ISSB Selection Methodology

The armed forces of Pakistan require competent, capable, and devoted officers to defend our homeland, and to lead our soldiers towards victory. ISSB works for the selection of right person for the right position in armed forces. The guiding principle of officer selection in the armed forces is to assess the suitability of an individual for the efficient performance of his job. The emphasis is therfore on officer-like qualities including besides individual's professional effeciency such personality traits like leadership, enthusiasm, determination, initiative, social judgment, and ability to influence others.

The present method of selection originated from the practical emergency created in the USA by the first World War. The American Army faced the problem of recruiting right persons for army. They adopted a selection procedure based on selection tests deviced by psychologists of that time. In subsequent years, the reliability of tests was further evaluated to make them standardized to a considerable extent. Finally there came into existence a Battery of Tests and Personality Inventories - BTPI. This was introduced in Pakistan for granting Commissions in Armed Forces.

Pervailing selection methodology in the ISSB is based on a scheme of three dimenssional system of evaluation. The candidates are assessed by three different and independent examiners. The major components of the three dimensional system are:

After independent evaluation, the three examiners meet together in a conference to decide the final evaluation of the candidate. As a result of the dicussion on the candidate further marks are allocated by each examiner. If the total marks obtained by the candidate is above the prescribed minimum criteria score, the candidate is declared as selected.