SSB Notes.pdf

Psychology is a very important part as it constitutes of 225 marks. The term psychology is the combination of two terms Psycho+Logy. Psycho means mind and Logy means study. Hence psychology is the study of mind. On a broader perspective psychology includes the following aspects: -

Perception: Receiving, collecting, action of taking possession and apprehension with the mind or senses. Cognition: The process of thought. Attention: Deals with concentration power. Motivation: Activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. Behavior: Actions of a person in relation to a given particular environment. Having read such an agonizing definition of psychology many of you might be thinking to start working on each aspect of psychology mentioned above.

What is TAT ?? Thematic Apperception Test is a very effective technique used by the psychologist in order to examine the three attributes of psychology i.e. perception, cognition and behavior. Based on this the psychologist get to know a great deal of one's personality. The intention of the test is to ask the candidate to give an appreciation of his own qualities without being conscious of it, and that to in a given time constraint.

What to do in TAT ?? TAT consists of a series of 12 pictures which are shown to the candidate on the projector for 30 sec. Every picture shown has a situation which gives the base of the story. Here, story is the candidate's reaction in the form of thoughts to that particular environment.

From this story an assessment of the candidate's personality is drawn by the psychologist

RULES Total time duration for TAT is 60 min. Time for projection of each picture is 30 sec and 4 min for writing the story. 11 pictures + one blank picture (virtual story).

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY A tangible or sensible action plan requires the following four things :-

Picture Analysis Identification of Characters (Main Character and Side Character) Establishment of Theme or Central Idea Writing the Story

Picture Analysis Picture Analysis includes the following three points:Background Identification: Urban-Rural, Plain-Jungle, Mountains-River, etc Significant Infrastructure: Police Station, Red Cross Sign, Board, PCO, etc Current Action Going on in Picture: Planning, Thinking, Working, Flying, etc

Identification of Characters Each picture consists of two types of character:-

Hero Hero is the main character or central figure. A candidate should identify the hero by his age and sex and give him a name. No need of surname. The purpose behind this is that it shows the ambitiousness and dynamism of candidate. Following are the three attributes of hero :NAME: Name should be short, sweet, modern and meaningful. STATUS: Status of the hero should be decent, socially acceptable and showing his own ambition and surroundings. ATTITUDE: Attitude of the hero should be positive, practical, dynamic and pleasant.

Side Characters These are the one's who assist the hero in achieving his goal.

Establishment of Theme Based on the above analysis and calculation, candidate decides the central idea i.e "What the hero has decided to do".

Writing the Story A good story writing involves the following three key points:-

What led to the Situation This is the beginning part of the story which constitutes 3-4 lines. Here a need or problem or challenge is presented and along with the identification of hero, the aim of the hero is given.

What happened Afterwords This is the middle part of the story and constitutes 7-8 lines. This part gives the description of the actions of the hero. The efforts or steps he takes, the methods he adopts and his journey to achieve his aim, all these things are to be given in this part. This part is most important one as it

reflects the personality of the candidate, on the basis of which the assessment is done by the psychologist.

What is the Final Result or Outcome This is the end part of story which constitutes 2-3 lines. This part reflects the final outcome and shows the result of hero's efforts.

Do's Write the story in a single paragraph. Handwriting should be neat and clean without any cutting and overwriting. Write the story in past indefinite tense and in third person.

Dont's Your story should not have more than one hero. Do not give name to the side character. Do not write a negative story. Do not give any heading/title to the story. Do not describe the picture, instead you should give your thoughts and feelings for the same. Do not write any moral at the end of story. Do not put any prefix like Mr. or Shri with the name of the hero. Do not use pessimistic and negative words such as weak, hopeless, injured, miserable, guide, sad, etc, while expressing the attitude of hero.

Piece of Advice As I have already mentioned that the last picture is the blank picture in which candidate has to make a virtual story. Therefore, it is advisable for each one of you to prepare one story in advance, before going for the SSB as per the guidelines mentioned above.

What is WAT ?? Word Association Test is another projective method used by the psychologist in order to unearth one's personality. WAT, in fact, is a test of creativity and imagination. Through this technique the psychologist examines the four attributes of psychology i.e. behavior, motivation, cognition and attention. WAT proves to be very beneficial in determining the attitude and emotional feelings of the candidate because it represents the natural thought process of the candidate i.e. WAT seeks the very first thought which comes to the mind of the candidate on seeing a word.

