What is Word Association Test (WAT)?

One of the most popular career options for young students in the country is taking defence exams. Being a member of the Indian Military Services and serving one’s country is a very prestigious profession. Every year, more than 5 lakh students take part in various exams in an effort to land one of India’s most prestigious and distinguished jobs.

SSB Interview forms a very important role in the selection of candidates for defence exams. There are four tests under the Psychological test at the SSB Interview namely, Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT), Situation Reaction Test (SRT), Self-Description Test (SD) and Word Association Test (WAT). Word Association Test (WAT) which is a part of the psychological test, is conducted on the second day of the SSB Interview. 

To know more in detail about the Defence exams, visit the linked article.

Word Association Test (WAT) in the SSB is one of the main exams at the SSB Interview. Before taking an SSB Interview, every candidate needs to be aware of a few key elements of WAT. In light of this, this article gives some tips and suggestions for performing well on the Word Association Test (WAT) at the SSB Interview.

About the Word Association Test

• Francis Galton, a well-known psychologist, introduced the Word Association Test (WAT) in 1879. Later, it was developed by Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. The WAT has been a component of psychological testing since the SSB Interview.
• The Word Association Test (WAT) evaluates personality and cognitive ability. The test requires the candidate to write down the first thought that occurs to them after being shown a series of words or a collection of words. This may be answered in a full statement, phrase or combination of words.
• The majority of answers must be spontaneous, in which our subconscious mind-whether intentionally or not-plays a significant part.
• In the test, the candidates are given only a brief amount of time, so they don’t have a chance to fabricate their answers in accordance with the demand of the exam and write whatever first comes to mind. 
• The psychologist then evaluates the responses to each word and outlines the participant’s personality, qualities, background, strengths and other characteristics. The blank space where there are no answers also draws says a lot about the candidate’s mental abilities.

Note: Candidates can prepare for the Daily Current Affairs by visiting the linked article.

Why Word Association Test Is Used In SSB Interview?

• According to the candidates’ cognitive abilities, each word in the WAT can be interpreted as a noun, verb, adverb or adjective. Less time is allotted for each response, encouraging candidates to submit the first thought they come up with.
• Every occupation has a set of minimum qualifications that every applicant must meet. Defence forces is a whole different line of work that calls for steel nerves and an iron heart. Moreover, habits can be formed over time, but mental fortitude and personality qualities can only be fostered to a certain extent. As a result, the candidate’s mental ability is tested as the primary factor.
• The candidate’s responses are then compared against the required Officer Like Qualities. Each response is used by the psychologist to assess a candidate’s personality.

The Word Association Test (WAT) evaluates a candidate’s personality by asking him to associate thoughts about various topics and issues. By displaying words of various types that have been carefully chosen for the candidate, the psychologist evaluates the personality of the applicant. A psychologist’s personal inference about a candidate’s personality is made based on how they associate thoughts with a certain word.

The information related to the following Defence exams is given in the article-

• CAPF – Central Armed Police Force
• NDA – National Defence Academy/ Naval Academy 
• CDS – Combined Defense Services
• AFCAT – Air Force Common Admission Test

Details of the Word Association Test

• The test comprises 60 words that are projected on a screen for 15 seconds each, requiring the candidates to both think and write. The entire allocated time is 15 minutes.
• Every word has a 15-second time limit within which participants must read, comprehend, and write a meaningful immediate thought that occurs to them upon first viewing the word before moving on to the next word.
• Time Limit is essential for assessing a candidate’s natural response.
• The two flashed words appear simultaneously without any pause. By using their serial numbers, the words’ sequence must be maintained. Only after flashing the 60th word does the exam come to an end. 
• For the Word Association Test (WAT) section of the SSB Interview, three types of words are displayed.
  • Negative Words – (Cheat, Noise, Terror, Distress, Evil)
  • Neutral Words – (Help, House, Proposal, Father, Mother, Child)
  • Positive Words – (Loyal, Great, Attractive, Funny, Ambitious)
• The candidate’s mind may come up with a variety of ideas related to each word, but he or she must write the first spontaneous response.

Aspirants preparing for the Defence exams can learn about the Dates of the Upcoming Defence Exams in the linked article.

Examples of WAT Words

The following are the examples of the words asked in the SSB Interview as part of the Word Association Test. Sample sentences which are expected are also given:

All aspirants who want to join the defence services must prepare for the SSB interview. Practice the following words to prepare for the Word Association Test:

Candidates willing to appear for other Government exams can go through the link for information on upcoming exams.

Suggestions To Attempt Word Association Test

• Try to sound as natural as you can. Experienced psychologists who are qualified to assess your cognitive process based on your comments will review your responses.
• Candidates need to be rational and careful observers. Psychologists can quickly identify these characteristics based on a candidate’s performance on the word association test (WAT).
• Unless they are used to express positive thoughts, candidates should avoid using words like “cannot” and “do not”.
• The sentences should be written in a way that demonstrates Officer Like Qualities (OLQ), such as optimism, leadership, self-assurance, tenacity, courage, and responsibility.
• Candidates must create a sentence that is as positive and meaningful as possible.
• The WAT assesses the quality of the thoughts and ideas underlying the words.
• It is vital to keep in mind that the WAT is not a language test; rather, it is a test of personality since the idea that comes to mind is more significant than how beautifully it is expressed.
• One thing that aspirants must remember is that we have to write our thoughts on seeing the word. It is not necessary to use that word in a sentence, as Word Association Test is not a sentence-making test.

Candidates must spend at least one month before their SSB Interview practising a lot of WAT.

To know more in detail about other Defence exams, visit the linked article. Aspirants of Defence exam and other government examinations can check the given links for assistance – 

• Government Exam Free Online Mock Tests
• Government Exam Previous Year Question Papers

Avoid The Following In Word Association Test

• Avoid using words “I or Me” in the phrases.
• Avert using basic observations in your sentences.
• Never use idioms, proverbs, quotations, phrases, or statements about universal truths in sentences.
• There should be no cutting or overwriting in the handwriting for it to be readable.
• Make up your own sentences instead of using ones you’ve memorised or copied from a book or online.
• Refrain from using your sentence to command, instruct, or advise.
• Avoid writing the word first and then the sentence. Write the statement immediately next to the serial number.
• Making attractive, grammatically accurate statements is not required.
• Avoid using the future tense because it is never certain.
• Don’t intentionally frame sentences in the positive or add OLQs to every sentence. Try to be as natural as you can.

Topics on general awareness are given on the Static GK page, check the link provided. For the preparation of current affairs candidates can check the following links

• Daily Current Affairs
• Daily News Analysis

For more information on exam preparation and exam analysis of various government exams, visit BYJU’S.

Find more links related to other Defence Exams in the links given below: