A common question is: "How should I start self-introspection? I was recently conferenced out from 11 SSB."
Here are some pointers for easier understanding:
Screening Test
- You cleared screening, which is good. Remember everything that you did during your screening because you would have to repeat it the next time.
- Remember what other screened in guys had done in the GD.
- You can’t take screening lightly in your next attempt just because you cleared it this time.
Psychological Tests (TAT)
- Re-collect your stories from TAT. Re-collect those images.
- Ask yourself if those stories showed your HERO as responsible, logical, practical, optimistic and with a can-do attitude.
- Did your HERO come across as someone who can lead a group (atleast in a few stories, 4–5 out of the 12)?
- Or, your HERO always needed an extremely negative situation to turn it around into positive one. When you do this, you force fit negative scenarios in an image.
- Did you imagine the HERO from outside the image, did you make a guy as HERO when a girl was the dominant character?
Personal Interview (PI)
- Re-visit your Personal Interview. Evaluate your answers yourself, are you happy with those answers?
- Were you good in questions around your life? Were you good in questions around General Awareness?
- How clear was your communication? Did you get stuck when you lied in the interview, why did you lie (if at all you did)?
- Did you fake your strengths and weaknesses? Did you fake about your daily routine? If yes, why did you do that?
Previous Attempts & Improvements
- Have you made any improvements from your last SSB? If yes, what are those (relevant if your last SSB was some weeks/months back)?
Group Testing Officer (GTO) Tasks
- Were you able to give points in GTOs GD and Military Planning exercise? Did the group listen to your points? Were these points introduced by you or someone else had already said those? If you couldn’t contribute, why couldn’t you?
- How was your lecturette? Did it last for more than 150 secs. Was there an introduction, body and conclusion in your lecturette?
- Did you break rules in FGT (full group task) ,HGT (half group task)? Did you stop the group from breaking the rules?
- Did you give instructions to your sub-ordinates before starting the command task? Did you show energy and planning in Individual Obstacles?
Physical Fitness
- Did you struggle in terms of physical fitness? If yes, have you worked on it?
Comparison & Observation
- Just re-look at the difference between you and the guys who got recommended. Were they doing certain things differently in the GTO tasks? Were they very well read? Did they have good communication skills?
I guess all the above would give you some indication on what can be corrected for your next attempt. Apologies, if it didn't help you at all :-)
All the best!
(This is based on one of my Quora answers.)