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Best approach?Get a solid grip over your psych tests. All else is secondary. If your inner software aka thought process is not apparently valuable to military, you can pack your bags to leave the board either on the first day or the last day.Practise narration so many times loudly and confidently that it comes naturally to you at the board. Aggressive contribution (by this, I do not mean waving hands or shouting but relentlessly speaking reasonably without fear of anything because you have got only few minutes to make an impact after months of preparation, so aggression is necessary) in PPDT discussion will aid in your getting screened in.Work on the WATs first, not TATs.Why?Because if you can fathom what WAT responses are acceptable, TAT writing will become easier to practise. WAT responses should be simple and valuable about you.WAT:For instance, a WAT word is COMMAND.If you write a response:THEATRE COMMANDS WILL INCREASE SYNERGY AMONG TROOPS,you are doomed then. Something that is not in coherence with your age or profession is not to be toyed with as it is not at all conveying anything valuable about your originality.Some people will say ‘ohh but the above response conveys my GK’. Not so! It is a very high level response and totally out of your domain.Acceptable response: Captain commanded the ship in rough sea. Why acceptable? Because your response is very simple, definite, short term, sure, grounded and conveys a value that you can sail through difficult situations.Next word: FAIL.Unacceptable responses:HARD WORK OVERCOMES FAILURE.FAILURE TEACHES LESSONS.ENEMY MISSILE TEST FAILED.FAILURES RAISE THE VALUE OF SUCCESS. (partially acceptable)Highly acceptable responses:Rivals failed to win hockey final.Engineer rectified failed heating system.Scholar’s thesis didn’t fail assessment.Manager’s pro-active steps avoided project’s failure.Now why are these responses preferable?That is because you have resolved something, solved something, chosen a role, action is there, demonstrated that you can meet failure head on, your work is error proof (scholar’s thesis), you are skillful to mend things, you are able to beat your rivals at a competitive game. In short, qualities desirous in an officer.And yes, it has to be THAT simple. Don’t get surprised. No coaching or channel will tell you what exactly is meant by simple positive responses, though they all lecture about it. Now you know how simple yet valuable it has to be.TAT:You hero/heroine identification should be very very clear and should suit your own age bracket. If you are a 23 year old, then learn what job profiles are flocked by people in age from 22 to 25 year old.Next, your theme should be even more clear. All your action should be done by hero about the chosen theme (ingrain this in your mind).Quickly arrive at what led to the situation in the picture (majority candidates mention the pic’s scene in just one line at the end of story, whereas it should be at the start and in some detail). Do not wrap up the shown scene in just one line and certainly not in the middle or end of the story (mark this).Describe in first 2 or 3 lines how that scene happened to be manifested. Next 5 or 6 lines should have action (in detail) done by your hero/heroine totally directed towards the theme you have chosen (don’t diverge here and there off the theme). Wrap up the story in last 1 or 2 lines.Consider following picture:If you begin to write the following way, you are doomed:Amit was software developer working in Mumbai. He was once walking beside river bank in his home town village one evening. Suddenly he saw a man being carried away in the river and crying help. Amit quickly rushed with a rope ….. etc.In above story part, the sin that has been committed is that hero is portrayed as wasting time on a river bank in leisurely walk. He finds a man crying for help in river and suddenly hero has a rope out of nowhere.Military leaders don’t waste time in trivial walks. They are always task oriented. Your hero in story should be purposeful and activity oriented.Consider this story (with analysis inserted in between):Amit, team lead at IT firm in Delhi, was securing boundary of ancestral field early morning in hometown during vacations (this is active presence of hero at a task) when he heard cry of a man being swept in nearby canal. Amit quickly rushed to canal bank, with the rope (hero is securing field boundary so he can be imagined to have a rope) he was carrying, a bit ahead of man, & threw it across him (hero has foresight to see that he should be ahead of the drowning man). Man grabbed rope & Amit tugged him out rapidly (visualize the action being done) to the bank where he fell nearly unconscious. Amit applied deliberate yet firm pressure at man’s chest with his palm (these details are what comprise action, never ignore these trivial details), man gulped out water. Amit rubbed his back while man coughed & regained composure in a while. On asking, man told Amit that he had slipped into canal some distance away and couldn’t get against