Psychology Tests Decoded: TAT, WAT and SRT Sample Stories
Real TAT story frameworks, WAT sentence drills and SRT structured answers — with the psychology blueprint behind each test.
Hitender Rohilla
TAT — 14 words, one story, one hero
You see an image for 30 seconds. It goes away. You write a story. That is it.
The test is not creativity. It is consistency of personality. Across 12 images, the assessors want to see the same person: someone decisive, warm, socially oriented, and comfortable under pressure.
The 14-word framework
Who is the hero? (2 words — "a young officer")
What does he want? (3 words)
What blocks him? (3 words)
What does he do? (4 words)
What is the outcome? (2 words)
Example — Image: a man standing in front of a crowd
> A young officer addressed his villagers, faced a severe drought, organised a water pipeline with their help, and saved the harvest.
15 words. Hero, want, obstacle, action, result. Same personality as your other eleven stories.
WAT — 60 sentences, 15 seconds each
Write what the words make you think of. Not a definition. Not a story. A thought.
Fail: "Soldier = brave person who fights"
Pass: "Soldier = the neighbour who still runs to help during floods"
The second one is a personality, not a dictionary entry.
SRT — 8 problems, 30 minutes
You are given a problem and 3-4 minutes to prepare, then you speak. Structure every answer:
Situation — restate the facts in one line
Task — what is actually being asked of me
Action — what I would do, in order, with named priorities
Result — what success looks like, and how I would know
Do not memorise stories. Memorise structures.
A memorised story collapses under a follow-up question. A structure never does.
Want the full 30-day plan?
Everything in this article, expanded into day-by-day drills with practice material for all eight SSB tasks.
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