How Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is Conducted In SSB Interview

by Jaspreet Kaur . 5 days ago

Procedure To Conduct GPE

GTO explains the candidates a model on wooden plank, and at the end of the explanation candidates are permitted to ask any question.

Now GTO reads a story from the card, and candidates need to pay attention while he reads this.

Now after reading the story GTO allows each candidate to read story for five minutes from story cards placed on their chairs & co-relate it with the model. Make mental picture of everything because after five minutes these story cards are taken away from you.

Now candidates are asked to write their own solution to various problems on a sheet of paper. Time allowed is ten minutes.

After ten minutes the writing sheet is taken away and the group is expected to discuss and arrive at a common plan for the problem and then nominate a person to say the group plan to the GTO.

Steps Involved In GPE

GTO shows an outdoor field with the help of model.

GTO then narrates the situations, explain the colour code, distance and different figures

Then he handovers the story page to each candidate just for five minutes

After that GTO gives 10 minutes for writing the solution of the different problems

Then GD is conducted for 20 minutes and hence asks candidate to arrive at conclusion.

Now one candidate is nominated from amongst the group to represent group solutions.

The nominated candidate narrates the solution to GTO using stick and the map.

GTO might ask any question or clarification that GTO wants to have.

GPE Map Model

Story- Card You are group returning of students from Rampur town. You came for picnic Gauri farm and you have to return by 11 am today. You had carried 3 guns and ammunition for your protection in the Ghana jungle. Today early morning when four of you saw a plane crash landing nearby. On reaching the crash site you found the pilot alive who had luckily survived with minor injuries .He told that he was carrying a safety mechanism weighing 150 kgs which was urgently required at atomic power in Rampur by 8 am. Non- Availability of this mechanism would You are group returning of students from Rampur town. You came for picnic Gauri farm and you have to return by 11 am today. You had carried 3 guns and ammunition for your protection in the Ghana jungle. Today early morning when four of you saw a plane crash landing nearby. On reaching the crash site you found the pilot alive who had luckily survived with minor injuries .He told that he was carrying a safety mechanism weighing 150 kgs which was urgently required at atomic power in Rampur by 8 am. Non- Availability of this mechanism would lead to a major accident involving huge loss of life and property .At the same time ,a worker from the farm who is resident of Rampur came to you and told you that 15 minutes ago a tiger had badly injured a person in his village. The injured person was bleeding profusely and was lying unconscious in Rajghat. He requested you to kill the tiger as it was frequently attacking people of his village. Responding to you enquires, he told you that the only tractor available the Gauri farm returns to the farm by 7:30am daily after unloading grains in the Gauri village. he also informed that the movement of vehicles either way on GT road is very 10 minutes and on Rampur-Sitapur Road it is every 20 minutes. When you were discussing what to do the motor boat operator came to you and told you that the plane had damaged the bridge while crash landing. He also informed that a passenger train leaves Sitapur for Rampur at 6:15 am daily Remembering he added that there was aa motorized inspection trolley available at the flag station. Offering his full help to you he informed that capacity of his boat is 5 persons. No mobile telephone services in area. Time now is 6 am what will you do?

Watch Full Lectures on SSB Interview Group Planning Exercise

12 Ways To Improve Your PPDT and TAT Story Writing

by Simran Singh . 6 days ago

Picture Perception and Discussion Test (PPDT) in SSBs is conducted on Day-1 and is the second objective of Stage-I tests. PPDT is a screening test that is almost an elimination test of the candidate. It is conducted to know about the imagination power and description ability of a candidate within a limited time allotted. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is one of the psychologist tests conducted on Day-2 of the SSB. It is one of the Stage-II tests; candidates who get screened-in, are retained for stage 2 testing. This test is geared to know about the intellectual, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of the candidates and identify their intelligence, personality style, interpersonal processes, and adaptive skills.

To put it in a nutshell, these tests are organised to comprehend the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior of a candidate in a given situation and time. The candidates are shown a picture for 30 seconds (stimuli) and asked to write a story in 4 minutes (response). Therefore, it’s essential to perform well in these tests.

ALSO READ: An Overview Of SSB Interview Complete Procedure

Following tips are effective to get screened-in, at the level of PPDT as well as crucial to successfully attempt TAT.

As you come to know that you will be shown a hazy picture for 30 seconds, mentally prepare yourself for it and observe the picture with full concentration and use those 30 seconds carefully and effectively. Look at the background and see the setting of the story; it maybe a scene of a room, a hospital, an open field, market, etc and try figuring out the number of characters and what purpose are they serving.

While creating the hero/heroine ( the main character) from the characters you observed in the picture, choose the character you identify the most with. The hero of your story must be empowered, i.e he should be able to overcome some problematic situation or improve its standards.

Prepare the outline of the story using three questions, what led to the situation, what is the present condition and how to overcome the problem. Do it sequentially and logically and keep the story compact. Write the story in past tense (always). Give an optimistic, encouraging and reasonable story. The ideas you exercise gives an insight into your social viewpoint and interpretation and illustrate your level of harmony with the social progress of individuals around you and your attitude towards extending a possible help to others.

Do not unnecessarily anticipate a problem when it is not shown in the picture. For example, scene of two people chatting happily or scene of a marketplace, don’t show terrorist attacks, bombing, snatching, quarrels, etc if it doesn’t depict so; it represents the pressimistic tendency of a mind.

Except for you know the job of the main character, you cannot justify and explain the action taken by him. For example, If you don’t know the nature of the job of a social activist, do not portray your main character as a social activist.

Do not write a fancy or miraculous story depicting a wishful life from tatters to treasures. It must be realistic, written in a positive frame of mind, the main character must be an achiever and thrive for the common welfare of people and not just for himself/herself.

Always remember to write an outcome of the story, the main character should not be outlined as an immoderately reward seeking person or looking for self-appraisal. A simple sense of satisfaction or acknowledgment by others would do enough to end the story.

You may not be able to write more than 8-9 lines in a specified time of 4 minutes. So dedicate 2 lines for what led to the situation, 4 lines for what is the current condition in the scene that you have perceived and remaining 2-3 lines for the outcome of the setting.

When it comes to the last blank picture in TAT, it is always advisable to prepare the story beforehand because it will be easier for you to write an already prepared story in the stipulated time.

Work on your handwriting. Writing 12 stories back to back is a tedious task, and completing them in a time frame of 4 minutes each can make your work look clumsy and untidy. Writing stories with a neat and clean handwriting will give a leading edge.

Practice writing stories in advance, that will open the knots of creativity and imagination of your mind. It will also help in elevating your speed to write well in time in a good handwriting. You may take pictures from a newspaper, magazine, book, movie or just sit somewhere quietly and look around you and write a story on it, to practice PPDT and TAT.

Stay calm and relaxed during these tests because stressing your mind would give less space to creativity. Though these tests are conducted to put your minds in pressure and extract the best possible reaction, you need to channelize your energy towards originality and imagination without feeling panicky.

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