SSB Reporting Day — Documents, Dress, Call Letter & What Happens Next
How to Read Your SSB Call Letter — Centre, Date, Documents and Dress
A call letter is an instruction for one candidate, one entry and one reporting date. Coaching blogs collapse every letter into one checklist. Read yours line by line before you pack, and treat this page as a map of what to look for — not as a substitute for the PDF or printout the directorate sent you.
Find the centre, not just the city
The letter names a Selection Centre or board and a reporting address. “Allahabad”, “Bhopal” or “Mysuru” is not enough — Army, Navy and Air Force boards in the same region are different campuses. Copy the address, the reporting date and the reporting time into your ticket booking. If the letter mentions a railway-station pickup, note the time and the exact spot. If it does not, arrange your own last-mile travel and reach before the printed time.
The lines people skip
After the date, look for four blocks that change between letters:
- Document list — originals, photocopies, and any certificate you claimed on the application (NCC, sports, employment).
- Photograph line — number, size, background and whether they must be recent. Use that line, not a number you saw on a forum.
- Dress — reporting day, interview and GTO or PT kit are often listed separately.
- Travelling allowance — a form, a class of travel, or a line that says TA is not admissible for your entry.
What the letter will not spell out
The letter rarely explains OIR, PPDT, psychology tests or the conference in any useful detail. Those are briefed on campus. Use the days before you travel to practise timing, not to memorise a rumoured sequence. If a line in the letter contradicts a website — including this one — follow the letter, and phone the number printed on it if a document you hold does not match what they asked for.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for a different SSB centre?
No. The board allots the centre. The city on your letter is the one you report to. Do not travel to a different Selection Centre because a senior went there.
The letter and my certificates spell my name differently. What do I do?
Do not “fix” it on the day with a verbal explanation alone. Carry the affidavit or gazette proof your letter asks for, and call the centre number on the letter before you travel if you are unsure which proof they will accept.
I lost the PDF. Where do I get another copy?
Download it again from the same official portal you used for the application (UPSC, AFCAT or the recruiting directorate). Do not rely on a forwarded photocopy of someone else’s letter.