Chapter Seven-How To Master Word Association Test

In this chapter we will understand why the word ‘Atom’ appears in the Word Association Test. Learn common mistakes, analyze real responses, and discover the perfect model sentence with logical insights.

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1. Atom

The first word we will be discussing will be Atom. Before we start, I advise the reader to write the first sentence that comes in his mind on the word Atom so that while going through the analysis, he will understand whether his response is acceptable or not and what will be the board’s interpretation of his sentence. If you have finished writing a sentence on atom then please continue reading further.

Analysis of why a word like atom comes in WAT: The word Atom looks totally meaningless and irrelevant. Isn’t it? After all, what has an atom got to do with a person becoming an officer? Most the candidates feel like this and fail to understand the deeper science behind Word Association Test.

Let us try to understand why a word like atom will be included in Word Association Test. A word like atom is more like a double edged sword. If the candidate is a person who has a productive and positive approach towards life then the immediate first thought that will come to his mind upon seeing a word like atom will be about the healthy, beneficial and productive uses of atom. On the flipside, if the candidate is a negative and destructive minded person then he will think about the destructive aspect of atom and will end up writing something related to atom bomb or Hiroshima/Nagasaki disasters.

Now let us take a look at some of the responses submitted by students in our class.

1. Navpreet-Atomic efforts constitute substantial results.

Analysis: The sentence written by Navpreet does not make it clear whether she is a productive minded person or a destructive minded person. Rather than responding to the word atom by writing about atom, she has ended up modifying the essence of the word and writing on atomic efforts. Had she written about atomic power/energy it would have still maintained the essence of the word but by writing about atomic efforts, she has completely taken away the essence of the word. The other problem with this sentence is that in day to day English we never use any phrase like atomic efforts. The phrase that comes closest to what Navpreet was trying to write is “baby steps”. Hence it does not sound natural and honest. The next problem with the sentence is that it does not even confirm whether the candidate herself has taken any ‘atomic/baby efforts’ which have resulted in any substantial gain.

The sentence has completely taken away the essence of the word. The other problem with this sentence is that in day to day English we never use any phrase like atomic efforts. The phrase that comes closest to what Navpreet was trying to write is “baby steps”. Hence it does not sound natural and honest. The next problem with the sentence is that it does not even confirm whether the candidate herself has taken any ‘atomic/baby efforts’ which have resulted in any substantial gain. So the question is, how she should have gone about it? Let me help you understand.

When starting to learn Word Association Test, the very first thing a candidate should do is, ask herself whether the sentence is revealing anything about her in terms of her daily life or action/deeds or behavior traits. If yes, then is it in line with what the board is looking for? It will be wise to remember here that our psychology and mindset gets reflected most clearly in our behavior and conduct. My advice to candidates has always been that they should make a conscious effort to write sentences which reflect something about their behavior /deeds/actions or daily/regular activities. If the candidate has made lot of effort and is still unable to form a sentence which showcases something about her life/actions/deeds or behavior then the next thing the candidate should do is try to frame a sentence which may show something good about her surroundings. For this, the candidate should first try to see if a sentence can be framed which showcases something worthwhile about her immediate family. Since it is believed that a child borrows maximum traits of his immediate family, it would help if something good about family can be displayed. If not family, then try about friends. If not friends, try about colleagues. If not colleagues, try writing about the society surrounding us. This way we should move ahead in concentric circles. I know this concept will not become clear immediately but by the time you finish reading the book, everything I am saying will be crystal clear in your mind.

Let me help you understand what I mean when I say the candidate should try to show something about herself through the sentence. Although the use of the phrase “atomic efforts” looks unnatural, I will still give 2 examples of how she should have written the same sentence in a slightly different manner thereby showcasing her qualities so that the reader will understand about Word Association Test in a meaningful way. She should have thought about an area of her life where she has made improvements in the past. For the sake of our study I am taking examples of lack of fitness or weakness in English. If the candidate had fitness issues in the past or had any problems in English and had taken systematic efforts to improve in those areas then she could have framed sentence in the following manner.

