HOW TO MASTER WORD

ASSOCIATION TEST

AUTHOR
SAHIL SIR (ARMED WINGS SSB ACADEMY,
NASIK)

VAISHALI PRAKASHAN, PUNE

 HOW TO MASTER WORD
ASSOCIATION TEST

ISBN: 978-93-93562-10-4

SAHIL SIR (ARMED WINGS

SSB ACADEMY, NASIK)

Author ) First Edition :

15 April 2022

) Front Page :
Kamlakar Patil

) Printer :
Devgiri Printing Press,
Nashik
All rights reserved.
The moral rights
of the author ) Price : Rs. 700/-
have been asserted.
 Acknowledgements

This book is dedicated to all my students. Without the

constant encouragement and push by my students, the
thought of writing this book would have never come to
my mind. I just want to take this opportunity to thank
my students who have all added so much joy and
positivity to my life.

I would also like to thank all the people who have been my
teachers, mentors, colleagues and trainers in the past and
have all contributed in some way or the other in making me
the person I am today. I am particularly grateful for the way
they have added the necessary skills in me which enabled
me to teach in a very good manner.

I would also like to thank my student Mrs Nisha Kataria-

Ranjhani who has selflessly and relentlessly worked not
only for creating thumbnails for our YouTube videos but
also the beautiful cover for this book. I am equally
thankful to my students who have permitted their
responses in our online/offline class to be used in this
book for study and analysis.

I would also like to say thanks to each and every person

who has ever helped me, prayed for me and stood beside
me through thick and thin. Lastly, I would like to thank the
almighty for all the wonderful things he has blessed me
with!
candidates during our online as well as offline class and discussed in
detail about how that sentence will be interpreted by the board. If the
sentences are such that with little modification their quality can be
increased considerably, I have explained that as well and finally, I have
discussed about model sentences on that particular word along with a
detailed explanation.
In order to derive maximum benefit from this book, the candidate
should read the book very patiently and ensure that no page or section
is skipped. Section on every word is extremely thorough and all efforts
have been made to leave no room for doubt, confusion or question. It
will be more beneficial to the candidate if, before starting the next
word, he/she writes his/her response to that particular word. This way,
the candidate will be able to understand whether his/her own first
immediate natural reaction is good or bad. This will aid learning in a
major way. In order to maintain authenticity, I have copy pasted the
responses of the candidates without making any changes in their
responses. As such, you will find spelling mistakes or grammatical
mistakes in many of the candidate's responses. However, as already
mentioned, I have not corrected those spelling mistakes or
grammatical mistakes to ensure that authenticity is maintained.
I have always advised candidates to perform in an outstanding manner
in the psychology tests. Accordingly, the model sentences, are of a very
high quality. It does not mean, in any way, that a candidate will not get
recommended with mediocre performance. It is just that I have always
believed in teaching in such a way that the quality of the candidate's
performance is very high and not merely mediocre. As mentioned
earlier, for learning purpose, I have used the same methodology which
we use in our class in every batch during the daily session of
psychology. In the Word Association Test section, I have carefully
selected 40 of those words which are not only amongst the most
commonly displayed words during the test, but also are considered
amongst the most difficult to respond to by the candidates.

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 2. Orientation
Before we get into learning, it is important that we understand
why these tests are being conducted and how they are interconnected.
All the tests which are conducted as a part of the psychological
evaluation; all the tasks which are conducted by the GTO, as well as the
personal interview, are gauging the same qualities in the candidate.
The difference is only of the method and medium.
The qualities which are being gauged in all the three techniques
(psychology tests, GTO, and personal interview) are divided into four
categories. Each of these categories is called a 'Factor'. Let us take a
brief look at these Factors and what qualities fall under it.
Factor 1 mainly relates to the qualities of the brain. Qualities like
Effective Intelligence, Organizing Ability, Power of Expression and
Reasoning Ability. If observed carefully, it can be noticed, that all these
qualities relate to a human being's mental faculty. For example, power
of expression relates to how clearly you can express what is in your
mind or heart without leaving any room for misunderstanding or
misinterpretation. How you think and speak reveals a lot about your
mental faculty. Reasoning Ability relates to what is the logic or rationale
behind what you think and/or do. This, again, involves use of brain and
common sense. Organizing Ability, again, involves working in a
systematic and effective manner. This again, is not possible, without
use of intelligence and common sense.
Factor 2 mainly relates to what can be called group behavior or social
behavior of an individual. How he/she interacts with others and his
interpersonal skills are key here. The main qualities under Factor 2 are
Social Adaptability and Cooperation. Social Adaptability, for sake of
ease of understanding, can be explained as a person's ability to easily
mingle up with a group of people or a surrounding which is not his own.
More importantly, how easily and quickly is the group or surrounding
accepting him. For instance, if a person who was born and raised in
Haryana is sent to Kerala, then how quickly and easily will he mingle up
amongst the people there and get used to the culture and way of life
there and how quickly and easily will the people there accept him. That
is an easy way to understand social Adaptability. Cooperation is a self-
explanatory term.
An example can be taken of Factor 2 to understand how Psychology
tests, GTO tasks and personal interview are all gauging the same
qualities in the candidate. During the personal interview

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when the IO is asking about friends, he is evaluating the Factor 2 element
in the candidate. During the Command Task in the GTO, candidates are
deliberately asked to call others for help. The candidate who gets called
by many candidates gets a good score on Factor 2. The purpose of
requirement of assistance during the Command Task is primarily to check
Factor 2 of the candidates. How Factor 2 is checked in each of the
Psychology Tests, we will see in the subsequent section.
Factor 3 mainly relates to qualities like Initiative, Speed of Decision
Making, and Liveliness. Initiative is a self-explanatory word. When there
is a task at hand that nobody else will like to do, either because it is too
difficult or of an unpleasant nature (example: cleaning garbage), then will
you come forward proactively to do it? If and when there is an emergency
at hand, will you act quickly and that too in a correct manner? This is
where Speed of Decision Making is. Liveliness is the area where most
candidates fall short. The section of Hobbies and Interests on the PIQ
directly relates to Liveliness.
If a person has any concrete hobby and/or interest, it shows that he has a
certain zeal and enthusiasm for life. He has done things apart from what is
his daily routine and mandatory work or activity. Most of the candidates do
not have concrete hobbies and interests. During the interview, they have
nothing to talk about when it comes to hobbies and interests. This shows
they have done nothing apart from the mandatory routine things. Hence, the
element of liveliness in them is considered to be low. It is believed in
psychology, that a person who does not have any interest in life apart from
the regular routine work, will have no energy and quickness to act even
when there will be an emergency at hand since he is a person who is very
low on energy and enthusiasm in life. Hence, liveliness is also related to how
an individual will behave in an emergency situation.
Factor 4 mainly relates to qualities like Moral and Physical Courage as
well as Mental and Physical Stamina. If your boss is doing something
wrong deliberately, will you stop him? This is moral courage. Fighting in a
Kargil kind of a situation is physical courage. Can you read a 500 page
book? This is mental stamina. Can you run 5 kilometres? This is physical
stamina.
The qualities listed above are not the only qualities which fall under that
particular Factor. I have just included the main ones for a brief understanding.
Each of the qualities being gauged is directly related to the role of an officer.
For example, if a person has mental stamina, then he will be able to undergo
courses during his career without getting tired. He will not get tired of learning.
We all know how

