The psychology tests are one of the three major assessments in the SSB interview, alongside the GTO tasks and the personal interview. They are written tests, taken together in one sitting, and they look at how you think, feel and act when you have little time to plan an answer.
The four tests
The psychology series usually consists of four tests, in this order:
- Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) — you see a picture for about 30 seconds and then write a story about it in about four minutes. The standard set has 12 slides, the last of which is blank.
- Word Association Test (WAT) — 60 words are shown one after another, about 15 seconds each. You write the first meaningful thought or sentence each word brings to mind.
- Situation Reaction Test (SRT) — a booklet of around 60 situations, with about 30 minutes to write how you would react to each.
- Self Description Test (SDT) — about 15 minutes to describe yourself from five perspectives: your parents', your teachers', your friends', your own, and the qualities you want to improve.
What makes them different from an exam
There are no marks for vocabulary or handwriting, and there is no answer key to memorise. Each test is designed so that you have to respond quickly, which makes it difficult to hide behind rehearsed answers. That is why practising the format matters more than practising content.
Where to begin
- Get comfortable with the timing first. Most aspirants find the pace of WAT and SRT the biggest surprise.
- Practise on paper, the way you will write on the day.
- Build up gradually: short sets during the week, a complete series once you are comfortable.
- Reflect honestly after each session. Look at the prompts again and ask whether your responses sound like you.
The rest of our resources go through each test in more detail, starting with how to practise TAT.