Commander Sharma’s perspective
What psychological assessment seeks to understand
Insights from Commander Sulakshan Kumar Sharma (Retd.), former Senior Service Psychologist, Naval Selection Centre, Bangalore.
Psychological assessment considers a candidate’s suitability for a particular role and working environment. Candidates sometimes become fearful and try to produce tailored “right answers.” The focus, however, is on their responses—not a predetermined answer.
Candidates should express their own responses rather than reproduce material memorised from books. When they remain original, consistency follows naturally. Awareness develops through paying attention to everyday life, while qualities and their level are considered through responses taken together—not one response in isolation.
Edited paraphrase of his interview responses, published 7 October 2026.
01
The short answer
The Indian Air Force describes officer selection as considering officer-like qualities and trainability through the psychologist, interviewing officer and group testing officer. Psychological testing contributes to that wider assessment. It is not a school examination in which reproducing a model answer demonstrates mastery. The practical question for a candidate is therefore not “Which sentence gets marks?” but “Do I understand the activity, and can I express my own thinking clearly?”
02
A candidate, not a collection of perfect sentences
A polished sentence taken out of context cannot explain a selection outcome. Nor can a coaching exercise tell you what the board concluded about you. The public process involves different activities and assessors; preparation that concentrates only on writing impressive lines neglects conversation, teamwork and personal understanding. Learn the format so unfamiliarity does not dominate your attention, while keeping your wider preparation active.
03
Connect TAT, WAT, SRT and Self Description preparation
Use the individual guides to understand each setting, then practise responding to the prompt in front of you. The Academy’s preparation approach changes with the activity rather than applying one impressive story or phrase everywhere.
- TAT practice: observe the picture before developing an interpretation. Commander Sharma’s contribution in our TAT guide explains why a prepared story should not be forced onto a new image.
- WAT practice: attend to the word and express your own thought rather than search a bank of positive slogans.
- SRT practice: read the situation, consider the immediate need and explain a realistic action within your ability.
- Self Description preparation: reflect on real experiences and feedback, distinguishing what others actually said from your assumptions.
04
What self-awareness looks like in preparation
Our advice is to begin with experiences you can describe accurately. Choose a responsibility at home, in education, at work or in a team. What did people need from you? What did you actually do? What was difficult? What would you change? An ordinary example explored honestly is more useful for reflection than an invented achievement. You need not turn every event into a leadership triumph. Recognising limits and identifying a practical next step gives your preparation something concrete to work on.
05
Consistency is not identical wording
When we recommend consistency, we mean staying truthful about your background and experiences, not repeating the same theme across every task. A picture, a word and a described situation call for different responses. Your interview is a conversation about you, not a recitation of your psychology practice. Avoid manufacturing connections between exercises. This is a preparation principle, not a claim that a particular mismatch carries a known score or automatically causes rejection.
06
Natural responses still require attention
Being yourself does not mean disregarding instructions or writing the first words that come to mind without understanding the prompt. Read or listen carefully, address what is presented and express the thought as clearly as you can. During practice, review where you introduced unsupported assumptions or left an action unexplained. Clarity can be practised without replacing your perspective with someone else’s preferred personality.
07
Why memorised stock responses can become a distraction
Suppose you have memorised a story about organising a rescue. When an unrelated everyday picture appears, searching for a way to insert that story can draw attention away from the scene. The problem is the mismatch, not a secret list of forbidden themes. The same risk appears when a stock slogan replaces a meaningful word response or an unrealistic heroic action replaces a practical reaction. Use unfamiliar prompts to check whether you are responding to the material or retrieving a script.
08
A reflection exercise to use this week
Make a three-column reflection note: situation, my contribution, and what I learned. Choose a real decision, such as dividing work on a college project or resolving a missed commitment. In the contribution column, separate what you did from what the team did. In the learning column, name one change you have actually made since. Set the note aside and explain the experience aloud later. This academy-created exercise is for reflection, not selection scoring.
- Which statements describe something I actually did?
- Have I separated my contribution from the team’s work?
- What information influenced my decision?
- What did I learn, and what have I changed since?
- Can I explain the same experience naturally in conversation without memorising this paragraph?
09
Use feedback to develop, not predict
Useful feedback identifies something you can work on: an unclear sequence, an assumption, an incomplete explanation or a habit of exaggeration. Ask for the reason behind a suggestion rather than simply replacing your response. No isolated practice answer provides a dependable recommendation forecast. March Ahead Academy’s approach is to prepare the candidate, not manufacture the response. One-on-one coaching can help organise that work around your starting point and pace.
010
Returning after a previous attempt
Start with what you observed: unfamiliar instructions, rushed practice, vague explanations or dependence on memorised material. These are things you can investigate. They do not establish why the board reached a decision. Choose one change, practise on fresh material and review it honestly. Keep ordinary responsibilities, learning and group participation in view rather than narrowing preparation to written exercises alone.
011
Questions candidates ask about psychological preparation
Can you prepare? Yes: Commander Sharma describes preparation as a way to build awareness and reduce fear of the unknown. Does that mean memorising responses? No: his distinction is between practising your own responses and reproducing someone else’s material.
- Can one response explain a recommendation? Commander Sharma emphasises considering responses together. An isolated practice answer is not a dependable forecast.
- Must every response look alike? No. Staying truthful is different from forcing the same theme into different prompts.
- Is practice feedback an official assessment? No. Academy feedback helps you identify what to work on; it does not reproduce a board decision or confidential scoring method.