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the career of an officer involves undergoing many courses at different
stages of his/her career.
Now that we have understood what are the qualities being gauged
in the candidate, we will now discuss about how the psychology
tests are gauging the same qualities in the candidate and how the
psychology tests are interlinked.
In order to understand how the tests are interlinked, we first need to
understand how the tests are designed. For instance, in Word
Association Test, each of the word which gets displayed belongs to
one of the four Factors. In the 60 words which get displayed during
the entirety of the test, there is a balanced mix of all the four Factors.
Around 10-15 words are of Factor 1, 10-15 of Factor 2, 10-15 are of
Factor 3 and the same is true for Factor 4. In Thematic Apperception
Test as well, 2-3 images are of Factor 1, 2-3 of Factor 2, 2-3 of
Factor 3 and then 2-3 of Factor 4. In Situation Reaction Test also,
10-15 situations are of Factor 1, 10-15 are of Factor 2, 10-15 are of
Factor 3, and 10-15 are of Factor 4.
Let us now see how the tests are interlinked and are gauging the same
qualities in the candidate.

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 Factor 1
Let us understand how the board will try to gauge Factor 1 of the
candidate through the psychology tests. As mentioned earlier, Word
Association Test, has a well-balanced mix of words belonging to all the
four Factors. So if the board has to gauge Factor 1 of the candidate,
then what kind of words are displayed? In order to check Factor 1,
words like 'agree, disagree and solve' will get displayed. How are they
connected to Factor 1? Well, that is easy to understand. If you agree or
disagree with something, there is a strong reason and logic behind it.
Hence, it relates to the quality of Reasoning Ability. We know that
Reasoning Ability comes under Factor 1. Similarly, if we have to solve
something, we are required to use intelligence. Intelligence comes
under Factor 1.
For gauging Factor 1 of the candidate, what kind of images are
displayed during Thematic Apperception Test? One of the most
common images that is displayed to gauge Factor 1 is that of a boy
studying, a book open in front of him and lamp lit on the study table. To
ensure that you realize that the scene is of late night, there is generally
a wall clock shown in the background displaying time of 1 o'clock or 2
o'clock. The fact that it is not 1 pm or 2 pm and is actually 1 am or 2 am
is made clear by the lamp which is on. Naturally, we won't need a lamp
at 1 pm! So this image makes it clear that the boy is putting in a lot of
effort to prepare for some exam. Maybe he is preparing for 10th or 12th
board or probably NDA written or IIT-JEE or something similar. The
story is ideally supposed to revolve around how he will prepare for that
particular exam. Based on how the story is written, the assessor will
get a clear understanding of the way the candidate will prepare for the
exam and thereby it will reveal qualities like organising ability and
effective intelligence in a very clear way. Both of these qualities belong
to Factor 1.

For gauging Factor 1 in the Situation Reaction Tests, what kind of a

situation can be put across to the candidate? A simple situation like 'He
is told to organise a cleanliness drive. He will' comes under Factor 1.
The word 'organise' is itself used in the situation thereby making it
amply clear that the quality of 'Organising Ability' is being checked
through the candidate's response to the Situation.
I am sure, now it must be clear to you how all the 3 tests are gauging
the same qualities in the candidate and are completely interlinked.

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 Factor 2
Let us now understand how the board will try to gauge Factor 2 of the
candidate through the psychology tests. What kind of words will be
displayed in order to check Factor 2 of the candidate? Very simple:
words like group, cooperate, help, and society are amongst some of the
words which will be displayed to check Factor 2 of the candidate. Each
of these words relates to how the candidate interacts with others or
what can be called the social behavior of the candidate. In a way, it
directly relates to the interpersonal skills of the candidate. You
'cooperate' with others and not merely with your own self. Same is true
for the word 'help'. The word 'group' relates to a group of people and
thereby gauges your interaction with group of people and same is true
for the word 'society'.
Similarly, in Thematic Apperception Test, one of the most common
images which is displayed to check Factor 2 is that of a visibly urban
and educated looking young man talking to a group of villagers. The
fact that the young man is urban and not from a rural area and is highly
educated is made clear from the way he is dressed. He will be shown
wearing nice formals, hair nicely combed and wearing nice shoes. Now
again, does it mean that villagers don't dress up like this? Obviously
not! However, to make it clear that he is not from a village, the people
he is talking to are shown wearing dhoti and pagdi or something similar
which makes it amply clear that they are villagers. This stark difference
in the way the characters are dressed is to make it clear to the
candidate that the young man does not belong to that village.

There will be additional elements visible in the image to leave no doubt

in the candidate's mind that the scene is of a rural area. For example,
there may be a bullock cart shown in the background. The houses
shown in the background are also made to look like houses in a village.
All these elements are added to ensure that the candidate realizes that
it is a rural area in the background. The board expects that the image
will generate a set of thoughts in the candidate's mind which will make
him write a story around the few important points: What the board will
be trying to gauge in the story is: what is the young man talking to the
villagers about? What is his work there? And most importantly, how will
he coordinate with the villagers to achieve the purpose or aim
regarding which he is talking to them? Based on what and how the
candidate will write in response to the image, it will

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 become clear whether his/her Factor 1 is strong or weak or non-
existent.
Similarly, in Situation Reaction Test, one of the most common
situations which comes to check Factor 2 of the candidate is 'He is the
captain of the college football team. Many of the teammates are not
cooperating and are missing practice sessions. He will’. This Situation
relates to his interpersonal skills and group behavior. Now what he will
do regarding this problem or situation will reveal to the board whether
his Factor 2 is weak or strong.

