Dear aspirants, this test basically designed to check our decision making capabilities i.e. how quick and effective we are in making decision in time bounded environment. We are given a set of problems all of the problems need to be solved in different time constraints. This test involves few steps and according to mine experience, I would like to tell you what to be done in which step.

Step 1: Brief introduction of the concerned area by GTO

Friend here you need to be very attentive because if you missed any place or misinterpreted anything on map, it will hamper your performance. so be attentive, listen to every minute detail meticulously and keep them in mind.

Step 2: In next step GTO is going to read out the problem in the concerned area to you. He has the write up with him. In this test you need to co-relate the problem to the map, and  while listening pay attention to hidden  resources, given resources, time constraints ,and total no. of  problems and  what all problems are. So at the end of this step you must be able to answer these questions to yourself.

• How many problems are there?
• What are the resources given and hidden?
• What are Time constraints of each problem?
• What are other constraints like no telephone is working, your vehicle broke down. Head lights are not working and so on.

Step 3: Now GTO will give you 5 min. to read out the write up of the problem. Friend if you were good in listening and were attentive in step 2 then in this step you will get advantage. Those five minutes you can utilize in your planning. now be quick and do the followings.

• Decide priorities of problems, and have always a reason for giving the particular priority to a particular problem, it will help you in discussion.(keep loss and time available in mind while doing this)
• As a problem can be solved in more than one ways. Start thinking for available solutions to each problem and decide which one to follow and how many persons you need to solve that problem. Friends whatever solution you follow have a reason for that. Most important thing which I learned recently from 14ssb board GTO that whenever you have a choice between possibility and certainty go for certainty. Example. You are on a road with an injured person, you have two options one to take lift and at a short distance you have a petrol pump or garage. Then it is certain that you will get vehicle at garage or pump, but you may or may not get lift. So always select an option which is accessible to you and which ensures you the solution.
• After you get a solution to each problem now you have a clear idea about how many persons are needed in each problem. So now you can decide in how many sub groups you will divide your team.
• Friends if you jump on dividing the group first before solution, you can get wrong in mid way. So do it at last.

Step 4:- in this step GTO will ask you write your individual solution on a paper. Let me clear my friends everything is evaluated in ssb, nothing is just for time pass, so do not believe on rumors that this copy will not be evaluated. For writing always follow a particular way so that you don’t miss anything. Like this

“We group of _ friends, on our way to the —encountered with some problems. According to priority problems are:-

A:-

B:-

C:-

D:-

Write what you have (resources) quickly,  and always mention hidden resources as it shows you are practical and can think other options too.

Now write I will divide my group in _ sub groups of 3,2,2,3 (according to you)

Now attending each problem priority wise write down solution attending these points for each

Who, what, when, where, how, time- distance and action

Always mention distance according to scale given to you, you can go to the model or map and measure it with you hand so that you can get a rough idea of distance and time needed to travel that distance using the particular mode of transport.

After you finish this reassemble your group mates and move where you were going prior to the problems.

Step 5:- group discussion to reach a common solution. Again it is a discussion so all the things which are tested in GDs ,will be there. But this time one more thing will be tested and this is your decision making ability and how you persuade others to your decision. Presence of mind and listening are most important things. If you have made a good plan then discuss reasons behind your particular choice of priority or particular path, particular  transport anything you say there have a reason for that and it is sufficient for a good discussion. other things are same as in group discussion. If you have strong reasons your group mates will agree automatically. And keep in mind what group is deciding for common plan so that if your group nominates you to give final plan. You don’t hesitate and can give it confidently. And this is a fact that group will nominate you automatically if you were good and active throughout the discussion.

Example for group planning exercise

You are a group of 10 students returning to your hostel at doper after a picnic at Rampur your vehicle developed problem and you left it at garage near petrol pump and your group decided to enjoy ferry as your jeep will be repaired by 6pm. You stopped at tea stall and having tea, one of your friends found a rifle and accidently he fired a bullet which injured him in his shoulder. While you were thinking about what to do, a boy came to you to seek your help as his father fell down near wheat fields from his cart and broken his leg. As he finished a man came on cycle to you and informed that miscreant who are hidden in shanty village, and they are going to remove fish plates of train track and also will blast a train going from dholpur to Rampur which leaves at 4:45 and they plan to blow it at 5:30 over the bridge. And villagers are afraid of goons so they are not informing police. just as he finished a woman came to you and asked for help as her cow was stranded in marshy land and it is the only source if her livelihood as it 4pm now, and you need to reach hostel before 7 pm you are also provided that a bus leaves from shampur to dholpur leaves at 5 pm. boats are also available at ferry. No telephone or mobile is working. What you will do in such a situation?

Way to find GPE Solutions

Note that carefully I am suggesting ways to think solution not how to write solution.

Step 1 priority setting

1. Person injured with bullet: reason:-he needs immediate assistance as excessive bleeding is dangerous for him.
2. Person with broken leg: – reason as we have enough time for train problem and the farmer can’t go himself anywhere. And he also needs some medical assistance.
3. As train will leave at 4:45 and reach the bridge at 5:30 it is 4:00 now so we can give this problem 3rd priority.
4. Cow stranded in marshy land. As human life is not involved

Step 2 Solution to each problem and assigning it to subgroups

Problem 1:- person injured with bullet

• First of all I will stop his blood using cloths now, (think solution in these 7 points)
• Who: 2 of us
• What: take the person to hospital
• When: start 4:15 as it will take some time to plan and take lift.
• Where: to the hospital
• How: we will take lift from passing vehicles.
• Time and distance: it will take near 15 min to cover the distance of 15km and additional 15 min to take him to hospital.
• Action: admitted the person to the hospital and treatment started. and sent a ambulance to pick up the  leg broken person and take him to hospital.

Problem 2: leg broken person

• Who: 2 of us + cycle +son of that person
• What: will go to wheat field and take him out  so that ambulance can pick him up
• When: start at 4:15
• Where: we will move from tea stall to wheat field
• How: using cycle and cart
• Time & distance: to cover 4 km cycle will take near 10 minutes and we will take him out on his cart in near 10 min.
• Action: we will take him to tea stall and wait for ambulance so that he can be taken to hospital and can be treated.

Problem 3: train problem

• Who: 3 of us
• What: 1 will inform shanty village police and 2 will inform railway person at manned railway crossing.
• When: at 4:15
• Where: police station in village and at manned crossing
• How: 1 will take help of villagers to reach police station using villagers motor cycle or cycle. And other two will reach ferry in running and take boat to reach the manned crossing near temple.
• Time & distance: 1 man will use villager’s resources and in 20 minutes he can find the police station .and 2 others will cover 3 km. in 10 min. and then reaming 8 km by boat and it will take 10 minutes as speed of current will also support us.
• Action: informing the concerned person on time will resolve the issue till 4:50 pm.

Problem no. 4: cow in marshy land

• Who: 2 of us + lady + villager who informed us about miscreants
• What: will take the cow out of marshy land
• When: they will start at 4:15
• Where: will move to marshy land
• How: we will collect resources like rope, man power, some some sticks, a wooden plank etc. and using them we will pull the cow out
• Time & distance: it will take us 5 mins to cover 2 kms and then 10 mins to gather resources. And near 30 mins to take cow out.
• Action: we will save the cow with help of villagers. Till 5:00.

After all problems are solved

• All of us will gather at tea stall till 5:20 and catch the bus and reach garage and collect our jeep and return to the hostel before 7:00 pm.

Also Read

• Tips for Military Planning or Group Planning Exercise
• Group Planning Exercise 4