Officer in Indian Army: Way to go

Want to be a real life hero? If you want to live a life of respect and dignity with adventures and unpredictability then Indian Army is the golden gate for you. One can join Indian army as an Army Officer at two levels: after class 12 exam and after graduation exam.

The different examinations to get through in order to join Indian Army as a commissioned officer are given below:

• National Defense Academy (NDA) exam: This exam is conducted by UPSC once every year. Only male candidates who have passed or are appearing in 12th / equivalent examination can appear. The maximum age of the candidate should be 19 years.

• Combined Defense services (CDS) exam: This exam is conducted by UPSC twice a year known as CDS - I and CDS - II. Maximum age of the candidate should be 24 years and he / she must have completed graduation from a recognized university.

Selection Procedure:

Written Test: The written test for NDA and CDS will consist of questions on English, General Ability and Mathematics. The shortlisted candidates who clear the written exam will be called for SSB interview.

The SSB interview process will be of five days. Here is the detailed look at the SSB interview:

• Screening: This test has several rounds and it screens only around 30 percent candidates out of the total candidates appearing.for the test
• Psychological Tests: These will be written tests checking the mental toughness of the candidate. They are tested on the basis of their judgment.
• Ground Test: This round will have group discussion, lecturrettes, extempore and other such rounds to check the officer-like qualities of the candidates
• Interview: The interview of the candidate will be conducted by the members of SSB board
• Conference: This is the final round after which the list of selected candidates is declared

The selected candidates have to go through complete medical check up to determine their fitness level for the training.

NDA and CDS examinations are conducted separately for candidates of different age groups.

For those who have the dream of wearing army uniform but are settled in a different employment can join territorial army.