This is how Factor 2 is gauged in the psychology tests.

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 Factor 3
Let us now understand how the board will try to gauge Factor 3 of the
candidate through the psychology tests.
In Word Association Test, words like Fire, Flood, Earthquake, Accident
and Drown are displayed to gauge the Factor 3 of the candidate. The
one thing common in all these words is the element of life being at risk.
There is a threat to life during flood as well as during earthquake and
accident. Whatever the candidate will write in response to these words
will confirm whether the candidate's own Factor 3 is weak or strong.
Similarly, in Thematic Apperception Test, one of the most common
images which is displayed is that of an accident. An image in which a
car has collided with a tonga or an auto or a 2-wheeler. What the
candidate will write in response to the image will confirm whether
his/her Factor 3 is weak or strong.
In situation Reaction Test, one of the most common Situations which
comes to check Factor 3 of the candidate is, 'He is getting late
for the exam and he witnesses an accident. He will'. What the
candidate will write in response to this Situation will confirm whether
his/her Factor 3 is strong or weak.
As you can see in the above 3 paragraphs, Accident is the word in
Word Association Test. Then there is an accident based image in
Thematic Apperception Test and in Situation Reaction Test, there is
a situation revolving around an accident. I hope now it is clear to you
how all the tests are interlinked and are gauging the same qualities
in the candidate
I am sure now you have understood about the deeper concept behind
how the tests are designed and there will be no further explanation
needed about Factor 4. As such, I will not waste the reader's time by
going into detail of Factor 4.
Let us move to the actual learning part and start understanding how we
should prepare for the Word Association Test.

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 Word Association Test-Understanding The Concept

The Word Association Test, commonly known as WAT, is one of the

four tests which are conducted on the very first day of SSB as a part of
the psychology tests. In Word Association Test, a total of 60 words are
displayed on the screen at the interval of 15 seconds each and the
candidate is required to write a sentence on that word within those 15
seconds. On every page there is space to write 20 sentences and that is
the reason why after every 20 words there is a blank slide displayed for
15 seconds in order to give time to the candidates to turn the page.
In the second chapter where I have explained about how all the three
main tests taken in Psychology are interlinked, I have also explained
how Word Association Test is a mixed bag and has a balance of words
belonging to all the four Factors.
In my experience of grooming candidates over the past 7 years, I have
observed that most of the candidates appearing for SSB do not have
any clue about why this test is taken, what is the science behind it and
how they should approach it. Most of the candidates feel as if the
words displayed during Word Association Test are just randomly picked
up from the dictionary. The reality is quite the opposite! Each and every
word which is displayed on the screen during Word Association Test is
carefully chosen and is directly related to those qualities and
personality traits which are extremely important and completely
relevant to an officer's role. As such, before we proceed further and get
into analysis of sentences in reference to the words on which they have
been written, it is important that we first understand the scientific
aspect and concept of Word Association Test. Without a detailed
understanding of the concept of Word Association Test, no amount of
practice will ever help the candidate perform well in Word Association
Test.

As mentioned earlier, the words displayed during Word Association

Test happen to be extremely carefully chosen and are directly
connected to at least one of the aspect of the candidate's personality
which relates to the role of an officer. Let us understand in a little detail
what I mean by this. If you ask someone who has been till conference
multiple times, whether he was asked questions regarding his family
during the personal interview, the answer will always be a yes. A
repeater who has been till conference multiple times will confirm that
during each of his personal interviews there were questions asked
about his family. No personal interview in any of the SSB, regardless of

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age and entry, can ever be complete without adequate discussion
around family. The reason behind this is very simple: one of most
important criteria for a candidate to be considered worthy of
recommendation is that he should be from a good family. Here, by good
family, we are not talking about rich or highly qualified parents or family
members. A girl like Aanchal Gangwal, who is a daughter of a tea seller,
has got commissioned into the Flying Branch of the Indian Air Force.
There are numerous similar examples we see every year.
So what does it mean when we say good family? Very simple: good
values and deep bonds within family. These two elements will be
adequate to constitute a good family from the selection perspective
and not whether the family is rich or highly education/qualified. We
have already seen in the previous section how all the tasks and tests in
the SSB are gauging the same qualities in the candidate. During the
interview the Interviewing Officer will make an effort the gauge what
kind of a family the candidate comes from by asking him relevant
questions about family. Similarly, in Word Association Test too the
family aspect of the candidate will be checked by displaying relevant
words like Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Family, Home, Relatives.
Each of these words relates to the family aspect of the candidate and a
few words out of this group will be there in every Word Association Test
conducted by our boards regardless of age and entry. Any candidate
who has been till conference once or multiple times, will confirm with
absolute certainty that in each of the Word Association Test he
appeared for, a few words out of this group were displayed at different
intervals during the test for sure. What the candidate will write in
response to these words will help the board understand about the
family aspect of the candidate's life.
Now let us understand the second important concept about Word
Association Test: grouping of words. The way words like Father,
Mother, Brother, Sister, Family, Home relate to one particular
important aspect of family, there are other group of words which
relate to other important aspect of the candidate which are relevant
to an officer's role and work. Let us discuss the example of other
three such groups and why they are displayed during Word
Association Test.
The way it is important for the board to understand about a
candidate's family background, the same way it is equally important
to understand what is concept of an officer in the candidate's mind.
The reason behind this is very simple: it is believed that, if
commissioned, the candidate will go on to become the type of
officer which matches the concept of what an officer is in his mind.

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To check what the candidate's thoughts are about what an officer is,
words like Colonel, Major, Captain, Lieutenant, Officer, Commander,
and Boss are displayed during the Word Association Test. What the
candidate will write in response to these words will help the board
understand what kind of an officer the candidate will go on to become.
Let me help you understand what I am saying in slight detail by taking
the example of the word Colonel. A candidate may write ‘A Colonel is a
strict person’ or ‘A Colonel is a strict disciplinarian’ whereas the second
candidate may write something like ‘A Colonel is extremely helpful to
subordinates’ or ‘A Colonel guides his men for betterment’. Let us
understand how these sentences will be interpreted and what will be
the conclusion drawn about the candidate based on those sentences.