What to do in WAT ?? In WAT, a series of 60 words is shown to the candidate one by one on the projector and he is asked to form a meaningful sentence. Each word is shown for 15 secs and within this time limit, the candidate first has to see the word and then he has to record his thought in the form of a meaningful sentence.

RULES Total time duration of test is 15 mins & 15 secs. 60 words are shown one after another. Time for each word is fifteen seconds. There is a 4-fold action performed within 15 seconds :- Look at the word; Think of the first idea that comes to your mind; Create a complete sentence based upon first idea and finally Write the sentence against the correct word number..

Worth Noting Point There is a logical reason behind giving such a short time span for each words. In WAT, the intention of the psychologist is to know the imagination, creativity and basic nature of the candidate. In order to fulfill his aim, a time constraint is put on the mind of the candidate which leads to the first spontaneous reaction which comes to the mind of the candidate on seeing the word. This spontaneous reaction gives the true picture of one's personality which is required by the psychologist in order to judge the candidate's personality.

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY Before moving directly onto the action plan you must know the following :The words shown to the candidate are of two categories :Positive Words: Good, Love, Intelligent, etc. Negative Words: Evil, Hatred, Dull, etc. Similarly there are two types of sentences which are as under :-

A Light Weight Sentence A light weight sentence is the ordinary one, routine in nature and has no meaning to any of the OLQs. For e.g. : He is the student of this school.

A Heavy Weight Sentence A heavy weight sentence is significant in nature and has meaning with regards to the OLQs. For e.g. : He is an ambitious, punctual and intelligent student of this school.

With respect to the two categories of words mentioned above, there is a different action plan or a different way of handling the two categories. These are as under :-

Action Plan for POSITIVE WORDS For handling the words of this category there are two methods which are as under :-

TPSN Method TPSN stands for Third Person Singular Number (Commander, engineer, sportsman). In this method the starting word of sentence is TPSN followed by original word which is then followed by other words to complete the sentence. Also you can use the original word in any part of speech of the english grammer. For e.g. : The word love can be used as loving, lovable, lovingly, lovably, etc to increase the ambit or scope of the candidate. For e.g. : LOVE - A commander loves his soldiers like his own kith and kin. Moreover, you can make heavy weight sentences by qualifying the TPSN with suitable adjectives such as energetic sportsman, efficient engineer, etc. For e.g. : LOVE - A good commander loves his soldiers like his own kith and kin.

Marvelous Trick :TPSN + OW (original word) + Other words (to complete the sentence)

Role Play Method This is a more effective method than the TPSN method. This method unearths the higher mental level and innovation of the candidate. In this method the starting word is the original word and then start showing the role in positive sense, and finally followed by other words doing something positive. For e.g. : LOVE - Love softens human relationship. Explanation of the e.g. : In the above example the sentence starts with the original word 'love' and then its role has been explained in a positive sense i.e. it softens the relationship.

Using Role Play method for the formation of the sentences proves to be very beneficial as it represents various OLQs such as cooperation, intelligence, courage, etc. Moreover the sentences which are formed using role play method are the heavy weight sentences.

Marvelous Trick :OW (original word) + Other words (to complete the sentence) Action Plan for NEGATIVE WORDS While dealing with the negative words you have to work like a doctor. As we know that whenever a patient goes to doctor for treatment, doctor gives the antibodies in order to cure the disease. Similarly here also you have to bypass the negativity of the negative word and use them in such a way that it convey a positive meaning. So, for handling this category of words there are two methods which are as under :-

Denial Method In denial method the starting word is TPSN followed by denial word (no,not,never,etc) which is then followed by original word and finally followed by other words to complete the sentence. Denial method is exactly similar to the TPSN method, but the only variation is that, in the denial method there is the addition of denial word.

Denial method works on a simple principle i.e. :(-x) + (-y) = +z -----------------------> 1 where, '-' : minus sign represents the negativity of a word. '+': plus sign represents the positivity of a word. 'x': variable 'x' represents the denial word. 'y': variable 'y' represents the original word.

