BrainwizAI Assessment
Case study · NCC Skill Development Program

400 cadets. 12 hours. One city to reimagine.

How Brainwiz helped NCC Prayagraj bring out officer-like qualities in cadets from small towns and villages — through one marathon of real-world problem solving.

Hundreds of NCC cadets seated in front of Ramdulari Bachchulal Jaiswal Mahavidyalaya, Nawabganj, Allahabad
400
NCC cadets
12 hrs
non-stop marathon
40
teams of 10
15
officer-like qualities observed
The challenge

Trained like soldiers. Unprepared for the selection room.

NCC cadets train under the Indian Army and earn certificates that give them an edge in defence recruitment. Yet far fewer of them clear the Services Selection Board (SSB) than their training suggests they should.

The SSB looks for Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs) — how a candidate thinks, speaks, leads and holds up under pressure. That is exactly where many cadets, especially those from less-privileged backgrounds, were falling short.

What we saw on the ground

  • Most cadets had no email address or social media presence.
  • Many homes still struggled with electricity, water and mobile network.
  • Almost no exposure to group work or learning by doing.
  • Hesitant to speak in English — or in front of an audience at all.
The brief

Help these cadets see their own potential. Get them competing to outdo each other, curious about new ways to learn — and confident enough to put that learning to work.

Brig. Brijesh Pandey · Group Commander, NCC Prayagraj

Our approach

Not a lecture. A 12-hour marathon.

Online courses and English-heavy project work would not have landed with cadets who had never learned that way. But every cadet brought something — and put together in teams, those strengths could teach each other.

So we designed a single, gruelling group challenge built around a problem the cadets knew first-hand: making their own city, Allahabad, a smart city. Solving for home gave them a stake in the outcome, and a sense of belonging to the society they would one day serve.

How we organised 400 cadets

  1. 400cadets
  2. 10cohorts of 40
  3. 40teams of 10

One shared case study: make Allahabad a smart city.

How the day unfolded

Four phases, one clock

    1Kick-off

    Briefing

    All 400 cadets gathered to hear the task, how teams would work, and what the winners would take home — questions welcome.

    • Self-confidence
    22 hours

    Research

    Each team picked smart-city problems from the case study and dug in — searching on their phones and talking to officials, locals and each other.

    • Initiative
    • Organising Ability
    • Courage
    • Determination
    35+ hours

    Build

    Teams turned ideas into presentations, sketches, business plans and policy proposals — handling curveballs along the way. Then sections merged and, running on fumes, agreed on one problem to champion.

    • Reasoning Ability
    • Effective Intelligence
    • Speed of Decision
    • Stamina
    4Finale

    Present

    The top six groups chose their own speakers and pitched to Army officers, school principals, college heads and the media.

    • Power of Expression
    • Ability to Influence
    • Sense of Responsibility
What we were looking for

15 officer-like qualities, observed in action

Every step of the day was mapped to the qualities the SSB assesses — so each cadet had a fair chance to show theirs.

  • 01Effective IntelligenceFinding practical answers with whatever is at hand.
  • 02Reasoning AbilityGetting to the heart of a problem, logically.
  • 03Organising AbilityPutting people and resources to their best use.
  • 04Power of ExpressionSaying what you mean — clearly and with ease.
  • 05Social AdaptabilityFitting in and getting along in new groups.
  • 06CooperationPutting the team's goal ahead of your own.
  • 07Sense of ResponsibilityDoing what's needed, even when no one asks.
  • 08InitiativeTaking the first step in unfamiliar situations.
  • 09Self-confidenceStaying steady when things get unfamiliar.
  • 10Speed of DecisionReaching workable decisions, quickly.
  • 11Ability to InfluenceBringing a group willingly along with you.
  • 12LivelinessKeeping spirits up when the going gets tough.
  • 13DeterminationPushing on through obstacles and setbacks.
  • 14CourageTaking sensible risks and staying composed.
  • 15StaminaHolding up under long physical and mental strain.
From the camp

Moments from the marathon

NCC cadets seated on the ground at night during the marathon
Hour ten — still going
Cadets presenting on stage at the 17 UP BN NCC podium, Allahabad
Taking the stage
Cadets presenting their solution to the panel of judges at night
Pitching to the judges
Senior Army officers arriving at the camp
Senior officers arrive
The Brainwiz team with cadets and NCC staff in a vehicle
On the road with the cadets
Maj. Gen. A. K. Sapra, VSM, ADG NCC UP, with the Brainwiz team at the camp
The outcome

The quietest cadets in hour one were pitching with conviction by hour twelve.

Cadets who had never taken part in a group discussion — let alone spoken on a stage — presented their solutions to an audience that would unsettle most professionals.

The officers, educators and media in the room were visibly impressed, and stayed back to encourage the teams.

“A structured approach is always the right way to move ahead. These cadets have performed beyond all our expectations. We wish them the best for future.”
Maj. Gen. A. K. Sapra, VSM · ADG – NCC Uttar Pradesh · Guest of honour

With special thanks to

  • Maj. Gen. A. K. Sapra, VSM

    ADG – NCC Uttar Pradesh

  • Brig. Brijesh Pandey

    Group Commander, NCC Prayagraj

  • Col. Sudhanshu

    Camp Commander

  • Lt. Col. Chauhan

    Deputy Camp Commander

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