From sentences like ‘A Colonel is a strict person’ or ‘A Colonel is a strict

disciplinarian’, it will become very clear to the board that, if
commissioned, then in the future the candidate will go on to become a
very strict kind of an officer. If you think about it carefully, you will
realize that most of the times, if not always, a person who is a strict
disciplinarian has a reputation about himself which makes others fear
him a lot. He might be a person who is very good at his work but then
the downside of being a strict disciplinarian is that it makes others,
specially subordinates, have fear and hesitation in their hearts when it
comes to interacting with or approaching him for any work, whether
official or otherwise. This has the potential to create a communication
gap between him and his subordinates. Another outcome of having this
kind of personality is that the bond between the Colonel and his men
will be almost nonexistent.
Now let us see how the second candidate's response will be
interpreted. From sentences like ‘A Colonel is extremely helpful to
subordinates’ or ‘A Colonel guides his men for betterment’ it will
become very clear to the board that, if commissioned, then in the
future the candidate will go on to become the kind of officer who is
extremely helpful to his subordinates as well as any other members of
his unit. He will be more like a father figure to them guiding them at
every important step. The person will be having a reputation for being
a very humble, simple, caring and helpful person. Due to this kind of a
reputation and personality, nobody will ever have any fear or
hesitation in approaching him for anything related to work or
otherwise. This in turn will ensure that there is no communication gap
between him and his subordinates. His subordinates will be at ease
and extremely comfortable in approaching him whenever any need
arises. This will not only ensure a
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smooth functioning of the unit but will also earn him lot of genuine
respect in the hearts and minds of his subordinates. The other major
beneficial positive impact of this will be that his unit members will
always be feeling very positive working with him and will be willing
to put in extra efforts happily for any task at hand so that their boss
does not get to hear anything negative from his superiors.
Now we can understand why the second candidate will become more
desirable and acceptable to the board as there is lot of desirable
positive quality in him and there is no risk of being unapproachable or
repulsive. One more thing we need to understand here is that it is not at
all necessary to have a negative reputation in order to become a very
effective people manager. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite.
Those who are from defence background will instantly agree that the
most efficient of officers in any arm are those who are the most
humble, approachable, friendly and simple.
Now let us understand about another group of words and why it is
displayed during Word Association Test. Lot of candidates appear for
SSB out of fascination. They are attracted to our armed forces because
of the kind of public image our armed forces have. To general public,
mainly the element of a life full of adventure is what armed forces are
all about. The candidates who come for SSB with this fascinated kind of
mindset are mainly wanting that life of adventure and thrill. We all see
lot of youngsters posting videos in their whatsapp status and on other
social media platforms in which there are guns blazing and heroic
songs playing in the background. This is the first sign of fascination.
Since that is their main reason for attraction, most of them are not
aware that our armed forces also have lot of work to do. There are lot of
responsibilities and all the three arms are short of manpower. It is
common in units to see one officer doing work of three or four officers
due to shortage of officers. Same is the case with Other Ranks and
JCOs. Now the main concern for the board is that if the candidate has
come with a fascinated mind, he will be in for a rude shock when he will
be given lot of work and the element of adventure and thrill may not be
as much as he dreamt of. In this eventuality, the possibility that the
candidate will get badly disappointed and might not give his 100% to
work is very high. As such, the board will not feel comfortable and
confident about recommending a candidate who has come with a
fascinated mind.
The second category is the minority. It constitutes those who are
mature, responsible and level headed individuals and appear for SSB,
not out of fascination, but with the realization that life in our

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armed forces involves lot of work and has challenges of it's own. This
kind of an individual is aware that the work may not always be pleasant
or enjoyable but he is still willing to undertake it out of his/her own
sense of maturity and understanding of life. It is extremely important
for the board to understand whether the candidate is a fascinated
youngster wanting to join our armed forces out of some pink and green
notion in mind or whether he/she is a very mature individual and knows
the magnitude and depth of the responsibilities involved in working as
an officer.
It is precisely to check whether the candidate is a fascinated person
or a mature individual, words like Rifle, Gun, Tank, Bomb, Weapon,
Missile are displayed during the test. Ask any candidate who has been
to SSB on one or more occasions and he will confirm that each time
he appeared for Word Association Test, there were a few words from
this group at different intervals during the test. In order to understand
about these words, with example, let us understand how the board
will get to know whether the candidate is a fascinated person or a
responsible and mature individual. Take the example of the word
Rifle. A candidate, specially if he/she belongs to NCC or is already
serving in the army as an OR/JCO, and has some sort of experience of
handling firearms. Such a candidate may end up writing something
like ‘Firing Rifle is thrilling’ or simply ‘Firing Rifle feels awesome’.
Then there will be another candidate who, regardless of being in
NCC/Army, may write something like ‘Rifle helps protect our country’
or ‘Rifle helps maintain peace and security’.

Let us see how these sentences will be interpreted. A candidate writing

sentences like ‘Firing Rifle is thrilling’ or simply ‘Firing Rifle feels
awesome’ will clearly prove to the board that he belongs to the
fascinated category. The use of words like 'thrilling' and 'awesome'
leaves absolutely no doubt about the person being fascinated. It also
proves that the candidate has come to SSB with the future dream and
desire that he will get to fire weapons and will have a good time doing
it. The problem with this, however, is that if and when the candidate
will be put in a situation where there will be lot of work and the
opportunity to use firearms will not be as much as he would have liked,
then the possibility that he/she will feel demotivated is very high as
his/her primary reason of wanting to join army was not to handle
responsibilities but was to enjoy adventures and thrills. Due to these
reasons the candidate does not come across as highly desirable. The
board would like to recommend someone who displays a responsible
and mature character and gives board the faith that he will be

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completely comfortable with handling workload. A candidate who
displays willingness to undertake responsibility and handle high
volume of workload without any greed for experiencing the thrill of
handling firearms will definitely be considered more desirable by the
board.
Compare this with the response of the second candidate. By writing
sentences like ‘Rifle helps protect our country’ or ‘Rifle helps maintain
peace and security’ the candidate has displayed the maturity and
realization that a piece of weaponry like Rifle is mainly there for the
purpose of providing security and ensuring peace and not for anyone's
personal enjoyment and thrill. Add to this the use of ‘our country’ in
the first sentence and it becomes clear the candidate has a deep
sense of bond with the motherland and is thinking about it's good. The
first thought that has come into the mind of the candidate, when the
word Rifle was displayed, was about country's protection. The thought
of adventure/thrill/excitement was not the first thought that came to
his mind. This again proves that he is a very mature individual and his
thought process is in the right direction. It would be important to
remember here that there is a huge shortage of officers in our armed
forces and in many units one single officer is handling workload of 3-4
Officers. Due to this reasons also a candidate who displays willingness
to undertake bigger responsibility will be considered more desirable
compared to someone who wants to join just to enjoy the thrill of
firing weapons.

