The SSB conference is the board’s final meeting on a candidate, held on the last day of testing. The three assessors, the Interviewing Officer, the Group Testing Officer and the Psychologist, have each marked you on their own. At the conference the whole board meets, you are called in, your strengths and weaknesses are discussed, and the board decides whether you are recommended or not recommended. Recommended candidates go for a medical examination, and the final result comes from the merit list.
This page uses UPSC’s NDA notice and the Army’s own description of the SSB, which is reproduced in a 2025 Supreme Court judgment (Arshnoor Kaur v Union of India, 2025 INSC 954), plus the Air Force’s published AFSB schedule. We give no percentages of who is recommended, because no official source publishes them.
Where the conference sits in the five days
UPSC’s notice describes a two-stage SSB. Stage I is the Officer Intelligence Rating test and the Picture Perception and Description Test. Stage II consists of the interview, the group testing tasks, the psychology tests and the conference, conducted over four days. The Army’s description puts the conference on Day 5.
| Day | What the Army’s description lists | Air Force Selection Board schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Stage I: intelligence test and Picture Perception and Discussion Test | Intelligence test, picture perception test, document check, PIQ filling and psychological tests |
| Day 2 | Psychology tests; interviews run from Day 2 to 4 | Interview and group tests (Days 2 to 4) |
| Days 3 and 4 | Group testing tasks; interviews continue | Interview and group tests |
| Day 5 | Conference | Interview, group tests, board conference and document filling for recommended non-flying candidates |
| Day 6 | Not listed | Pilot selection test for flying candidates; assessors submit reports on recommended candidates |
The Air Force says its testing normally takes six days, depending on contingencies. The exact order inside your batch is in your call-up letter.
What happens at the conference
The Army’s description says the three assessors have already carried out their assessments individually. There is no discussion or sharing of the assessments between them, and nobody knows the results of your performance when the conference begins. To arrive at a final decision to select or reject, all three assessors and all members of the board must interact and also meet the candidate in person. During the conference the individual assessments are discussed, and the candidate’s plus points and weaknesses are deliberated upon in detail.
UPSC’s notice adds how marks work. The three assessors allot marks after looking at your performance in all the tests together, with no separate weightage for each test. Marks for the conference are allotted on your initial performance with the three assessors and the decision of the board, and all of these have equal weightage.
- Who is there: the board’s president and members, and the three assessors.
- What you are asked: the official sources do not publish questions. Candidates called in are generally asked to talk about themselves and what they have done, but there is no fixed list.
- How long: not stated in the official sources we found.
Recommended, not recommended and “waiting”
UPSC’s notice says candidates are “Recommended or Not Recommended” at the SSB, and that the tests are designed to bring out the presence or absence of Officer Like Qualities and trainability. Those are the two official outcomes.
You may hear about a third category called “waiting”. We found no mention of it in the official documents we read, so we do not describe it as a rule. Likewise, any figure for what percentage of candidates are recommended at a centre is unofficial.
- Recommended: you go for a medical examination. The Navy’s page says it takes three to five days, and an Army call-up letter we read says three to four days at the military hospital at the centre. The Air Force sends recommended candidates to its medical establishments in New Delhi or Bengaluru.
- Not recommended: your selection process ends for that attempt. You may apply again in a later cycle if you remain eligible. Check the rules for your entry, including any limit on attempts.
After the conference: medical and merit list
For the NDA and NA, UPSC’s notice says qualified candidates are placed in one combined list on their written and SSB marks together, and seats are filled up to the vacancies, subject to medical fitness and preference. For CDS entries it is the same principle, with written and SSB marks equal. The Air Force prepares an all-India merit list from the written test and the AFSB. See our NDA cut-off and result and CDS cut-off pages for published figures, and SSB medical examination for what the medical involves.
If you are called in: a short list
This is our advice, not an official rule.
- Be on time and dressed as your letter directs.
- Answer honestly. The board has already read your tests, interview and tasks, so an invented story will not match.
- Speak about what you have actually done, and about what you would do differently.
- Stay courteous. Your behaviour with the staff and other candidates through the five days has already been observed.
- Accept the outcome calmly, whatever it is.
For the tests before the conference, read our SSB interview process guide, the 15 OLQs and the PIQ form guides. If you would like a mock board with feedback, call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 for free counselling.
Common worries, answered from the sources
- “The conference is where they decide to reject me.” The Army’s description says the assessors have already marked you individually, and the conference is where the full board brings those assessments together and meets you. The decision is built on all five days, so no single answer in the room decides it.
- “One bad task finishes my chances.” UPSC’s notice says the assessors allot marks after looking at your performance as a whole, with no separate weightage for each test.
- “Everything depends on the interview.” The interview is one of three techniques, each marked by a different assessor, and the conference marks come from all three plus the board’s decision. All carry equal weightage.
- “I can find out my result early.” The Army’s description says nobody knows the results of your performance at the beginning of the conference. Be wary of anyone who claims to know in advance.
A note for parents
Parents are not part of the conference. The Army and Air Force pages we read say that candidates stay at the centre and attend at their own risk, and that parents or guardians sign a certificate to that effect, as UPSC’s notice states. If you travel with your child, you will have to arrange your own stay, as the Air Force’s guidelines say about accompanying guardians. Your child’s call-up letter tells you what is permitted, and your calm support on the journey back matters whatever the outcome.
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhat happens on SSB day 5?
In the Army's description, Day 5 is the conference, where the three assessors and the board's members meet, discuss each candidate's assessments and meet the candidate in person before deciding.
What does recommended mean at the SSB?
It means the board has found you suitable. You go for a medical examination, and the final merit list decides seats.
Is there a waiting list at the SSB?
UPSC's notice speaks only of Recommended or Not Recommended. We found no official mention of a waiting category.
How are conference marks decided?
UPSC says conference marks are allotted on your initial performance with the three assessors and the decision of the board, and carry equal weightage.
What percentage of candidates are recommended?
No official source publishes it, so any figure you see is unofficial.
What happens after the SSB is cleared?
A medical examination, then a merit list built from your written and SSB marks, subject to vacancies and preference.
Sources
Preparing for your board? GS India Defence Academy runs SSB training in Dehradun with separate hostels for boys and girls and a mess. Current options are on our fee structure page.
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