2. Atomic efforts helped become fitter by the day.

3. Atomic efforts helped improve English over time.

In each of the above 2 sentences the candidate’s use of the word helped implies that she is writing from her own past experience. Had she used the word ‘helps’ instead of ‘helped’, the sentence would have become a general observation of life and would not have given any clear confirmation about the candidate’s own behavior and conduct. The use of the word ‘helped’ proves that she has actually done that particular thing. It may seem like a very minor modification but then it changes the whole interpretation of the sentence. With this principle, a sentence like ‘atomic efforts helped become fitter by the day’ would confirm to the board that in the past the candidate has taken baby steps leading a good overall improvement.

Regarding fitness, maybe she started by reducing junk food and eventually eliminating it from her diet. This may have been followed by start of morning/evening walk of 1 km which must have gone to 5 km over the next 3 months. The candidate having stayed away from the temptation of taking drastic steps shows her sense of practicality and realistic thinking. The candidate staying consistent in her daily effort shows her discipline and determination. The candidate having taken baby steps to improve herself in any of the aspects of her life shows she is meticulous and systematic. There is a world famous Japanese methodology and concept of how you can improve in any aspect of your life by taking small baby steps. It is called Kaizen. It gets confirmed that the candidate not only initiates improvement in a realistic and practical manner by starting with small changes, but the end result also being achieved shows that the candidate was persistent and disciplined and did not deviate from her efforts. Her actions are reflecting her psychology very clearly. After all, how many people stay resolute in their efforts and succeed in bringing the desired change in their life? Hence, a candidate with these kind of qualities will be considered highly desirable by the board. Same will apply in case of the second sentence.

However, it does not take away the fact that the use of the the phrase “atomic efforts” still will not be digestible to the board as the English looks unnatural and the word atom’s essence is not getting reflected in the sentence. Also, I have already stated earlier that the sentence does not confirm whether the candidate is positive minded or negative minded. For all these reasons the candidate’s sentence is not going to prove useful from the board’s evaluation perspective.

Shrey-each atom give birth to a new life.

Analysis: Shrey’s sentence, Just like Navpreet’s is more like a poetic beautification of the word atom. It is not having any connection with what the board is trying to gauge. Next problem with the sentence is that it doesn’t make it clear what exactly the candidate is talking about. It is a very vague kind of a sentence and will not convey or display any quality of the candidate to the board. It is not displaying any negative quality but then it is not even displaying anything worthwhile either. The sentence will not help the candidate.

Peeyush-Japan rose beautifully after the second world war.

Analysis: In this sentence, Peeyush might feel that he has displayed some positive quality by writing about the development that took place in Japan after the second world war but if you think carefully, it will become clear that the thought that came to his mind was related to the atom bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had this not been the case then Japan wouldn’t have come to his mind. Another point I would like to mention is that in this sentence there is no mention of the word atom. Lot of candidates develop this style of writing because of the belief that the essence of the word should get reflected in the sentence and it is fine even if the word itself is not there. Yes! There is nothing wrong with this style of writing. However, I will still encourage candidates to develop a style and habit of writing in which the word is mentioned in the sentence. The reason behind this is that a candidate can write sentences of a higher quality by using the word in the sentence. The second reason is that if and when you develop a style of writing in which the word is not used, it also conveys to the board that the candidate has been heavily tutored and coached. The response, even if accepted by the board, doesn’t generate the kind of positive impression which a sentence will generate if it is looking natural and not a coached response.

6. Naveen-war by using atom bombs have severe repercussions of coming generations.

Analysis: Naveen has gone one step ahead of Peeyush and has clearly used the word atom bombs thereby clearly confirming to the board that the first thought that came to his mind was related to the destructive aspect of atom. We can now understand why and how this sentence will generate a negative impression about the candidate in the mind of the assessor. The candidate maybe under the impression that his sense of humanity is getting reflected as he has written about how atom bombs are harmful. However, this will not be correct. In the subsequent section we will see how you can use the word atom and write a totally positive sentence which will confirm to the board that you are a positive and productive kind of person.