I am sure it will be easy for you to now understand why the second
candidate will be very desirable for the board and the first candidate
will be considered undesirable.
Let us take one more example of a group of words which is an
important part of Word Association Test. The fourth group we can take
for study is of words like Fire, Flood, Accident, Earthquake, and
Calamity. We will not go into the depth of these words as I am sure we
have now adequately understood about how there is a concept of
group of words which relate to one particular aspect of a candidate's
personality and how the candidate's response helps the board
understand whether the candidate is desirable or not. Just to help you
understand briefly, all these words have one element in common and
that is the element of life being at risk. In Fire life is at risk as it is also in
case of Flood, Accident and Earthquake. These words belong to Factor
3 and hence what the candidate will write in response to these words
will help board understand whether the candidate's factor 3 is good or
not.
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Now let us start with our main learning section. In this section, I have
listed 20 words. For the purpose of our learning, I have very carefully
chosen those words which prove to be very problematic for most of the
candidates in terms of writing sentences. With every word, we will first
try to understand why that particular word comes in Word Association
Test and the quality that is being gauged through it. Then we will take a
look at the sentences submitted by candidates in our class and we will
analyse it in an in-depth manner to understand what will be the
inference drawn about the candidate by the board based on that
sentence. We will then see if that sentence could have been modified
to better display candidate's qualities. In the end we will see model
sentences along with a detailed analysis of why those sentences will be
helping the candidate in getting good result in the psychology tests.
In order to derive maximum benefit from the Word Association Test
section, it is advisable that the candidate sit with a pen and paper in
hand. Before reading the section related to a word, write a sentence on
that word so that later while reading the analysis of that word, the
candidate will be able to understand where he is going wrong and why
he may have failed in his past attempts.

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 1. Atom

The first word we will be discussing will be Atom. Before we start, I

advise the reader to write the first sentence that comes in his mind
on the word Atom so that while going through the analysis, he will
understand whether his response is acceptable or not and what will
be the board's interpretation of his sentence.
If you have finished writing a sentence on atom then please continue
reading further.

Analysis of why a word like atom comes in WAT: The word Atom
looks totally meaningless and irrelevant. Isn't it? After all, what has an
atom got to do with a person becoming an officer? Most the candidates
feel like this and fail to understand the deeper science behind Word
Association Test.
Let us try to understand why a word like atom will be included in Word
Association Test. A word like atom is more like a double edged sword.
If the candidate is a person who has a productive and positive
approach towards life then the immediate first thought that will come
to his mind upon seeing a word like atom will be about the healthy,
beneficial and productive uses of atom. On the flipside, if the candidate
is a negative and destructive minded person then he will think about
the destructive aspect of atom and will end up writing something
related to atom bomb or Hiroshima/Nagasaki disasters.
Now let us take a look at some of the responses submitted by students
in our class.

1. Navpreet-Atomic efforts constitute substantial results.

Analysis: The sentence written by Navpreet does not make it clear
whether she is a productive minded person or a destructive minded
person. Rather than responding to the word atom by writing about
atom, she has ended up modifying the essence of the word and
writing on atomic efforts. Had she written about atomic power/energy
it would have still maintained the essence of the word but by writing
about atomic efforts, she has completely taken away the essence of
the word. The other problem with this sentence is that in day to day
English we never use any phrase like atomic efforts. The phrase that
comes closest to what Navpreet was trying to write is "baby steps".
Hence it does not sound natural and honest. The next problem with
the sentence is that it does not even confirm whether the candidate
herself
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has taken any 'atomic/baby efforts' which have resulted in any
substantial gain.
The sentence has completely taken away the essence of the word.
The other problem with this sentence is that in day to day English we
never use any phrase like atomic efforts. The phrase that comes
closest to what Navpreet was trying to write is "baby steps". Hence it
does not sound natural and honest. The next problem with the
sentence is that it does not even confirm whether the candidate
herself has taken any 'atomic/baby efforts' which have resulted in any
substantial gain. So the question is, how she should have gone about
it? Let me help you understand.
When starting to learn Word Association Test, the very first thing a
candidate should do is, ask herself whether the sentence is revealing
anything about her in terms of her daily life or action/deeds or behavior
traits. If yes, then is it in line with what the board is looking for? It will
be wise to remember here that our psychology and mindset gets
reflected most clearly in our behavior and conduct. My advice to
candidates has always been that they should make a conscious effort
to write sentences which reflect something about their behavior
/deeds/actions or daily/regular activities. If the candidate has made lot
of effort and is still unable to form a sentence which showcases
something about her life/actions/deeds or behavior then the next thing
the candidate should do is try to frame a sentence which may show
something good about her surroundings. For this, the candidate should
first try to see if a sentence can be framed which showcases something
worthwhile about her immediate family. Since it is believed that a child
borrows maximum traits of his immediate family, it would help if
something good about family can be displayed. If not family, then try
about friends. If not friends, try about colleagues. If not colleagues, try
writing about the society surrounding us. This way we should move
ahead in concentric circles. I know this concept will not become clear
immediately but by the time you finish reading the book, everything I
am saying will be crystal clear in your mind.

Let me help you understand what I mean when I say the candidate
should try to show something about herself through the sentence.
Although the use of the phrase "atomic efforts" looks unnatural, I will
still give 2 examples of how she should have written the same
sentence in a slightly different manner thereby showcasing her
qualities so that the reader will understand about Word Association
Test in a meaningful way. She should have thought about an area of her
life where she has made improvements in the past. For the sake of
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our study I am taking examples of lack of fitness or weakness in
English. If the candidate had fitness issues in the past or had any
problems in English and had taken systematic efforts to improve in
those areas then she could have framed sentence in the following
manner.

2. Atomic efforts helped become fitter by the day.

3. Atomic efforts helped improve English over time.
In each of the above 2 sentences the candidate's use of the word
helped implies that she is writing from her own past experience. Had
she used the word 'helps' instead of 'helped', the sentence would
have become a general observation of life and would not have given
any clear confirmation about the candidate's own behavior and
conduct. The use of the word 'helped' proves that she has actually
done that particular thing. It may seem like a very minor modification
but then it changes the whole interpretation of the sentence. With
this principle, a sentence like 'atomic efforts helped become fitter by
the day' would confirm to the board that in the past the candidate
has taken baby steps leading a good overall improvement.

