Views on SSB Preparation & Role of Coaching Academies

Selection Criteria: OLQs

Defence Services developed a consensus on the qualities required in a person to be selected to be trained to become an officer. These qualities are popularly known as OLQs. These qualities develop in an individual over a period of time and depend upon his/her genetics, environment and the free choices he/she has made in his/her life. The essential criteria for selection are the OLQs.

Coaching Academies Focus on SSB Process

Society loves short-cuts and manipulation to get success. Product of this need of the society are the numerous coaching academies ( just like tummy-trimmers & fairness creams!). It is not possible to improve OLQs in 10–15 days. Coaching academies do not try to develop the OLQs either. Coaching academies hence focus on the SSB process. They acquaint the aspirants with the SSB process. This is the only positive impact of the coaching academies on a candidate. Now this thing could have been accomplished in 1–3 days. However, the 1–3 day SSB-familiarization as an idea probably did not make good business sense & hence coaching academies evolved a 10–15 days capsule.

Misguidance by Coaching Academies

In trying to provide extra value to the customers coaching academies provide detailed coaching on Psychology Tests, GTO & Interview. This methodology of the coaching academies has wrongly brought the focus of the aspirants on the three techniques rather than the OLQs. This has the following harmful effects:

• Aspirants give undue importance to the 3 techniques & somehow develop strategies to manipulate their way through them.
• There is very little focus on personality development (or OLQs), which is the main selection criteria.
• Majority of the coached aspirants respond during the SSB as per coaching rather than by using their own minds & often end up behaving in a silly manner. Examples:
  • The senseless shouting which aspirants indulge in during PPDT.
  • If a picture of a water body is shown then they will write a story about someone drowning & the hero saving the person in need.
  • In GPE they nominate themselves to narrate the plan on behalf of the group, without anyone nominating them & then go on to narrate their own plan & not of the group.
  • In interview they often give answers to the questions which were not even asked by the IO because they had mugged up the sequence of the questions during coaching.

Request to Coaching Academies & Aspirants

My request to the coaching academies is, Please don’t try to over-teach the students; just familiarize them with the SSB procedure.

My request to the aspirants is, :Use your own brains to think & act & not get misguided in the manner explained in the examples.

Tips to Prepare for SSB without Coaching

Please follow the links given below:

• SSB Tips
• How to Develop Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) ?