Hello everyone! I am here to
share my best ever Interview experience at the Air Force Selection Board this
December. It was an experience that can never be expressed in words. I will try
my level best to write it down, but the fact is it’s an experience that has to
be lived by everyone! New place, new people, new atmosphere, no mobile phones,
laptops but above all the joy, laughter, enjoyment and experience were all
priceless!
First of all I wrote the AFCAT
examination on 25th of August 2013. It was mostly from the 10th
standard CBSE portions with logical reasoning and puzzles. It had 100 questions
with +3 for correct answers and -1 for wrong answers. This time the cut – off
was 116. I scored 123 by attempting 99 questions (1 Biology question was really
awkward :P). After writing it I almost
forgot about it and suddenly I received a mail from Air Force saying that “You
haven’t chosen your date and centre for the interview. We have selected it with
a pre – determined logic.” It was chosen for Mysore but my date was on
02/12/2013. I had my semester exams till 06/12/2013. When I contacted them for
a change of date, they were very nice in answering all the queries. They asked
me to send a letter regarding the same and as soon as the letter was delivered
to them they changed the date. My new date for interview was 09/12/2013. It was
to be either for only 1 day or 6 days depending on when I will be screened out.
My experience at AFSB was like this:
DAY 1: PICK – UP AND TESTS
We were asked to report at Mysore
Railway Station before 0645 Hrs. on the 9th. We were all to be
picked up by an Air Force bus to the Selection Board. I reached there around
0620 Hrs. and 3 buses arrived at 0623 Hrs. Already there were nearly 150
candidates waiting at the Railway Station. We all hurried to the buses and it
started at 0635 Hrs. Within 15 minutes we were into the Air Force Station. Upon
arrival we were asked to form a queue for our baggages to be checked and we
were sent in a batch of 10 to a shed. We kept our luggage there and carried
with us only the relevant documents like Travel ticket, ID proof, etc. and
writing material. We stood in lines of 5 each. That was when I could find out
that the exact number. We were 173 candidates in total for this week. Here we
were split according to our AFCAT numbers and given a unique Code Number. For
people like me who had changed their dates, we were asked to wait separately
and one Officer took our details and gave us the Code Number. Then, we were
asked to proceed to the first floor where we were given 2 forms. One form asked
to fill the details about our travel, so that Air Force could reimburse the
travel amount. The second asked a few questions about ourselves, whether we had
appeared earlier in any SSB, etc. After filling the forms we came down,
submitted the tickets with the filled form and the Call – Letter and AFCAT
admit card were submitted along with the second form. We were also asked to
produce an ID proof for checking our identity. Then we were given Tea and a
slice of bread after this as refreshments. After the refreshments we assembled
again in groups of 5 and went to the first floor to take our Officer’s
Intelligence Rate test. Here we had two sets of books given which contained
sample problems and also the questionnaire. Each set was answered separately.
There were 40 questions in each and we were given 17 minutes for each set. The
whole test was based logic and reasoning. After the test we assembled once
again in the ground floor and we were given temporary chest numbers. Our unique
Code Numbers were called, we told our name and date of birth for confirmation,
received our temporary chest numbers and went to the first floor again to take
the Picture Perception Test and Discussion test. Till this time we sat in a
random order but now we sat according to our chest numbers. In this test we
were shown a picture for 30 seconds. We were asked to decipher the number of
characters in the picture, their gender, mood and age and then make our own
story based on the past, the present and the future condition without
describing the photo within 4 minutes. All of us were then split into groups of
15 and sent to the opposite blocks which had discussion rooms. Here, we were
asked to tell our story one by one, discuss and arise to conclusion. These two
tests are used as the short listing procedure for Phase – II. Once again we
stood in groups of 5 and we were told the results. Luckily I was one of those
who were selected for Phase – II. We took our luggage kept it under the stairs
and proceeded to the first floor with our educational documents. We were given
4+2 forms here. In these forms we were asked to fill the details about our
educational qualifications with each semester marks, an undertaking that we
will submit all forms within 15th of June next year with witness
signatures, an Indemnity form and personal details form with witness
signatures. Then there were 2 additional forms which we were asked to fill
afterwards. After these forms were filled we were called for document checking
and the filled forms were taken. Be truthful and ensure you have all the
documents with you before the check. If there is any discrepancy in the
documents then you might get rejected. 2 of them were rejected in my batch.
After the check, they collected our gadgets such as mobile phones, pen drives,
cameras, recorders, etc. and gave us a token. Then we re – assembled in the
hall and filled the remaining two forms. This form is called as the Personal
Information Questionnaire (PIQ Form). Whatever we fill here must be remembered
because, the details given here will be questioned 2 or 3 days later during the
interview. We were asked about our place of birth, residence, maximum stay,
parents, sibling details, educational details, age, height, weight,
games/sports, hobbies/interests, extra – curricular activities, the commission
applied for, previous SSB details (if any) and at last our signature. While
these forms were being given, we were given our permanent chest number which
are our ID cards for the stay. These are given in the ascending order of the
age i.e. from youngest to oldest, first to the freshers next to the repetitors.
After the procedure was completed we were given the instructions about the next
day and then we proceeded to the Candidates’ Mess for dinner and there we were
allotted rooms. Each room had 9 members and the lockers and beds were provided.
The dinner was rice, dal and vegetables. We were briefed about the facilities
in the mess such as PCOs, Internet café, TV room, carom, chess, TT room,
Basketball court, laundry facility, motivation room which had books on defence
and also the newspaper dailies. We were also briefed on the group photo and
tour of Mysore city. We paid for that, that night itself, collected our
blankets and hanger and retired for the day after the roll call. End of Day 1.
DAY 2: PABT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST
We were told that there will be
alarms at 0500 Hrs. But the alarm started ringing only at 0536 Hrs. The alarm
is a series of Patriot songs for at least half an hour. I got up before that
and woke up my roommates too. We had roti n sabzi for breakfast and headed to
the test centre at 0715 Hrs. All the candidates who had applied for Flying
Branch stayed back and the rest went back to the rooms. A couple of them who
went back to the room had their one on one interview conducted between 0900
Hrs. and 1400 Hrs. Others headed to the test centre for the Pilot Battery
Aptitude Test (PABT). This is a test that can be taken only once in our
lifetime. Before the start we were briefed about the various instruments that
are used by pilots and the test was based on these instruments. After the test
we had Lunch back at the Mess and then all of us headed back to the testing
centre for the Psychological test. This test has 4 parts. In the first part 12
photos are shown for 30 seconds each and 4 minutes are given to make out a story.
The next part has 60 words displayed for 15 seconds each and within this time a
sentence has to be made with the word whichever comes to our mind first. It may
or may not contain the word in the sentence. In the third part 60 situations
are given and our reaction is to be written down in 30 minutes. And in the last
part we were asked to describe about ourselves in 5 paragraphs. This test
seriously tested our back bones. They are stressful and demand patience. This
was just the start. After that we headed back to the rooms, had dinner. We were
called for our roll calls and briefed about the next day’s schedule before
hitting the sack. End of Day 2.
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