Regarding fitness, maybe she started by reducing junk food and

eventually eliminating it from her diet. This may have been followed
by start of morning/evening walk of 1 km which must have gone to 5
km over the next 3 months. The candidate having stayed away from
the temptation of taking drastic steps shows her sense of practicality
and realistic thinking. The candidate staying consistent in her daily
effort shows her discipline and determination. The candidate having
taken baby steps to improve herself in any of the aspects of her life
shows she is meticulous and systematic. There is a world famous
Japanese methodology and concept of how you can improve in any
aspect of your life by taking small baby steps. It is called Kaizen. It
gets confirmed that the candidate not only initiates improvement in a
realistic and practical manner by starting with small changes, but the
end result also being achieved shows that the candidate was
persistent and disciplined and did not deviate from her efforts. Her
actions are reflecting her psychology very clearly. After all, how many
people stay resolute in their efforts and succeed in bringing the
desired change in their life? Hence, a candidate with these kind of
qualities will be considered highly desirable by the board. Same will
apply in case of the second sentence.

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However, it does not take away the fact that the use of the phrase
"atomic efforts" still will not be digestible to the board as the English
looks unnatural and the word atom's essence is not getting reflected in
the sentence. Also, I have already stated earlier that the sentence does
not confirm whether the candidate is positive minded or negative
minded. For all these reasons the candidate's sentence is not going to
prove useful from the board's evaluation perspective.

4. Shrey-each atom give birth to a new life.

Analysis: Shrey's sentence, Just like Navpreet's is more like a poetic

beautification of the word atom. It is not having any connection with
what the board is trying to gauge. Next problem with the sentence is
that it doesn't make it clear what exactly the candidate is talking about.
It is a very vague kind of a sentence and will not convey or display any
quality of the candidate to the board. It is not displaying any negative
quality but then it is not even displaying anything worthwhile either.
The sentence will not help the candidate.

5. Peeyush-Japan rose beautifully after the second world war.

Analysis: In this sentence, Peeyush might feel that he has displayed

some positive quality by writing about the development that took place
in Japan after the second world war but if you think carefully, it will
become clear that the thought that came to his mind was related to the
atom bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had this
not been the case then Japan wouldn't have come to his mind. Another
point I would like to mention is that in this sentence there is no
mention of the word atom. Lot of candidates develop this style of
writing because of the belief that the essence of the word should get
reflected in the sentence and it is fine even if the word itself is not
there. Yes! There is nothing wrong with this style of writing. However, I
will still encourage candidates to develop a style and habit of writing in
which the word is mentioned in the sentence. The reason behind this is
that a candidate can write sentences of a higher quality by using the
word in the sentence. The second reason is that if and when you
develop a style of writing in which the word is not used, it also conveys
to the board that the candidate has been heavily tutored and coached.
The response, even if accepted by the board, doesn't generate the kind
of positive impression which a sentence will generate if it is looking
natural and not a coached response.

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5. Naveen-war by using atom bombs have severe repercussions
of coming generations.

Analysis: Naveen has gone one step ahead of Peeyush and has
clearly used the word atom bombs thereby clearly confirming to the
board that the first thought that came to his mind was related to the
destructive aspect of atom. We can now understand why and how
this sentence will generate a negative impression about the
candidate in the mind of the assessor. The candidate maybe under
the impression that his sense of humanity is getting reflected as he
has written about how atom bombs are harmful. However, this will
not be correct. In the subsequent section we will see how you can
use the word atom and write a totally positive sentence which will
confirm to the board that you are a positive and productive kind of
person.

6. Dhiraj-atom bomb made by nuclear.

Analysis: The analysis for Dhiraj's sentence will be the same as

Naveen's.

7. Pawan-two atoms of hydrogen combines with one atom of

oxygen to form water molecule.

Analysis: Pawan's sentence reflects a universal truth and a reality of

life. Writing these kind of sentences during the test will hardly have any
positive impact as it does not reflect anything about the candidate's
mindset. There is nothing negative about this sentence but on the
flipside it doesn't have anything which will generate a substantial
positive impression either. Word Association Test is a set of 60
opportunities given to the candidate to prove to the board that he
deserves to be recommended. By writing sentences which will not
push recommended, the candidate is wasting those 60 opportunities.

8. Shivam-Smallest particle of an element.

Analysis: Again, just like Pawan's sentence, this is also just a universal
truth. Hence, the analysis will be the same as of Pawan's sentence.

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9. Abhishek-Atom bomb should be the integral part of our
national defence.

Analysis: Abhishek's sentence displays a very aggressive attitude. The

kind of aggression which is generally the first step towards war
mongering. Not at all healthy! The candidate may feel he is showing
deep love for the country by desiring the safety connected to having
atom bomb in the country's arsenal. However, the way the sentence
has been written ends up displaying a kind of attitude which will make
the assessor feel that the candidate is dying to see the destruction of
our enemies like Pakistan and China. The candidate may feel that this
is something which the board will like but that will never be the case
in reality. There is a big problem with this kind of a mindset being
displayed by the candidate. The reason being that people who are
hungry to destroy Pakistan and China will be eagerly waiting for an
opportunity to act in the same direction. If this candidate will get
posted in a border area and will not get any opportunity to act against
the Pakistani or Chinese troops there, then there is a slight possibility
that he just might end up creating a situation where none exists, just
to satisfy his desire to act against the Pakistanis and Chinese.

Let me help you understand in a more deeper manner what is the

problem with this kind of a candidate and why army will always be
hesitant in having this kind of a person in it's rank. Every now and then
we see in news about how Chinese and Indian troops regularly get into
confrontations in the border areas. There are still videos available on
YouTube about how an Indian contingent had to get into a physical
brawl with Chinese during the Doklam standoff. The video clearly
shows how the Chinese troops and Indian soldiers were even pushing
each other physically. It was a very tense situation. It would have taken
just one nervous soldier on either side to lose his patience and fire a
bullet and start a full-fledged war between two countries. We all know
what would have happened next. Hence, an officer needs to be a very
responsible and patient person. Someone who doesn't act in the heat
of the moment and knows how to control his emotions and actions. The
sentence which Abhishek has written gives signs that in a Doklam kind
of situation he just might lose his patience and act without thinking
about the possible consequences of his one wrong move. I am sure
now you will understand why a candidate should not display qualities
of unnecessary aggressive behavior or aggression as the first choice.
Displaying yourself as a mature, patient and far-sighted human being
will help you immensely in SSB.

