The Services Selection Board (SSB) is the official organization responsible for conducting selection interviews for defence aspirants who wish to serve as officers in the Indian Armed Forces. SSB is an intensive five-day evaluation process, designed to assess a candidate’s potential for commissioned service through a standardized, scientific and comprehensive evaluation system. The assessment framework includes intelligence tests, personality evaluation and behavioural observation conducted through a mix of oral, practical and written tasks.

An SSB board functions as a panel of trained assessors, comprising:

• 1. Interviewing Officer (IO)
• 2. Group Testing Officer (GTO)
• 3. Psychologist (Psychologists may or may not be serving officers from the Armed Forces.)

At present, there are 14 SSB centres across India.

The Indian Army has the maximum number of SSB boards, spread across four major Selection Centres.

1 Selection Centre East (SCE)

📍 Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh

• - Boards: 11 SSB, 14 SSB, 18 SSB, 19 SSB, 34 SSB
• - Established: 1957
• - Why it’s famous: One of the oldest and busiest SSB centres in India
• - Often considered the place where maximum defence aspirants have reported over decades

Address:
Cariappa Road, Cantonment, Civil Lines, Prayagraj, UP – 211001

2 Selection Centre Central (SCC)

📍 Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

• - Boards: 20 SSB, 21 SSB, 22 SSB
• - Established: 1975
• - Known for a systematic and relatively calm testing environment
• - Preferred by many aspirants for its organized functioning

Address:
Jaipur–Guna Road, Chandukhedi, Bhopal, MP – 462001

3 Selection Centre South (SCS)

📍 Bengaluru, Karnataka

• - Boards: 12 SSB, 17 SSB, 24 SSB
• - Historical fact: The first SSB of independent India (1949) was conducted here
• - Excellent climate, connectivity, and infrastructure

Address:
Cubbon Road, FM Cariappa Colony, Sivanchetti Gardens, Bengaluru – 560042

4 Selection Centre North (SCN)

📍 Location: Jalandhar, Punjab

• - SSB Boards: 31 SSB, 32 SSB
• - Established: 2015 (Earlier operated from Kapurthala; now fully functional at Jalandhar)
• - Motto: Nishpaksh, Nihswarth, Nishandeh (Impartial • Selfless • Undoubted)

Address & Accessibility:
Selection Centre North is located near PAP Chowk and is approximately 2 km from Jalandhar Cantt Railway Station, making it easily accessible for reporting candidates. Jalandhar Cantt, Punjab – 144001

The Indian Air Force conducts officer selection through five AFSBs, strategically located across India.

1 Air Force Selection Board Dehradun

📍 Dehradun, Uttarakhand

• - Established: 1943 (World War II era)
• - Oldest AFSB in India
• - Calm, green surroundings ideal for focused assessment

Address:
Clement Town, Dehradun – 248002

2 Air Force Selection Board Mysore

📍 Mysuru, Karnataka

• - Located in the CV Complex
• - Known for conducting PABT/CPSS (Pilot Aptitude Test)
• - Quiet city, pleasant weather, disciplined environment

Address:
CV Complex, Siddharth Nagar PO, Mysuru – 570011

3 Air Force Selection Board Gandhinagar

📍 Gandhinagar, Gujarat

• - Established: 2012 (youngest AFSB)
• - Close to South Western Air Command HQ
• - Modern infrastructure and easy accessibility

Address & Accessibility:
Sector 25, Gandhinagar – 382024

4 Air Force Selection Board Varanasi

📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

• - Started in Patna (1963), shifted to Varanasi (1964)
• - Has assessed thousands of Air Force aspirants

Address:
Mint Road, Nadesar, Chaukaghat, Varanasi – 221002

5 Air Force Selection Board Guwahati

📍 Guwahati, Assam

• - Established to encourage North-Eastern youth
• - Candidates from all NE states report here

Address & Accessibility:
Near VIP Chowk, Guwahati – 784015

The Indian Navy conducts officer selection throughstandalone Navy boards and dedicated boards within Army centres.

1 Navy Selection Board Coimbatore

📍 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

• - Located at INS Agrani
• - Primarily handles 10+2 (B.Tech) entry

Address:
INS Agrani, Red Fields, Coimbatore – 641018

2. 12 SSB Bangalore

📍 Bengaluru, Karnataka

• - Operates from Selection Centre South
• - Handles Navy entries like Pilot, Submarine, Logistics, Education

Address:
Cubbon Road, FM Cariappa Colony, Bengaluru – 560042

3. 33 SSB Bhopal

📍 Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

• - Navy-exclusive board within SCC Bhopal

Address:
Jaipur–Guna Road, Chandukhedi, Bhopal – 462001

4 Navy SSB Kolkata

📍 Diamond Harbour, West Bengal

• - Established in 2019
• - First full-fledged Navy-only SSB

Address:
Chhota Nadir Road, Diamond Harbour, South 24 Parganas – 743331

5 Navy Selection Board Visakhapatnam

📍 Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

• - Located in one of India’s largest naval bases
• - Plays a vital role in officer induction

Address:
9-IRSD Area, Near Material Organisation, Visakhapatnam – 530008