'z': variable 'z' represents the combination of 'x' & 'y' i.e. it reflects positive vibrations. Equation no. 1 is a valid equation because addition of two negative quantities yield a positive quantity. Hence the denial method works on this simple principle.

For e.g. : Hate - A studious child never hates books.

Marvelous Trick :TPSN + DW (denial word) + OW (original word) + Other words (to complete the sentence) Remedial Method Remedial method is the one in which the candidate has to provide treatment to the negative words so as to bypass its negativity. To give you a clear picture of this method, consider an example, a depressed person comes to you in a hope of getting something from you so as to bypass his depression. You as an individual will going to motivate him so as to bypass his depression. So, now you clearly see that here the problem is depression and its remedy is motivation. Likewise you have to handle other negative words using remedial method. In this method the sentence begins with remedial word followed by a 'purpose' (such as removes, controls, etc) and finally followed by the original word. For e.g. : Depression - Motivation removes depression.

Marvelous Trick :RW (remedial word) + PURPOSE (remove, control, etc) + OW (original word)

Do's Write the sentences in present tense.

Handwriting should be neat and clean without any cutting and overwriting. Write simple and brief sentences to save time. Sentences formed by the candidate should reflect positive vibrations. Write a complete sentence, it shows clarity of idea and self confidence.

Dont's Do not write the words before sentences, write the sentence straight away against the correct no. Do not use exclamatory sentences (Exclamatory sentence express strong emotion. It ends with an exclamation mark). Do not use imperative words (imperative words are used to give orders, commands, warning or instructions). Do not use future and past tense. Do not use proverbs, idioms, quotations. Do not form a sentence showing negative vibration. Do not use words like may, could, should, try, soon, etc. Do not miss any word, it shows lack of idea.

Piece of Advice In case of any word you feel that you are not able to make a heavy weight sentence then it is advisable to write a light weight sentence and move on to the next word.

What is SRT ?? Situation Reaction Test is a test of general intelligence i.e. common sense. In our every day life, many a times we come across, common and uncommon situations when we are called upon to enact a right and an appropriate action plan so as to make the situation stable. SRT is conducted in-order to unearth the candidate's attributes of psychology i.e. perception, cognition and behavior which in turn are used by the psychologist to assess the OLQs of the candidates. Intelligence, Reasoning Ability and Power of Decision are some of the OLQs which are assessed. In SRT the candidate gives his spontaneous reaction for a given particular situation and this spontaneity reveals the overall personality of the candidate and helps the psychologist in evaluating the candidate. Remember, in SRT no special intelligence and knowledge is required for solving the situations.

What to do in SRT ?? In SRT, a candidate is required to solve 60 situation (questions) in 30 min. As i have already told you that no special intelligence is required for solving the situation, therefore the situations which are given for solving resembles with those confronted by all of us in day to day life. Remember, while solving a situation candidate just has to present his own attitude and approach for solving the same. Sometimes an imagenary character is introduced and he is made to face the situation and asked to find out a solution. Whatever the name given to this character, in reality he is none other that the candidate himself.

RULES Time for solving each problem is 30 sec. Total time duration of test is 30 min. 60 situations/questions are given to the candidates

Worth Noting Point The time limit for solving each situation has been purposely kept very small so as to ensure that candidate gives his spontaneous response. This will help the psychologist in knowing the true personality of the candidate.

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY The winning strategy for SRT requires that the candidate must write minimum possible words in his response, using action words and punctuation marks. Keep this in Mind :Never write absolute reaction, write complete action.

For Example :Just before the starting of the quiz, he found his partner missing. He...........

Reaction :He took the substitute partner.

Complete Action :He took the substitute partner, played the quiz and won it.

This is a generalized approach for solving the situations. In SRT you will get different kinds of situations for solving. The various different kind of situations can be categorized into following 15 categorizes : -

Situations related to 'Accidents' For Example : Going on bicycle he was hit by a speeding car. He ________________________

Complete Action : Balanced his movements, noted down the car number and reported to traffic police.

Situations related to 'Crossing the River' For Example : While going in a boat he found that boat had developed a leak or hole when water started coming in. He ________________________

Complete Action : Plugged the leak with cloth, threw the water by bucket and continued boating.