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10. Nitin-is the smallest unit of matter.

Analysis: Again, a universal truth. Does not display any quality of the
candidate.

11. Husan-the atom bomb is the most powerful bomb.

Analysis: By writing the word ‘most powerful’, the candidate has

added more negativity to the sentence. Not only has he thought
about bomb and its destructive effect but the sentence almost
sounds like he admires the destructive element of atom bomb and
desires more of it. An extremely negative impression will get
generated about the candidate.

12. Amad-Atom is the modern source of energy.

Analysis: This is more like it! Much better than what everyone has
written so far. He has not connected it to destruction. However, there
is still room for improvisation as even atom bomb uses energy but for
destructive purpose. So how do we ensure that we leave no room for
doubt or misinterpretation? We will see when we discuss
model/modified sentence. Had the candidate very clearly associated
atom with electricity or nuclear medicine, it would have been very
beneficial.
13. Manish-future source of energy.

Analysis: Just like Amad's sentence, this too is on the positive side.
Having said that, we cannot understand what made the candidate use
the word ‘future’ in the sentence. Atomic like to add that the candidate
could have further improved the sentence in a way which would leave
absolutely no room for misinterpretation and will also show other
positive things about his mindset. I will help you understand what I am
saying when we discuss model sentences.

14. Tarun-India is one of the leading country in atomic energy.

Analysis: The positive thing about this sentence is that it relates to

atomic energy and not atom bomb. The weak point in this sentence is
the use of the word 'India'. By using a word like 'India', the candidate
is making it look like he doesn't feel a deep bond with his own country
HOW TO MASTER WORD ASSOCIATION TEST-Armed Wings SSB Academy, Nasik 23
and as if he is from a foreign land. If he would use a phrase like 'our
country' rather than 'India', it would reflect his bond with his country in
a clearer and deeper manner. The other thing with this sentence which
could be improved upon is that he had made it look more like
information rather than reflect anything about his mindset or way of
looking at things. While writing any sentence, if a candidate is able to
reflect his thoughts/views about that particular thing then it adds more
weight to the sentence. Again, you will understand what I am saying
when we discuss model sentences on atom.

Model/Modified Sentences:
Now let us take a look at a few sentences which will help the
candidate even further when it comes to writing sentences on a word
like atom.
The first sentence I will take as an example is of Tarun. Let us see how
Tarun could have written that sentence in a better way.

15. Modified sentence: Our country is increasing atomic energy

production admirably.

Analysis: By making minor change like using 'our country' in place of

'India' a deeper bond with motherland gets reflected. By using the
word 'admirably' it has been made clear that he is in favour of
increasing atomic energy production and views it favourably. This kind
of a thought will come in a person's mind only when he knows that
atomic energy is cleaner form of energy compared to the level of
pollution caused by coal based power plants. Second: there is
awareness that if our country has to develop, then it needs to increase
it's power production in a considerable and continuous manner. Every
country that aspires to be an economic powerhouse needs to have a
very high level of power production. Power is one of the most basic
prerequisites for economic development. One more positive point
about this sentence is that it clearly confirms that the candidate is
talking about electricity and not about anything else. Even atom bomb
uses atomic energy but for destruction purpose. So this is one more
positive element about the sentence.

16. Model sentence: Atomic energy is helping our country

develop.

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Analysis: Just like the modified sentence of Tarun, this sentence also
reflects how candidate views atom as a source of energy which will aid
our country's development. A small simple thing like using the word
'helping' implies that there is a desire in the candidate to see his
country develop. Please understand the depth of this. When do we use
the word 'helping'? To give an example, a person who is finding an app
for learning guitar very useful then he will say 'this app is helping me
learn guitar'. A person who loves cooking and is finding a particular
YouTube channel useful to learn new recipes will say 'this channel is
helping me learn new recipes'. In both the cases, the use of the word
'helping' clearly proves a deep desire for learning guitar and new
recipes. In the same manner, the use of the word helping proves that
the candidate has a deep desire to see his country develop nicely and
this in turn proves his love for his country. This sentence also, just like
the previous model sentence makes it amply clear that the candidate is
talking about peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Before we discuss model answer, it will be beneficial to note that we

have uploaded a complete 30 video course on TAT starting 5th of July
of 2024 on our YouTube channel Armed Wings SSB Academy, Nasik
and even on our Facebook page Armed Wings SSB Academy-Nasik.
Please subscribe and watch the videos to benefit from it. We have a
playlist on WAT and SRT as well on YouTube and Facebook. You can
even watch extremely useful reels on our instagram account
@armed_wings_ssb.
17. Model sentence: Atomic energy is environment friendly.

Analysis: This sentence proves that the first thought that came in the
candidate's mind was about peaceful use of nuclear energy and not any
other form of nuclear energy. The sentence leaves absolutely no room
for misinterpretation regarding what form of energy the candidate has
in mind. The other positive quality which gets reflected is concern for
environment. This is how, by making minor changes, one can improve
the quality of his sentences in a considerable manner. At the end of
day, the psychology tests are all about the using the correct choice of
words.

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 2. AGAINST

The second word we have taken for study is 'against'. Please write a
sentence on it quickly and only then read further.

Analysis of why a word like against comes in WAT: First let us

understand why the word 'against' is displayed in Word Association
Test. The reason is very simple: it is believed that when the word
'against' will be displayed in front of the candidate then the first thing
that will come to his mind is something which he is against in day to
day life. For Example, if a gulab jamun is shown to us, the first word
which might come to our mind will be something like 'yummy,
delicious, tasty, sweet' or something of a similar nature. The same
way, if the word 'against' is displayed, it is believed that the first
immediate thought or thing that will come to the candidate's mind will
be of something which he is against. Accordingly, he will write a
sentence and then that sentence will show what he is against.
However, in reality, the candidates mostly fail to do this. Most of the
candidates have a concept in mind of something called 'negative
words' and they have no idea what to write on negative words. Most
of the times the candidates ends up writing something which is very
vague in nature, does not reveal any quality of the candidate, or at
worst, reveals some negative quality. In the subsequent section I will
help you understand in an in-depth manner what I mean by this.