flow. He thanked Amit profusely. Amit expressed his luckiness to be there, warned him to be vigilant next time & escorted the man back to his home (hero is not too excited by the praise & is caring as well).Above is a very grounded story. It sets the hero as a man of action right from the start of story. Even on vacation, he is active in a task. He is alert about his surrounding. He is working in a field so a river’s presence is also acceptable. He is an early riser as indicated in story’s start. He had the quick thinking to reach ahead of the man. He has strength to haul a man out of strong river current. He knows the basics of reviving a drowning man. In the end, he cautions that man to be wary around canal.So, quickly arrive at WHAT LED TO SITUATION, use resources to describe WHAT IS GOING ON (I repeat, don’t sum up the shown scene in just one line) as action by hero and then wrap the final outcome.All your hero’s action has to be focused around the theme of saving the man. This is the theme.This much detailed and grounded response is expected of you.GTOBe assertive. That will come when you are well read. In discussions, do not try to convince anyone as it is not a debate. Give your stand and defend it with proofs and logic. If someone refuses you, defend yourself confidently and make your stand. Never seem angry in your talk; always a slight smile.In GPE, common sense will fetch you more points. If a sea is shown and a river is also shown connected to it, it should instantly come to your mind that the direction of flow of river is TOWARDS the sea so plan your timings of sailing in it accordingly. Obviously, upstream travel (sea to river) will take more time. Consider these fine points.If it is a hilly area in GPE, remember to keep in mind the elevation of roads to and from the hills. Learn to imagine resources in different terrains. Learn about cultures of people living in diverse geographical regions.If a railway line is shown, then it is safe to imagine a manned railway crossing on it. You don’t need to rush to the railway station to inform someone. Just find a manned crossing and tell the person on duty whatever you want to tell. Informing is your job, not actually becoming a savior always.If someone in your group will say something illogical while discussing the GPE solution, you will have better sense to rectify and sharpen the missed aspect. This is a highly sought out trait. If you have good grasp of the terrain and can reasonably understand its interplay with time and distance in it, you will soar. Don’t try to convince the fools in your group. Make your logical point and then shut up.In outdoor group tasks, memorise the rules & don’t panic when other’s don’t let you speak your idea. You will get a chance when a really difficult obstacle comes up (the third obstacle in PGT). It is there the leader emerges. Grab that chance.Your lecturette should be confident & in bold voice. Before your turn, don’t sit tensed and after your turn is over, don’t sit sagged. Everything is observed and what you speak is worth only 5%. The helpers of GTO are also assigned to observe candidates. Beware.Maintain good fitness for snake race and individual obstacles. Make sure you are not a physical burden on group there.INTERVIEWRead how tricky questions are answered by veterans in interviews on media. Your confidence to speak is the most important trait in interview (& conference as well). But remember, whatever you speak should be defensible by you. Never self contradict. Be straightforward in your answers. Micro for micro. Macro for macro.Be thorough with your life; make a list of your failures, successes, good/bad times with friends/family, decisions you have made and reason behind them, your favorite subjects (and why so), strengths (why) and weakness (why and steps to rectify them). Know the same about your buddies.Hobbies are vital. Know info about your hobby well.Never criticize anyone. IO will try to make you criticize somebody but you do not do that and keep sticking to your logic for defending.Keep a grasp on the current affairs (global plus local) and form your own logical analysis about it to fetch brownie points.All in all, if your psychology tests’ responses are even 50% good, your chances of selection go as up as 95%. Practise taking life head on and think strategically (learn the difference between strategy and tactic). See positivity and chance in everything. Be a man/woman of action. Read good self-improvement books or the English classics. Remember famous quotes to speak at the right time.All the best.EDIT-1:Apologies, for I have not covered the ‘conference’.In conference, when you get a chance, make sure you convey your gratitude to the mess & board staff when an officer asks do you wish to suggest or say anything. If you have been observant throughout your stay at the board, you can point out few reasonable suggestion.If you are asked about the food, you can speak sir/mam, although the home cooked food can not be compared, I feel the mess staff does a commendable job of feeding every batch thrice a day all year & I convey my gratitude for that. Learn the art of speaking things that leave a mark.Most common question asked in conference is how was your stay, take it as an opportunity to thank everyone in a good way. You can reply our stay was comfortable and our needs were taken care of, thanks to the arrangements by the board. I enjoyed interacting with candidates from different backgrounds, made new buddies, lived a semblance of military life for 5 days and I am satisfied with the experience.Learn to take things as opportunities and make allies even among the officers. How you convey things is more crucial than what you convey.EDIT-2:Some people are asking me in dm about tips for ‘having’ an officer’s personality.You need to ‘develop’ it, not buy it from somewhere and ‘have’ it. That’s first.Observe how you approach towards anything in life. DO IT NOW attitude will kill all your procrastination. Did your mom ask you to buy some ration and you are lazy to go out? Change that asap.Anticipation is directly related to foresight. Keep a tab on what is going on around you. Before your mom asks you to go out to buy 10kg of atta, ask her yourself if something is to be done and then do it pro-actively. Don’t wait for her (or your dad) to ask you to do something. If you know your father needs some job done at the bank in coming days, take initiative to do it without his asking you. Anticipate what will be needed to be done, and then do it aggressively. This extremely simple habit will hugely impact your other dimensions. Mark my words.Eye for detail. Civilians, you must know about the resources around you like sports grounds, hospitals, fire stations, police stations, prominent personalities of your city & its history, its geographical terrain, climate, elevation from MSL, population, city DM & mayor, famous spots, industries, military establishments in your city, shortcomings/issues in your city and development going on these days.Fauji brats should know that they are expected to be better, since coming already from forces’ environment. You will be assessed deeper. and thus will face deeper scrutiny as against the civilian candidates. So you will have it tougher. In addition to all the above mentioned stuff, you should learn about your campus facilities, station commander’s name along with full military decorations, knowledge about father’s/mother’s service duties, all cities of postings, all schools you have been to, all military ranks in the tri-services, tri-services chiefs names, reasonable knowledge about equipment used (tanks, guns, a/c, ships & other vessels) of the service your parents are in, notable officers & their feats. GTO and IO would observe how well you have utilized the campus facilities for your betterment.Time & distance. This is vital to any military operation and checked in GPE as well. Learn distances to places around your locality & develop a habit of noting the time taken to travel to places. Note how far a spot in your city is from your location and how much time is needed to reach there; what modes conveyance are available as well.Sports & RUNNING. Military career is extremely active. You can always expect competitive batch mates who are into sports. Tournaments are held regularly and being an officer, you would have to lead your team and win.Importance of running can not be emphasized enough. If you can’t run, your soldiers will be skeptical about you. As straightforward as that. When you will turn up with an obese body at SSB, you will automatically be put under psychological pressure when you would see that others are far fitter than you. Even if you do not have space for sports around you, you can always run. Make sure you are slim-trim fit. Then, even if IO objects that you have not played sports as per your PIQ, you can confidently say that ‘I may not have played sports but I have run daily to keep fit.’ If you play a sport occasionally, mention it (and learn the rules of that sport).You may be asked how much you can run and in what time. Suppose you say ‘I run 5km in 25 minutes (if you run daily, you SHOULD be able to run 1km in 4 min 45 seconds to 5 min 15 seconds)’, you may be asked to convert it into m/s which comes around 3.3 m/s. IO may pretend to look shocked and intimidate you by saying ‘so you can cover 3 meters in just 1 second??’, you confidently reply that ‘yes sir, I am capable of doing that’. Be utterly confident and calm & keep in mind that they are playing with me and I can’t be played. Drill this in your mind. Never ever get intimidated by appearance or anything else.Early rising. 