The SSB medical test is the medical examination that follows a recommendation at the Services Selection Board. A candidate who is recommended is sent to a service medical board for examination, and only those declared fit are placed on the merit list. The Navy publishes the full sequence, including an Appeal Medical Board within 42 days and a Review Medical Board at the discretion of the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services. The Air Force names its medical establishments and a four-to-seven-day stay. The Army points candidates to a joint medical standards manual.
GS India Defence Academy is a private coaching academy in Dehradun and has no role in any service medical board. This guide explains the published procedure so that you know what to expect. It does not diagnose conditions or predict outcomes, and it does not replace the standards and call-up papers of the service you are applying to.
When does the medical happen?
Medical fitness is the last gate, after the written examination, if the entry has one, and after the SSB. UPSC’s CDS notice says final selection is made in order of merit, subject to medical fitness and suitability in other respects. The Navy’s medical page says only candidates declared fit by the medical board are considered for the merit list. The Air Force says its all-India merit list is compiled from the written test and AFSB performance, subject to being medically fit.
Being recommended at the board does not therefore mean you are selected. It means you are sent for the medical, and the result of that examination decides whether your name goes forward. Our guide to the SSB interview process describes the stage before it.
How do the services run the medical examination?
| Service | Where and how long | If found unfit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | A Special Medical Board of service medical officers at designated centres; about 3 to 5 days | Told of the procedure for an Appeal Medical Board, which you attend at the designated centre within 42 days of the first board. If unfit again, you may request a Review Medical Board within one day of completing the appeal | Navy medical and selection pages |
| Air Force | Air Force Central Medical Establishment, New Delhi, or the Air Force’s medical institute in Bengaluru; 4 to 7 days | The standards describe appeal and review medical boards; the Air Force Medical Board or Services Medical Board is the final authority | AFCAT guidelines and medical standards |
| Army | Governed by the Joint Order Manual of Medical Standards for Entry into Armed Forces, 1st edition, published on the Army’s recruitment portal | Follow your call-up and joining papers; this guide does not describe the Army’s appeal timeline | UPSC notices and Army FAQ page |
The Army row is shorter because the pages that explain the Army’s own process were not available to check when we wrote this guide. If you are applying to the Army, read the manual and your joining instructions, and ask the call-up office anything that is unclear.
The Navy’s procedure, step by step
- Special Medical Board (SMB). A board of service medical officers examines you at a designated centre. The Navy lists the investigations that are mandatory: a full blood count, urine routine and microscopy, a chest X-ray, an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis, liver and renal function tests, an X-ray of the lumbosacral spine in two views, and an ECG. The examining officers may ask for any other investigation they think necessary.
- Result. Only those declared fit are considered for the merit list. The President of the board tells candidates declared unfit about the result and the procedure for the next step.
- Appeal Medical Board (AMB). You report to the designated AMB centre within 42 days of the first board. The date matters, so keep the letter safe.
- Review Medical Board (RMB). If you are unfit at the AMB, you may request a review within one day of completing the AMB. Approval is at the discretion of the DGAFMS on the merit of the case and is not a matter of right. The request is addressed to DMPR at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy), New Delhi, with a copy handed to the President of the AMB. The RMB is held only at Delhi or Pune.
The Navy’s January 2027 notice for the 10+2 B.Tech entry adds two points. Candidates already declared fit for the NDA or Naval Academy course of that month do not repeat the examination, and medical standards are not relaxed on any grounds. Our guide to the Navy 10+2 B.Tech entry covers that notice.
What do the standards look at?
Each service publishes its own standards, so the figures differ for a pilot, a sailor and a clerk. The Navy’s page, for example, begins with general principles. The candidate must be in good physical and mental health, free from any disease or disability likely to interfere with duties ashore and afloat, and not underweight, overweight or obese. The examiner checks hearing and the ear, nose and throat, vision, speech, glands, the chest and heart, the limbs and joints, the feet, the teeth and the genito-urinary tract.