Let us analyse few sentences submitted by candidates in our class so

that things become totally clear.
18. Manish-teacher never against students.

Analysis: This is the most classic example of what most of the

candidates do when faced with a so called 'negative' word. When a so
called 'negative' word is displayed, most of the candidates respond in
one of the two ways. First: they will write something in a denial mode
the way Manish has written. By denial mode, I mean, writing something
which you don't do or which does not happen. Second: overcome or
solve mode. By this, I mean, writing something that displays how it can
be solved or overcome. A huge majority of candidates will respond in
one of these two ways when writing a sentence on a negative word. In
both the ways, the candidate is losing the opportunity to leave a
worthwhile impression.
The problem with the first method of response is that what we
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don't do will not reveal our good qualities as much as by what we do.
Our good qualities get revealed more by what we do and less by what
we don't do. There is a beautiful line in the movie Chocolat towards the
end where the priest says while delivering sermon, “let our goodness
be judged by what we do and not by what we don't do”. This one line is
enough for anyone to understand that by talking about what you do,
you will be able to convey to the board members more of your positive
traits and qualities rather than by talking about what you don't do.
Another thing we have all heard: actions speak louder than words.
From this principle as well, if you show what you do, it will give the
board a more clear and positive picture about you rather than what you
don't do. The problem with the second style of writing is very much the
same as it with the first style: it does not show your action in
accordance with the purpose for which the word is displayed. It does
not show any behavior trait or daily/regular activity connected to the
word which will help the board come to conclude that the candidate is
worthy of recommendation. There is a very high possibility that the
sentence you wrote before reading the details of this section might also
have been of one of the above two styles I have mentioned!

So if not these two styles, then how is a candidate supposed to write on

a word like against? I will answer this in detail when discussing model
answers. Before that let us analyse few other responses as that will
also help us understand and learn a lot.

19. Navpreet-Team efforts can win game against tough opponents.

Analysis: The first thing worth talking about is that this kind of sentence
does not reveal what the candidate is against in life. Hence, the
sentence does not help the assessor understand or make a decision
about what he is looking for. It neither confirms, nor denies, what the
assessor is trying to check. Hence, by writing this kind of a sentence on
a word like 'against' the candidate has missed out on an opportunity to
impress the assessor. The next slightly weak point about this sentence
is the use of the word 'can'. By using a word like 'can', the candidate
has shown lack of belief and clarity. Can is a word which shows
possibility but not certainty. It is strongly advisable that candidates
should refrain from using words like can or may or might. These kind of
words show lack of confidence in the candidate's mind whereas the
board would prefer a candidate who has absolute clarity in thinking and
is very decisive. Another area where the candidate fell

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short is that she has failed to show whether she has been into any team
game where this 'team effort' which she is talking about has helped win
against a tough opponent. I have never encouraged anyone to lie.
Therefore, my advice to the candidate will be that if you have been in
any team game where this has actually happened then you should
write the sentence in such a way that it helps the assessor understand
clearly that you have been into team games and team efforts helped
you beat a strong opponent. Let me help you understand how she
could have done that.

20. Modified sentence: Our basketball team's coordinated efforts

helped win against tough team.
Analysis: For those who feel this sentence is a little longer and 15
seconds may not prove adequate to write this then they can write in
another condensed form: Our basketball team won against tough
team. This reduces the essence a bit does still reveals the same
quality of the candidate.

In this sentence, the use of the word 'helped' (ending with 'ed') denotes
that it is an event of the past. I have already explained the principle
related to the difference between the word 'helped' and 'helps' in an
earlier section. This sentence shows one more good quality about the
candidate: she is into a team game like basketball. The board simply
loves candidates who have a good record of being into team games.

Having said that, Navpreet's sentence is not revealing any negative

quality and reveals involvement in some team game, though vaguely.
This will mostly make the sentence acceptable to the board. However,
this low quality of sentence will not help the candidate secure a place
in the final merit list. Let us not forget, some entries have extremely
few vacancies, specially when it comes to lady candidates. As such, it
becomes all the more important that we don't perform merely to an
acceptable level, but rather, maintain such a high quality of
performance that we are able to secure a place in the final merit list.

21. Pawan-India won many wars against Pakistan.

Analysis: There are many problems with this sentence. The first
being, it gives signs that the candidate perhaps harbours deep
hatred for Pakistan. Just like Abhishek's sentence on atom, this
sentence written by Pawan will also leave the same impression.
Hence it is not at
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all advisable to write these kind of sentences which will reveal some
burning hatred for Pakistan or China and thereby make it look like the
candidate dreams of an opportunity to fight against them.
Another problem with this sentence is the use of the word India. I
already discussed earlier why using 'our country' in place of 'India' is
more advisable.
Third and the main problem with this sentence is that it does not reveal
anything about what the candidate is against in life. It does not reveal
anything about the candidate's day to day life or activities or behavior
traits either(the way Navpreet's sentence reveals atleast partly about
how she is involved in team game). For all these reasons, the
candidate's sentence will not prove useful. On the contrary, it will make
the board have apprehensions.

22. Amad-Togetherness strengthen the society.

Analysis: The most visible negative point of this sentence is that it

shows absolutely no connection with the word displayed. This is a
classic example of what is called a preconceived response. A
preconceived response is where, no matter what word is shown to
the candidate, he writes sentences which he had in mind even before
the tests started and have no relevance to the word. This is the kind
of sentence which clearly conveys that the candidate has either been
tutored or coached heavily or has himself practiced extensively to
such an extent that he has got habituated to a set format of
responding in a particular manner in a preplanned way. Any
experienced assessor will instantly be able to understand that this is
not a natural or honest response. All this will go heavily against the
candidate.
Lot of candidates indulge in what is called 'practise'. Practise is
something I personally strictly advise against because if a candidate
does not know the concept of the test deeply then how will he ever
know whether what he is writing is going to be acceptable to the board
or not. Another disadvantage of practicing, whether alone or in a group,
is that the candidate tends to concretize his wrong ways of responding
since he is anyways not aware of what will be the conclusion drawn
about him based on what he has written. Hence, my honest suggestion
will be: refrain from practise. A candidate will stand a better chance of
selection if he goes and gives natural responses compared to giving
preconceived negative responses.
Another trend is, lot of candidates develop a style of writing
sentences, in which, they write or use the opposite (antonym) of the
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