Situations related to 'Fire Station' For Example : He saw fire in a village, people were panicking. He ________________________

Complete Action : Pacified the people, used sand and water to put off fire and called up fire brigade from city.

Situations related to 'Financial Crisis' For Example : When his close relations refused to help him financially. He ________________________

Complete Action : -

Borrowed money from his friends and thanked them.

Situations related to 'Jungle' For Example : He was passing through a jungle. It was getting dark when heard some noise in the bushes behind him. He ________________________

Complete Action : Walked back, found nothing suspicious and so carried on.

Situations related to 'Games & Sports' For Example : While playing a hockey match, he twisted his ankle very badly. He ________________________

Complete Action : Took first aid and continued playing.

Situations related to 'Hiking & Mountaineering' For Example : Just before reaching the mountain or peak he found his feet were slipping due to sand kept underneath his feet. He ________________________

Complete Action : Dug the axe to control his body balance, change steps to move up to the top.

Situations related to 'Journey by Train' For Example : During a train journey he found some passengers arguing unnecessarily, disturbing other people. He ________________________

Complete Action : Persuaded them tactfully not to do so.

Situations related to 'Journey by Bus' For Example : While going to a place on an urgent mission, he found that the only bus left was full and no other public transport was available. He ________________________

Complete Action : Somehow managed his entry into bus and travelled the distance standing.

Situations related to 'Natural Calamity' For Example : Being the eldest of the family he found his family was uprooted due to cyclone. He ________________________

Complete Action : Rehabilitated his family by arranging necessary things.

Situations related to 'Picnics' For Example : -

He found a few members were going to back out from joining picnic. He ________________________

Complete Action : Persuaded them to join the picnic.

Situations related to 'Social Disorder' For Example : He saw people crowding outside ticket counter, trying to buy the ticket, resulting into quarrel. He ________________________

Complete Action : Tactfully persuaded them to form a queue.

Situations related to 'Road Incidents' For Example : His car broke down on a lonely road. It was dark. He ________________________

Complete Action : Used his cell phone, called the contracted helpline and got his car repaired and moved on.

Situations related to 'Crowded Place' For Example : While travelling in the crowded bus he saw a person picking the pocket of a passenger. He ________________________

Complete Action : -

He caught the man red handed and with the help of of a passenger handed him over to the police.

Situations related to 'Studies & Examination' For Example : Although he was a first divisioner, he failed to get first division in english exam. He ________________________

Complete Action : Worked hard to get first division in the next exam.

Situations related to 'Sickness' For Example : Sickness of somebody . He ________________________

Complete Action : Worked hard to get first division in the next exam.

Situations related to 'Studies & Examination' For Example : Although he was a first divisioner, he failed to get first division in english exam. He ________________________

Complete Action : Worked hard to get first division in the next exam.

GUIDELINES Write your response with positive approach and no negative vibration should creep into your response. Your responses should reflect the OLQs. For achieving this goal you must do a realistic analysis of the question. There is a possibility that one situation is repeated in other form. Therefore, you have to be cautious not to contradict an expression of your personality already given in respect of previous situation. Always keep your mind cool and calm with zero entropy.

Piece of Advice Candidate should aim to attempt all the question in given time constraint. But, if at any point of time candidate feels that he is not able to do so then atleast he should completely answer the questions which he will going to attempt. Remember, run for quality and not for quantity.

What is SDT ?? The self description test, also known as self appraisal is the last part of the psychology. The name of the test itself define its meaning i.e. the candidate has to describe himself. SDT is based upon knowning thyself and in this test candidate can write about himself - his merits, demerits and what his friends and other think about him, without any restrictions. Infact, SDT helps the psychologist in taking the confirmation of the assessed personality (based on TAT, WAT & SRT) of the candidate and helps him in knowing the fair insight of the candidate.

What to do in SDT ?? In SDT, candidate is asked to write his parent's opinion, teacher's opinion, friend's opinion and self opinion of himself. The time given for self appraisal is 15 mins. Moreover, candidate should give a true picture of his personality otherwise psychologist can catch him red handed.

RULES The total time duration of SDT is 15 mins. Candidate has to write his appraisal for each heading which has been asked by him.

