The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is the maritime Para Military Force (PMF) of the Union of India operating under the Ministry of Defence. ICG officers selection is similar to SSB and is conducted in two phases. Phase 1 is called Preliminary Selection Board (PSB) which is similar to SSB screening tests. Phase 2 is called Final Selection Board (FSB) that includes Psychology Tests, GTO Tasks, Personal Interview and Conference. PSB centers are located at Noida. FSB center is located only at Noida. Candidates are called for screening test at any one of the PSB centers. Shortlisted candidates from PSB are instructed to report at the FSB center for further testing at a later date.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)- Commonly known as Picture Story writing. TAT is very similar to PPDT, but here the candidates are shown clear pictures, in which the candidate has to observe it for 30 seconds then needs to write a story on it in four minutes. There are total 12 slides are shown, 11 slides will be shown one by one i.e. after 4 minutes and 30 seconds the next slide will appear. There will be only one answer booklet for all the psychological tests, and will be provided only once, no supplementary sheets are provided. The twelfth slide will be a blank slide where a candidate is supposed to write any story of his own choice. But here candidates will not be marking the number of characters and related information, also there will be no group discussion on it. Word Association Test (WAT) WAT is the second psychological test of SSB selection process, in this test the candidates are shown a word on a screen for a period of 15 seconds, in this time duration the candidate has to write the first thought that comes in his/her mind for that word. Total 60 words will be shown one after another( i.e. between each word the gap will be of 15 seconds).
The answer sheets will be provided to candidates only once, candidates are required to make no mistakes such as unnecessary cutting or scribbling. There will be no blank slide, as in the case of TAT, so candidates should not write any response on a blank slide. The words shown will be very simple and of day to day use, this test will not assess the candidates' proficiency in English language. If a candidate is not aware of meaning of a certain words he can skip that word and wait for next word to flash, and write the response for the next word. The main idea is to maintain the sequence of responses given to the word, the maintenance of sequence is important, as assessor can derive the result systematically for the respective response. Situation Reaction Test (SRT) Self Description Test (SD), or a variation of this like description from the point of view of parents, teachers, colleagues, neighbours, etc. Total 15 minutes are given to write their responses.
Group Testing Officers (GTO) Test (Third and Fourth day) The following tests are conducted in this category :- Group discussion Group Planning Exercise (sometimes known as Military Planning Exercise) Progressive Group Tasks Half Group Tasks Individual Obstacles Group Obstacles Race or Snake Race Command Task Lecturette Final Group Task Note : Interview :- (Held during afternoon/evening hours on 2nd / 3rd / 4th day).
The candidates are required to appear before the complete Board of Examiners composed of President, Deputy President, all the psychologists, all the GTOs, and Technical Officer. After the Board Meeting of every candidate is over,the final result is declared within ½ an hour. Selected candidates are required to stay back for their medical examination (takes about 3 to 5 working days) in the Military Hospital nearby or at a different place and the remaining candidates are dropped at the Railway Station. For all the tasks one has to face at the SSB, confidence of speech and expression is one thing that is heavily noted. Making your weaknesses as your strong points is an art which can be done only through positive attitude. Truth is something regarded at every point of life and SSB is all about how one views life, a realistic wonderland or a pessimistic terror land. Be true and confident, it is a fool proof system of testing checked through experiments over a long period of time.
Reporting on the center is usually one day before first day of testing. Time of reporting varies from center to center. Sometimes the candidates need to report on the same day of testing i.e. DAY 1 or Stage I.
On the day of reporting, the candidates are required to verify their educational documents from assigned staff. Candidates are then allotted the SSB board and the chest numbers or a vest on which a number is printed on it. This vest or chest no. becomes the identity of a candidate, as it is easier to identify a person by a number than his/her name. The chest number is also used while interacting with fellow candidates during testing. The results are also announced by calling the chest numbers of recommended candidates. Candidates have to return their chest numbers whenever they leave the campus of a selection center. Sometimes the President of the board or the GTO officer gives a briefing to the candidates after successful verification of documents and allocation of chest numbers.
SSB is a two-stage process. To qualify for Stage II, a candidate needs to clear Screening Test or Stage I. On the date of reporting, the candidates are picked from the railway station and during the evening, certain Forms and Travelling allowance forms are filled. Candidates are also briefed on testing schedule and general instructions, which must be followed throughout the duration of stay in selection center.