The page then lists defects for rejection and the conditions under which some are acceptable. A few examples show how specific it is. Idiopathic scoliosis up to 10 degrees in the lumbar spine and up to 15 degrees in the dorsal spine is acceptable if the candidate has no symptoms and meets other listed conditions. Hyper-extensible finger joints, where the fingers bend back beyond 90 degrees, are unfit. All intra-articular fractures of major joints are unfit, and extra-articular fractures managed without surgery are assessed only after a minimum of nine months. These examples come from the Navy’s page and do not apply automatically to the Army or the Air Force.
Eyesight is a frequent worry. The Navy sets visual standards from V1 to V4 by entry, and for refractive surgery such as PRK, LASIK or SMILE it says candidates can be considered fit in most branches if the surgery was not before the age of 20 and was done at least 12 months before the examination, with more conditions on corneal thickness, axial length and residual refraction. The Army’s FAQ page says only that standards are laid down and differ by category. Read the standard for your own entry rather than a general list.
How should you prepare for the medical?
- Read the medical standards for your entry well before the SSB, so that nothing is a surprise.
- Have a general check-up, including eyes and ears, early enough to treat anything treatable. Treat that as information for you, not as a certificate the board will accept.
- Answer every history question honestly. The Navy’s page notes that candidates sometimes withhold family history out of fear of rejection and directs examiners to look for relevant history of fits, leprosy, epilepsy or tuberculosis. Concealment can cancel a candidature.
- Carry the investigation reports and prescriptions you already have, and the call-up papers that list what to bring.
- If you are declared unfit, note the appeal deadline the same day. Forty-two days passes faster than it seems.
Free counselling is available from us by phone or WhatsApp on +91 70170 31757 if you want to talk through the timeline from SSB to medical for your own entry.
How is CAPF different?
The Central Armed Police Forces examination has its own process. UPSC’s notice says that the medical standards test follows the interview, that appeals are entertained only against the medical standards tests and must be made to the Appellate Authority designated by the Ministry of Home Affairs within 24 hours after the declaration of the detailed medical examination result. That is far shorter than the Navy’s window, which is why you should not assume the rules of one force apply to another. Our CAPF AC exam guide has the details.
Sources for this guide
- Join Indian Navy: medical and physical standards (SMB, AMB and RMB procedure, investigations, standards)
- Join Indian Navy: officer selection procedure (medical duration)
- Join Indian Navy: 10+2 B.Tech advertisement, January 2027 (no relaxation, repeat medical)
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: guidelines (medical establishments, duration, final authority)
- Indian Air Force AFCAT portal: medical standards (investigations, appeal and review boards)
- UPSC: Combined Defence Services Examination (II) 2026 notice (Joint Order Manual of medical standards)
- UPSC: CAPF (Assistant Commandants) Examination 2026 notice (medical standards test and appeals)
- Indian Army: frequently asked questions (medical standards by category)
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat happens after I am recommended at the SSB?
You are sent for a medical examination by the service's medical board. Only candidates declared fit are considered for the merit list.
How long does the SSB medical take?
The Navy's page gives about 3 to 5 days. The Air Force's guidelines give 4 to 7 days at its central establishment in New Delhi or its medical institute in Bengaluru.
What is an Appeal Medical Board?
In the Navy's procedure it is a second board for candidates declared unfit at the first. You must report to the designated centre within 42 days of the first board.
Can I ask for a Review Medical Board?
In the Navy's procedure, a candidate found unfit at the appeal may request a review within one day of completing the appeal. Approval is at the discretion of the DGAFMS and is not a matter of right.
Is LASIK allowed for officer entries?
The Navy's page says candidates who had refractive surgery can be considered fit in most branches subject to conditions such as age at surgery, a gap of 12 months and corneal and eye measurements. Check the standard for your own entry.
Are medical standards the same for the Army, Navy and Air Force?
No. Each service has its own, and they differ by entry and branch. The Army's FAQ says the standards are laid down and differ by category.
Preparing for the SSB that comes before the medical? Our classroom SSB training in Dehradun covers the psychology tests, group tasks and interview, with separate hostels and a mess for boys and girls. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp for batch dates.
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