Komal Yadav was recommended through the AFCAT 1 2026 entry from 4 AFSB. This was her sixth SSB attempt, making the recommendation a particularly significant milestone in her journey. She hails from Haryana and completed her graduation from Miranda House, University of Delhi, followed by her post-graduation from DTU.
Komal’s motivation to join the Armed Forces developed from her family background. Having seen the Armed Forces and their lifestyle closely through her family, she developed an inclination towards joining the services. Her interest became stronger after she joined NCC, which further exposed her to the Armed Forces environment and strengthened her desire to pursue this career.
R2R played an important role in Komal’s SSB preparation. She joined a psychology batch at R2R in October last year, where she received guidance from the mentors. Although she was not in regular contact with the mentors after completing the batch, she retained the notes and learnings from her sessions and applied them during her subsequent preparation. She particularly benefited from the guidance on psychology tests such as TAT and SRT. She practised multiple sets, shared her responses for feedback and consciously worked on the areas highlighted by the mentors.
According to Komal, the biggest difference between her previous attempts and her successful attempt was her ability to express her thoughts clearly and confidently. Earlier, she struggled to put her thoughts across properly. In her final attempt, she was much more comfortable expressing what she genuinely thought rather than trying to give answers based on what she believed the assessors expected from her.
Another major improvement was her awareness of current affairs and developments around her. She made a conscious effort to stay updated with news and different areas of general awareness. This helped her significantly during the Group Discussions, where she was able to contribute more specific and relevant points instead of relying on generalized arguments. Being better prepared with current affairs also gave her greater confidence to participate actively in GDs.
This improvement was equally visible during her interview. In her previous attempts, she had found questions related to current affairs and news more difficult to handle confidently. In her successful attempt, however, her preparation allowed her to answer such questions much better. She felt that being well prepared itself enhanced her confidence and helped her handle the interview more naturally.
Komal found the psychology tests particularly challenging. She was initially apprehensive about writing stories because, unlike the interview or GTO, there is no immediate indication of how well one is performing. The uncertainty of not knowing how the stories are being assessed made the process difficult for her. However, through repeated practice and guidance, she learned to trust her preparation and focus on expressing her genuine thoughts.
One of the most important changes Komal made during her SSB journey was to stop trying to create a personality specifically for SSB. She focused instead on understanding her own personality, working on her shortcomings and expressing herself naturally. This shift helped her become more comfortable with herself and contributed significantly to her performance.
Komal also believes that developing alternative career options alongside SSB preparation made a major difference to her mindset. Initially, she was extremely serious about joining the Armed Forces and carried considerable pressure because she viewed it as her only option. Over time, she realised the importance of financial independence and decided to explore other career opportunities as well. She started preparing for other examinations and was able to clear some of them.
Having alternative options gave Komal a sense of security and removed the fear that everything depended on her SSB result. As a result, she was able to appear for her sixth attempt with much less pressure. She knew that even if she was not recommended, she would still have other opportunities to move forward in her career. According to her, this change in mindset had a significant impact on her performance because she could approach the SSB process more freely and confidently.
Komal’s message to SSB aspirants is to work on their personality rather than trying to manufacture an SSB personality. She believes that aspirants should understand themselves, identify their weaknesses and genuinely work on improving them. She also emphasises the importance of staying updated with current affairs, as awareness of what is happening around you can greatly improve confidence during GDs and the interview.
She also encourages aspirants to develop alternative career options while continuing to pursue their Armed Forces dream. Having a backup does not mean giving up on the Armed Forces; rather, it can reduce the fear of failure and allow an aspirant to perform with greater freedom and confidence.