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY To excel in Self Description Test, one should keep a check of following points : -

A good self description requires introspection so that the candidate should come to know that what are his strengths and weaknesses. Never try to hide or supress your weaknesses because if you do so, then you cannot get rid of your weaknesses. Always give your strong and weak points, do not give your likes and dislikes. Establish your true picture and be careful to avoid contradictions with what you might have written in the PIQ.

Usual Headings under which candidate is required to give his appraisal: -

(a) Parent's Opinion

(b) Teacher's Opinion

(c) Friend's Opinion

(d) Self Opinion

(e) Your Strengths

(f) Your Weaknesses

(g) Aim in Life

(h) Qualities you would like to develop

Piece of Advice The above mentioned are the various headings under which the candidate is asked to write his appraisal. So I would request each one of you to prepare the SDT part in advance before going for the SSB and get sufficient practice by writing again and again several times.

What is Interview ? An interview at the SSB is a conversation between the candidate and the interviewing officer, where questions are asked by the IO (Interviewing Officer) in order to assess the personality of the candidate or in other words to judge the OLQs.

Need For Interview ? Selecting candidates for various appointments purely on the basis of written test is not a fair deal. Whether it is selection for the job in corporate world or for admission to a college or joining armed forces, there is definitely an interview in order to determine the personality of the candidate.

AIM Of Interview ? The aim behind conducting an interview at the SSB is to assess the leadership or Officers Like Qualities of the candidate by means of face to face conversation between the candidate and the IO (Interviewing Officer).

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY Right action plan calls for a systematic and logical approach. One of the most fundamental factors which contribute to the successful interview is the 'TIME' and 'QUALITY OF PREPARATION' made by the candidate. An accurate action plan includes the following factors : -

FACTOR - I

How to fill the PIQ Form ? What is GTO ? GTO tasks stands for Group Testing Officer tasks. The name itself specifies its meaning that an officer will going to test a group of candidates for assessing their personality traits by giving them tasks. GTO is the last test of the second phase, which is conducted on 3rd and 4th day. This test is totally different from the last two tests (Psychology & Interview) but the idea is same i.e. to unearth some more personality traits of the candidate and to take the confirmation of those personality traits which have already been assessed by the psychologist and the interviewing officer. The atmosphere of the GTO task gives an impression on the mind of the candidate, as if he is standing in a playing area with his team. Task's sounds more like game rather than test. No doubt that tasks are more like games, but playing these tasks requires a great dealt of OLQs. Therefore, one has to be very careful while playing these tasks and must do them with discipline.

Need For GTO Tasks ? GTO tasks is the only test in which the candidate gets dual oppurtunities. He is given a chance to present his caliber individually as well as in group. Therefore this proves to be an effective tool for the GTO (Group Testing Officer) to assess the personality of the candidate and to take the confirmation of the personality traits which have already been assessed by the psychologist and interviewing officer.

GTO tasks are divided into following two : INDOOR TASKS

GROUP DISCUSSION GROUP PLANNING EXERCISE

OUTDOOR TASKS PROGRESSIVE GROUP TASK HALF GROUP TASK COMMAND TASK LECTURETTE INDIVIDUAL OBSTACLE GROUP OBSTACLE RACE / SNAKE RACE FINAL GROUP TASK What is GD ?? Group Discussion is the first indoor task in the various GTO tasks. A topic is given and a discussion a carried out on that topic among the group. . There are two primary motive behind conducting a group discussion : -

Group discussion helps the candidate to know his group mates, which gives a clear insight of them. It helps the Group Testing Officer in analyzing and assessing following four personalities traits of the candidate : -

INTELLIGENCE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS KNOWLEDGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

What to do in GD ?? In GD a group of 8 to 10 candidates are made to sit in a full circle and an opportunity is given to have an informal discussion on a topic. Here the group discussion is of 'Topic Based' type. There is no need to arrive at a conclusion.

The topics which are given can be classified into following two types : -

Factual Topics It constitutes topics such as 'Tourism in India', 'Educational Policy of India', etc.

Controversial Topics It constitutes topics such as 'Reservation System in India', etc.