98% of the candidates at your board will be lazy late risers. If you are habitual to rising by 0430h to 0500h, you will already have a distinct aura of confidence around you. You have made time your slave, a big accomplishment! You have hours to spare for other activities if you are rising early. Also, when you wake up, your first thought will set the tone for the day. Secondly, make your bed before leaving the room after waking up.Leaders are readers. You will never find any military leader in the history who was not a well read man or woman. A well read person becomes a person who has travelled the world without leaving his/her chair! You will have interesting things to talk about if you have read good books. It will definitely improve your speaking abilities. No knowledge is ever wasted.Develop creative thinking. The first test of creativity in the world was a simple question: What are 50 uses of a brick? Think in that line. Always look for solutions to issues. Remember, there is always something that can be done in a situation.Think creatively. If you are an MBA, then you must know other officers who are MBA holders because you can be asked ‘what will an MBA like you do in the military?’, then you can confidently say ‘if Sachin Pilot, an MBA, can become an army officer then I am sure the army me sort me as well.’ This will reflect your sharp insight & seriousness to join.Don’t give answers like ‘I want to serve my country… Uniform attracts me’ etc. These are so repeated answers that they are just cliches now. All your answers should be very crsip and clear. Don’t give speech. Therefore, you need practice of months.War History. Good officers are really good in military history of their nations and the world as well. Read about different wars, why one party lost while the other won. Do your own analysis of things. Incorporate it in your discussions and answers, you will fetch plus points. Officers are required to work with their brains more than their brawn! One thing which I have found is that NONE of the candidates knows shit about the training academies of rival nations like Pakistan or China or Bangladesh etc. They don’t know how officers are selected and trained in those nations. It would be a dumb officer who doesn’t know details about his rival. If you know PMA is in Kakul (if you don’t know, find out!), you must have an overview of the training curriculum there.As Major Gaurav Arya says again and again, know your enemies!Knowledge about prominent places. You keep hearing about places like Kulgam, Pulwama, Srinagar, Islamabad, Karachi, London, Washington, Seoul, Beijing etc. Learn things about them. The demography, the politics, issues pervading there, our treaties and agreements with them etc. This is going deeper, I know, but I leave it up to you.Import & Export. Every nation’s foreign policy is affected by trade. You must know things like 60% of export of Pakistan consists of textile and is dependent on the water provided by Indus which flows from our country. Learn about the imports and exports we have with other countries and how we exploit this to execute soft power.Apps. You can be asked if you are active on social media. You must know the founders of the apps you are using and when they were created. Have a grasp of the annual revenue of the apps you use. Don’t waste time in watching fruitless TV debates on politics.Our overseas presence. Learn about our presence overseas. How our military establishments are engaged with other counterparts & how it all affects our relations with them, try to understand all this.ALWAYS BE POLITICALLY & RELIGIOUSLY NEUTRAL IN ANSWERING. Don’t get fooled into answering in a politically inclined way! I repeat, don’t. Let the IO or GTO try his best to shake your stand. Don’t lose your stand.Dressing sense. The first thing you will notice about an officer is how good his turnout is. It must be simple yet smart. Whenever you are going out of your home, make it a habit of turning into a perfect gentleman/lady. Don’t bother that your buddies will snigger. You do what is needful for your transformation. Keep pairs of excellently stitched formals. Wear tie when at the board. At airports or other public places, you can see an officer will be mostly in a collared polo t-shirt (or half shirt) tucked inside his trousers and wearing matching shoes. He overall personality will radiate tremendous self-confidence. His actions will be definite and sure. Dressing sense decides a lot of things about a person.If you have never thought about the stuff mentioned above, start doing it by today. Those who are doing it on a regular basis will easily make good impact at the board. You can now see what it means to be an average officer. Good officers have all the above mentioned traits in them. An average officer is average as per military standards, not civilian standards. Bear that in mind.I am pretty sure you must have realized by now why a proper preparation takes time. It can take months as well. That’s why make a habit of all the above things. It will become a part of your personality and will come out naturally later on. Be sincere & honest in your efforts and keep persisting.EDIT-3:NDA-NA entry guys: Don’t try to force your responses to be like those of the graduate guys. Just be your natural honest teenage self. Call a spade a spade, that’s it.Graduate entry guys/girls: Make sure your responses do not fall below your maturity level & experience. Your present level of responses should be really better, grounded & valuable than your previous SSB’s responses, be it psych or other component of SSB.