7. Dhiraj-atom bomb made by nuclear.

Analysis: The analysis for Dhiraj’s sentence will be the same as Naveen’s.

8. Pawan-two atoms of hydrogen combines with one atom of oxygen to form water molecule.

Analysis: Pawan’s sentence reflects a universal truth and a reality of life. Writing these kind of sentences during the test will hardly have any positive impact as it does not reflect anything about the candidate’s mindset. There is nothing negative about this sentence but on the flipside it doesn’t have anything which will generate a substantial positive impression either. Word Association Test is a set of 60 opportunities given to the candidate to prove to the board that he deserves to be recommended. By writing sentences which will not push the board into thinking that the candidate should be recommended, the candidate is wasting those 60 opportunities.

9. Shivam-Smallest particle of an element.

Analysis: Again, just like Pawan’s sentence, this is also just a universal truth. Hence, the analysis will be the same as of Pawan’s sentence.

10. Abhishek-Atom bomb should be the integral part of our national defence.

Analysis: Abhishek’s sentence displays a very aggressive attitude. The kind of aggression which is generally the first step towards war mongering. Not at all healthy! The candidate may feel he is showing deep love for the country by desiring the safety connected to having atom bomb in the country’s arsenal. However, the way the sentence has been written ends up displaying a kind of attitude which will make the assessor feel that the candidate is dying to see the destruction of our enemies like Pakistan and China. The candidate may feel that this is something which the board will like but that will never be the case in reality. There is a big problem with this kind of a mindset being displayed by the candidate. The reason being that people who are hungry to destroy Pakistan and China will be eagerly waiting for an opportunity to act in the same direction. If this candidate will get posted in a border area and will not get any opportunity to act against the Pakistani or Chinese troops there, then there is a slight possibility that he just might end up creating a situation where none exists, just to satisfy his desire to act against the Pakistanis and Chinese.

Let me help you understand in a more deeper manner what is the problem with this kind of a candidate and why army will always be hesitant in having this kind of a person in it’s rank. Every now and then we see in news about how Chinese and Indian troops regularly get into confrontations in the border areas. There are still videos available on YouTube about how an Indian contingent had to get into a physical brawl with Chinese during the Doklam standoff. The video clearly shows how the Chinese troops and Indian soldiers were even pushing each other physically. It was a very tense situation. It would have taken just one nervous soldier on either side to lose his patience and fire a bullet and start a full-fledged war between two countries. We all know what would have happened next. Hence, an officer needs to be a very responsible and patient person. Someone who doesn’t act in the heat of the moment and knows how to control his emotions and actions. The sentence which Abhishek has written gives signs that in a Doklam kind of situation he just might lose his patience and act without thinking about the possible consequences of his one wrong move. I am sure now you will understand why a candidate should not display qualities of unnecessary aggressive behavior or aggression as the first choice. Displaying yourself as a mature, patient and far-sighted human being will help you immensely in SSB.

11. Nitin-is the smallest unit of matter.

Analysis: Again, a universal truth. Does not display any quality of the candidate.

12. Husan-the atom bomb is the most powerful bomb.

Analysis: By writing the word ‘most powerful’, the candidate has added more negativity to the sentence. Not only has he thought about bomb and its destructive effect but the sentence almost sounds like he admires the destructive element of atom bomb and desires more of it. An extremely negative impression will get generated about the candidate.

13. Amad-Atom is the modern source of energy.

Analysis: This is more like it! Much better than what everyone has written so far. He has not connected it to destruction. However, there is still room for improvisation as even atom bomb uses energy but for destructive purpose. So how do we ensure that we leave no room for doubt or misinterpretation? We will see when we discuss model/modified sentence. Had the candidate very clearly associated atom with electricity or nuclear medicine, it would have been very beneficial.