GOLDEN TIPS : Candidate should take the initiative to start the discussion. If he is not able to do so then atleast he should be the second or third one to speak. Candidate with good communication skills and power of expressions will have an edge over the other candidates. If you disagree with some other person views, don't get aggressive keep your views politely so that it does not give an impression as if the discussion is getting chaotic. Always maintain the eye contact with the team members while speaking. Appreciating other person view point and adding somthing extra to it using your creativity, always give you an edge over the other candidate. You should show the leadership and cooperativeness in you by giving chance and encourging the weaker once to speak. Feel relax. You should not give unnecessary gesture such as ackward body movement, yawaning, etc. Never try to gain GTO attention by looking at him. Don't get into arguments and loose temper. Candidate should have a good knowledge of the topic so that he should convey his idea in depth rather than coming with surface level views.

Facts, figures data, statistics, etc. adds on to your knowledge and marking. Adopt a systematic and logical approach while conveying your views. Your why should be clear and audible.

CAUTION : Though Group Discussion is an informal discussion but it is a formal occasion so one should not used give informal impression and avoid using slang.

Piece of Advise Group Discussion is a very efficient tool in determining one's personality and is used in every sector of the society for assessing one's personality. Therefore one should make a habit of participating and attending the mock group discussion.

What is GPE ?? In Group Planning Exercise GTO will present and then explain a situation of events having different problems to be reacted by the group. The situation is given when you with your friends were on your way to picnic or some other pre planned visit. Group planning exercise is conducted in order to judge the following planning and organising qualities : -

EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE REASONING ABILITY ORGANISING ABILITY POWER OF EXPRESSION SOCIAL ADAPTABILITY COOPERATION

What to do in GPE ?? In GPE GTO will present and then explain a situation of events having different problems to be reacted by the group. Each candidate in the group is asked to study the situation and is required to prepare by writing his or her action plan for the group, as he or she is the leader of the group. The time allotted for writing the action plan is 10 min. Then the GTO will take the written action plan from the candidates. After this a 'case study' group discussion is carried out in which each candidate present his or her plan and after that they have to arrive at a final consensus.

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY To excel in group planning exercise candidate should go with the following systematic approach :-

Identify the type and number of problems in the situation Generally there are 3-4 problems which are given in the situation and you have to plan accordingly. The following are the type of problems : To save the life of a person. Mass destructrion

Minor problems

Assign priorities to the identified problems. The following priority order should be given to various identified problems : FIRST PRIORITY - Save the life of the person SECOND PRIORITY- Prevent the Mass Destruction LAST PRIORITY - Minor Problems

Identify the available resources and hidden resources In the situation you will find various resources which will be available for the candidate so that he can complete the task successfully. Following are the various available resources which you will going to find in the situation : Location of problem area. Type of transport available to you. The suitability of particular transport in a particular route and their speed on such routes. Type of routes and distance to them.

GOLDEN TIPS : Initiate the discussion by putting forward the various problems which has been confronted by the group. One must be very attentive when GTO explains the model. This will help in identifying the hidden resources. Properly understand the situation and set your priority accordingly.

Maintain a good writing speed so as to complete the written part on time. After submitting the written part if you realized that now you have a better planning option for a particular problem and it is more efficient than the one you have written, then present in the discussion, the one which is better. Encourage the weaker members by giving them chance to speak. Whenever you want to address any group member, address him with his chest number. Be active and convince your points with supportive reasoning. Never try to gain GTO attention by looking at him. Don't get into arguments and loose temper. Whenever your point being opposed by valid reasons, except it and continue to be involved in the discussion. Go with a systematic approach of planning, as explained above. In case you have to be give group solution do give that group have arrived not own.

CAUTION : Do not forget to write and speak your final goal that is the place where you were going with your friends or group.

