That’s why he/she is an IO.
Schedule & Procedure of Personal Interview
Personal interview schedule is not fixed as other tests at SSB Centre. You may be called for your personal Interview on day 1 after screening, or on day 2/3/4. At Air Force Selection Board, candidates are informed in well advance about their personal interview .In Army SSB & Navy SSB, sometimes candidates get information in well advance and sometimes at a short notice. So remain be prepared in advance for your personal interview.
Personal interview procedure is very simple. Usually 10 to 15 candidates get personal interview schedule on same day. Personal interview mostly conducted in evening time after that day’s testing are over. The time duration of personal interview is not fixed .It may last for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Personal Interview Questions
Now we will talk about the type of questions. He/she will create new questions from your answers of previous question. Some questions are fixed and commonly asked from most of the candidates. These are known as rapid fire questions. It is a series of 6-10 questions. IO will fire these questions at once and then will ask u to answer all one after the other. Some common rapid fire questions are given below:
Q1- Tell about yourself.
Q2- Tell about your family, friends and yourself.
Q3- Tell about your education starting from schooling.
Q4- Tell about your collage.
Q5- Tell about your 10+2/ Graduation/Post Graduation subjects/stream and reason of choosing it.
Q6- Tell about your hometown, home state etc.
We will bring more such questions with sample answer in upcoming posts. You will get help in getting complete idea of personal Interview in SSB well before facing it. This will help you in facing it with full confidence because after reading all, you will be familiar with all question and already had prepared answer in mind. So you need not to worry. Just relax and keep reading our articles.
Mastering the Art of Personal Interview at SSB
To excel in the SSB personal interview, candidates should focus on confidence, honesty, and clarity. Here are some practical strategies to enhance your interview performance:
1. Understanding the IO’s Perspective
- The Interviewing Officer (IO) is not there to intimidate but to assess your personality.
- He/she evaluates your ability to handle pressure, articulate thoughts, and maintain composure.
- Even if a question seems irrelevant, answer it with sincerity, as it might be a test of patience.
2. Dressing and Grooming Etiquette
- Wear a formal outfit (light-colored shirt, dark trousers, polished shoes for men; formal attire for women).
- Maintain neat grooming, with trimmed hair and clean-shaven (for men) or neatly tied hair (for women).
3. Handling Rapid-Fire Questions Effectively
- Note down the sequence of questions mentally before answering.
- Take a deep breath and structure your response systematically.
- If you forget any question, politely ask for a repeat.
4. How to Tackle Tricky or Unexpected Questions
- Be honest; do not fabricate answers to impress.
- If unsure about a fact-based question, acknowledge it and show a willingness to learn.
- Keep your responses crisp and to the point.
5. Final Tips for a Lasting Impression
- Keep a calm and composed demeanor.
- Maintain eye contact and smile subtly.
- Always conclude with a polite “Thank you, sir/madam.”
Mastering these aspects will significantly boost your chances of leaving a positive impact during the personal interview at SSB.
