Page 6 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

My Target Service Selection Board (SSB)

Importance of PIQ

PIQ or Personal Information Questionnaire is a personal detail form, which a candidate is
supposed to fill in SSB Interview. After the screening procedure, the candidates are supposed to fill
this form. Thus this form is the first thing you fill after the beginning of your stage 2 testing. This form
is much more than a personal detail form. Candidates are asked to fill two copies of the same form,
the purpose being that, one copy is given to the Interviewing Officer and the other one to the
Psychologist. At some centers you might be asked to fill three copies, in which case the third copy
goes to the GTO. This form contains fields which are helpful for the board in knowing you better.
These fields are related to your family, academic performance, you’re extracurricular and sports
performance and the positions of responsibility you have held. It also contains a field which asks you
to give the record of your past SSB record.

This form holds a great significance. The reasons are many. The psychologist is never going to
interact you in person; it is through this form that he/she forms an opinion about the kind of person
you are. Then he/she matches that opinion with all what you write in your psychological test paper.
Both of them should match. PIQ forms a ground on which your personality is judged. The
psychologist may draw an inference about your background; your family etc. based on it and then
take help of that information to understand whether or not you have given your genuine reaction in
the paper.
The other copy which goes to the Interviewing officer forms the basis of your interview. It creates the
ground on which your interview will be based. The interviewing officer spends some 5-10 minutes to
read your PIQ before you go in for the interview. He then bases all his questions generally on this
PIQ. The reason behind this is to see whether you have written the genuine information or simply
boasted about achievements. It is expected for a person to know the information in depth if he/she
has actually done that thing. For example if you have played football for state level and do not know
the size of the field or about the positions you can play from then it is supposed that you are simply
boasting. This being a mere example, there are many other things which you mention in the PIQ.

Thus it is quite evident that PIQ has a great significance in SSB. It is advised to fill this form in good,
legible hand writing. Avoid any over writing or cuts. Write only the truth in your PIQ, do not boast
about anything which you have not done. Have in depth knowledge about the hobbies, games which
you are mentioning. Do not write small achievements if you have major ones. If you do not have
major achievements then only mention small ones. The column of position of responsibility held is
very important, fill it carefully. Also take any certificates you have for the things you have mentioned
in PIQ to the Interview.

Tips to fill PIQ form:

 Write legible so that your information is clearly understood by the reader.
 Know your personal details and avoid mistakes in basic information.
 Write true statements that prove about yourself, inaccurate information shows lack of self-
knowledge.
 Any information given by you should not mismatch with you are saying in the interview and
what you have furnished in the PIQ form.
 Write clearly about your hobbies make sure you know about what you have written on the
form.
 Avoid scratching and over writing.
 Avoid matching with others PIQ form.
 Write correct number of total attempts you have done so far.