What is PGT ?? PGT stands for progressive group task, is the first outdoor task of the GTO. In this whole group has to tackle the given obstacles. As the name specifies, in PGT obstacles are placed in progression and as the group proceeds from one obstacle to another, the difficulty level increases. PGT works as a great source in providing candidate's personality. In PGT the GTO wants that the candidate should apply his general intelligence to complete the task. PGT helps GTO to unearth following personality traits of the candidate : -

INITIATIVE COURAGE STAMINA EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE REASONING ABILITY ORGANISING ABILITY POWER OF EXPRESSION SOCIAL ADAPTABILITY COOPERATION

What to do in PGT ?? In PGT a group has to face four obstacles which are in progression. Each obstacle is bounded by a set of parallel lines called the start line and finish line and the area between the two is declared as out of bounds. In the out of bounds area there are some structure available and using them, the group goes from the starting to the finish line. The following are the various structures available in the out of bounds area : -

Bench shaped structures Goal Post Raised Platforms Cross shaped structures T Shaped Structures

Group is provided with some helping material. Using the helping material and the structures provided in the out of bounds area, group goes from starting to finish line and moves to next obstacle. The following helping material is provided : -

Wooden Plank Wooden Bellies(Round Shape) Rope Wooden Block Many times, in addition to this common group load is provided at the start line of the first obstacle, which become the group responsibility to take it along with them till last. Most of the time, GTO will ask the group that how much time they require to complete the task. You should ask him to give 30 min.

RULES You must strictly adhere to the following rules : -

OUT OF BOUND RULE The ground between the start and finish line is out of bound for both human beings and helping material.

COLOR RULE White : Any thing painted white can be used by both human beings and helping material. Red : Any thing painted red is out of bound for everything. Black : It has no significance. Green/Blue/Yellow : Only human beings can touch it and is out of bound for helping material.

GROUP RULE Unless all the members of the group reach the finish line of previous obstacle you can’t proceed to the start line of the next successive obstacle, which means at one time the whole group tackling only one obstacle.

DISTANCE RULE You can’t jump across between two points having a distance of more than four feet.Either you bridge the gap or reduce the gap to make it less than four feet with the help of helping material so that you can jump. This distance restriction is applicable both in horizontal and vertical plane.

HELPING MATERIAL RULE Two rigid helping material cannot be tied to each other with the help of a rope, but it can be placed one at the top of other as long as its not tied. Any number of helping material can be tied separately to any number of structures. Joining of ropes is permitted.

Worth Noting Point : In case you break any of the above rules even unintentionally, get back to the previous point from where you broke the rule and there after repeat it or change your idea. This is a restorative method, so you must do it at your own without pointing out to your GTO.

Action Plan - THE WINNING STRATEGY Every obstacle has atleast 2-3 solutions. For finding the solutions look at the structure as well as helping material then alone you will be able to establish the link between two which come to you in the form of an idea. The various ideas which can be employed are as under : -

STEP UP : If the distance is less than 4 feet then take a step. CANTILEVER : Use plank as cantilever beam. TIE IT : Tie the plank on the bench shaped structure with the help of rope. COILING : Coil the rope and put it beneath the plank. SWING : Make a swing with the rope using goal post.

** LEARN TO IMPLEMENT THE ABOVE IDEAS PRACTICALLY ** GOLDEN TIPS Take the Initiative by applying workable ideas from the very beginning itself. Be an active participant through out the outdoor task, which means you must make both mental and physical contribution towards achieving the progress for the group. This shows your endurance. Help your group members to carry the helping material as it is reasonably heavy. Continue giving as many ideas as possible. You should boost up the moral of your group members and keep encouraging them Encourage the weaker members of the group and do not neglect them. In case your idea is superior to those of other then try to convince them to accept yours. But in case some one else idea is better than yours then accept it. But there after don’t withdraw, keep yourself physically involved in the completion of that idea. .

If you are running short of time then do not get aggressive as it will ruin the situation . Never try to gain GTO attention by looking at him. Don't get into arguments and loose temper. Your body language should reflect enthusiasm, zeal, energy, interest and smartness Your voice should be loud and clear. Be conscious on observing the rules and take care

COMMAND TASK

GOLDEN TIPS Accept the responsibility courageously and confidently. After analyzing your task, choose your subordinates accordingly which suits best for that particular task. Take pride in your task as a commander by displaying interest and enthusiasm. Never ask for suggestions from your subordinates in the task. As a commander your decision making process should be quick. Commence your task after doing a short briefing of your subordinates, which should include your layout plan. You should boost up the moral of your subordinates and keep encouraging them. Do not ask your subordinates to do such a thing which is not practical. When you are a commander behave like a commander i.e. be firm and clear in your commands/instructions. As a commander you should not only give orders, you must physically work along with your subordinates. Never try to gain GTO attention by looking at him.

