Lead By Dharma — Assessment Instrument

Officer & Leadership Potential
Assessment

Grounded in OLQ Framework, Big Five Psychology & Situational Judgement Methodology
75 Questions 5 Domains ~25 min to complete Col Aniruddha Rao HR (Retd)
PROGRESS
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Before you begin — read this carefully.
This assessment is not a test you can pass by choosing the 'right' answer. It is a personality and leadership potential evaluation designed to reveal patterns in how you think, feel, and make decisions under pressure. The report it generates will be honest — including about the parts of your personality that work against leadership. Answer every question as you genuinely are, not as you think an officer should be. An experienced psychologist or assessor will see through performance in five days of SSB. This instrument is designed to see through it in 75 questions. If you are going to cheat this assessment, you are already demonstrating one of the qualities that disqualifies an officer candidate.

Note: This is an educational tool for self-awareness and development. It is not a clinical assessment, does not constitute professional advice, and carries no guarantee of any selection outcome. Full legal terms appear below.
⚖ Legal Disclaimer & Terms of Use — Please Read Before Proceeding

Educational & Developmental Purpose Only. This assessment is designed and provided by Lead By Dharma (Colonel Aniruddha Rao HR, Retd., Maratha Light Infantry) solely for personal educational awareness and self-development purposes. It is not a clinical psychological test, a diagnostic instrument, or a formal psychometric evaluation.

Not a Substitute for Professional Advice. The results of this assessment do not constitute psychological, psychiatric, medical, legal, career, or professional advice of any kind. They should not be used as the sole basis for any significant personal, career, or life decision. Individuals seeking professional guidance on mental health, career selection, or personality assessment should consult a qualified and licensed professional.

No Guarantee of Accuracy or Outcomes. While this instrument is grounded in published psychometric research including the OLQ framework, Big Five personality science, and Situational Judgement methodology, Lead By Dharma makes no warranty — express or implied — regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or fitness for any particular purpose of the assessment results. No specific outcome in any selection process, including the SSB interview, is implied or guaranteed by any result this assessment produces.

No SSB Affiliation. This assessment is an independent educational tool created by Lead By Dharma. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Services Selection Board (SSB), the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), or any branch of the Indian Armed Forces.

Data Privacy. All responses are processed locally in your browser. No personally identifiable information, assessment responses, or scores are transmitted to or stored on any server unless you voluntarily provide your email address for report delivery. Lead By Dharma does not sell, share, or monetise any personal data submitted through this instrument.

Limitation of Liability. Lead By Dharma, its founder, affiliates, and representatives shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage arising from reliance on the results of this assessment, including but not limited to decisions made regarding career, education, or personal development. Use of this assessment constitutes acceptance of these terms.

By clicking "Begin Assessment" below, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these terms. If you do not accept these terms, do not proceed.

What This Assessment Measures

Domain I
Intellectual Qualities
Effective intelligence, reasoning, organising ability, expression
Domain II
Social Effectiveness
Adaptability, cooperation, influence, communication under pressure
Domain III
Dynamism & Drive
Initiative, confidence, decisiveness, determination, stamina
Domain IV
Character & Integrity
Moral courage, responsibility, honesty, consistency under pressure
Domain V
Derailer Scan
Grandiose narcissism, entitlement, self-serving manipulation, emotional volatility — the real derailers
Method
15 OLQs + Big Five + SJT
Based on DIPR framework, validated psychometric research
⚠ The Derailer Scan (Domain V) tests for personality patterns that actively destroy teams — grandiose narcissism, entitlement, self-serving manipulation, and emotional volatility. Important distinction: Tactical social intelligence — adjusting how you communicate with a difficult person to achieve a legitimate outcome — is a competence, not a derailer. The questions in this section are deliberately designed to target the self-serving, callous, and emotionally destructive variants of these behaviours. Answer precisely.

Rating scale used throughout: Questions use a 1–5 scale unless marked [SJT] (Situational Judgement). For scale questions: 1 = Strongly Disagree / Never · 2 = Disagree / Rarely · 3 = Neutral / Sometimes · 4 = Agree / Often · 5 = Strongly Agree / Always. Answer in relation to your actual behaviour, not your ideals.

This is used only for personalising your report. It is not stored anywhere.
© 2026 LEAD BY DHARMA · leadbydharma.com · Col Aniruddha Rao HR (Retd) · Maratha Light Infantry
Educational use only · Not a clinical assessment · Not affiliated with SSB, MoD, or DIPR · No liability accepted for decisions made in reliance on results