14. Manish-future source of energy.

Analysis: Just like Amad’s sentence, this too is on the positive side. Having said that, we cannot understand what made the candidate use the word ‘future’ in the sentence. Atomic like to add that the candidate could have further improved the sentence in a way which would leave absolutely no room for misinterpretation and will also show other positive things about his mindset. I will help you understand what I am saying when we discuss model sentences.

15. Tarun-India is one of the leading country in atomic energy.

Analysis: The positive thing about this sentence is that it relates to atomic energy and not atom bomb. The weak point in this sentence is the use of the word ‘India’. By using a word like ‘India’, the candidate is making it look like he doesn’t feel a deep bond with his own country and as if he is from a foreign land.

If he would use a phrase like ‘our country’ rather than ‘India’, it would reflect his bond with his country in a clearer and deeper manner. The other thing with this sentence which could be improved upon is that he had made it look more like information rather than reflect anything about his mindset or way of looking at things. While writing any sentence, if a candidate is able to reflect his thoughts/views about that particular thing then it adds more weight to the sentence. Again, you will understand what I am saying when we discuss model sentences on atom.

Model/Modified Sentences:

Now let us take a look at a few sentences which will help the candidate even further when it comes to writing sentences on a word like atom.

The first sentence I will take as an example is of Tarun. Let us see how Tarun could have written that sentence in a better way.

16. Modified sentence: Our country is increasing atomic energy production admirably.

Analysis: By making minor change like using ‘our country’ in place of ‘India’ a deeper bond with motherland gets reflected. By using the word ‘admirably’ it has been made clear that he is in favour of increasing atomic energy production and views it favourably. This kind of a thought will come in a person’s mind only when he knows that atomic energy is cleaner form of energy compared to the level of pollution caused by coal based power plants. Second: there is awareness that if our country has to develop, then it needs to increase it’s power production in a considerable and continuous manner. Every country that aspires to be an economic powerhouse needs to have a very high level of power production. Power is one of the most basic prerequisites for economic development. One more positive point about this sentence is that it clearly confirms that the candidate is talking about electricity and not about anything else. Even atom bomb uses atomic energy but for destruction purpose. So this is one more positive element about the sentence.

17. Model sentence: Atomic energy is helping our country develop.

Analysis: Just like the modified sentence of Tarun, this sentence also reflects how candidate views atom as a source of energy which will aid our country’s development. A small simple thing like using the word ‘helping’ implies that there is a desire in the candidate to see his country develop. Please understand the depth of this. When do we use the word ‘helping’? To give an example, a person who is finding an app for learning guitar very useful then he will say ‘this app is helping me learn guitar’. A person who loves cooking and is finding a particular YouTube channel useful to learn new recipes will say ‘this channel is helping me learn new recipes’. In both the cases, the use of the word ‘helping’ clearly proves a deep desire for learning guitar and new recipes. In the same manner, the use of the word helping proves that the candidate has a deep desire to see his country develop nicely and this in turn proves his love for his country. This sentence also, just like the previous model sentence makes it amply clear that the candidate is talking about peaceful use of nuclear energy.

18. Model sentence: Atomic energy is environment friendly.

Analysis: This sentence proves that the first thought that came in the candidate’s mind was about peaceful use of nuclear energy and not any other form of nuclear energy. The sentence leaves absolutely no room for misinterpretation regarding what form of energy the candidate has in mind. The other positive quality which gets reflected is concern for environment. This is how, by making minor changes, one can improve the quality of his sentences in a considerable manner. At the end of day, the psychology tests are all about the using the correct choice of words.

Video series of our offline psychology class will help you understand the quality, depth and methodology of teaching, particularly with regards to word association test.

Chapter Seven-How To Master Word Association Test​

In this chapter we will understand why the word ‘Atom’ appears in the Word Association Test. Learn common mistakes, analyze real responses, and discover the perfect model sentence with logical insights.

1. Atom

Video series of our offline psychology class will help you understand the quality, depth and methodology of teaching, particularly with regards to word association test.

Chapter Seven-How To Master Word Association Test