If you get stuck up at some point then do not get frustrated or loose temper, think of an alternative solution. Your body language should reflect enthusiasm, zeal, energy, interest and smartness Your voice should be loud and clear. Be conscious on observing the rules and take restorative action whenever you break it. In case that you happened to be subordinate of a commander, as a true subordinate just do what commander tells you to do. At the end of the task when the GTO calls you for other solution offer him as many solution as possible. When the task is completed thank your subordinates before you sending them.

What is LECTURATTE ?? In this the GTO assess each candidate individually so as to judge candidate's speech and other qualities. A leader is the one who delivers his or her speech/ideas vibrantly and efficiently, when he speak he should be able to attract the attention of the audience by his spell bounding personality. All these quality traits are tested by the GTO using this task. On a broader perspective following personality triats of the candidate are reflected : -

SELF CONFIDENCE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE A GROUP LIVELINESS EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE POWER OF EXPRESSION

What to do in LECTURATTE ?? In Lecturatte each candidate has to deliver his views on a particular topic in front on his group. Each candidate is given four topics, out of which he is required to select one and speak on that topic for 3 mins. The topics written on a card will be handed over to you just 3 min before your turn to go. This means that the time of preparation is 3 min. Once your preparation time is over then you will be called upon by the GTO to give your lecture. When your two and half minutes will be over you will get a reminder from GTO that you are left with half a minute to go.

GOLDEN TIPS Never select a topic by looking into the importance of the topic, select a topic on which you are confident and have good knowledge. Utilize your 3 min preparation time very efficiently. Topic selection should be done within 1015 secs. After selecting the topic adopt a systematic and logical approach in preparing and remembering the points on the topic. Start mapping the points coming to your mind one by one under three heads i.e. Introduction, Body/Need and conclusion. Before starting greet the GTO and the audience. Make a permanent eye contact with the audience. Turn your face to all the sides to see everyone in rotation. Give an interesting introduction to your topic so as to make a good impression and gather the attention of the auidence. keep an average and uniform speed while speaking. Avoid giving awkward body movements and gestures. Adding examples, proverbs and factual data to your lecture gives you an edge over other candidate.

Speak on more number of points briefly rather than dwelling only on a couple of points Your voice should be loud and clear. Speak on topic for two and half minutes and give a conclusion on topic in half a minute. Stop on time with the same tempo as you started and walk back gracefully.

Worth Noting Point : Lecturatte is an efficient tool in determing one's personality and one has to face this task in all walks of life. So it is adviceable that you must participate in debates and extempore. Moreover one should practice above mentioned golden tips to get successful.

What is IO ?? IO stands for Individual obstacle. As the name specifies, in IO candidate again gets a chance to present his caliber as an individual. In this task candidate has to cross over 10 obstacles placed in series, in a given time constraint. Each obstacle carries marks, the one's which are difficult subsequently carries higher marks and easier one's have lesser marks. Here GTO will watch how you attempt all obstacles and how many of them. IO helps in reflecting the following personality traits of the candidate: -

COURAGE STAMINA EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE

What to do in IO ?? In IO candidate has to cross over around 10 obstacles placed in series within 3 mins. As you move further from one obstacle to another complexity goes on increasing. The obstacles are not that risky in nature but are challenging one. Following are the different type of obstacles : -

Swinging on ropes. Jump to a ditch from a risen platform. Jumping over some vertical barrier. Climbing a wall. Walk over a nylon net. Walking over a belly. Walking over a beam. Climbing through a vertical rope. Coming down through a vertical rope.

RULES Time Duration is 3 mins. If candidate completes the entire task once, he can repeat the obstacles again till the time is over. For this he is awarded more than maximum marks to the extent of repetition of obstacles. Adhere to the instructions given by GTO.

GOLDEN TIPS Be Bold as this is an endurance test. Do not hesitate to do the task as it shows lack of courage.

Those who try are the one's who get successful in life. Therefore you must attempt all the obstacles irrespective you succeed or not. If you are not able to complete all the obstacles then do not get upset. Concentrate on your task and give your 100%.