The Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is a key component of the Group Task (GT) series at the SSB, designed to evaluate a candidate’s planning, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. In a typical GPE, you will be presented with a map, a situation, and several problems to tackle within a limited timeframe. You and your group must come up with a detailed, logical plan to address all issues effectively.
Below, you will find a situation. Read it carefully, analyse the information, and then propose a step-by-step plan in the comments section.
Sample GPE Map
Sample GPE Story
You are a group of students (as many as you are) from Govt Engineering College. Dilnagar. Your group had gone for a picnic to Kali Lake by the college van. While you were planning to return to your college for inter-college musical night scheduled at 7.30 pm, one forest guard approached your group for help. You observed that he was bleeding and limping badly. On inquiry, he informed that he was beaten by a group of dacoits who were planning to steal the precious idol from Seba Temple around 4 pm and hand it over to smugglers hiding in Kasori Forest Reserve. The guard also informed that another group had decided to loot the passenger train between Dilnagar and Sadakpur near the Kasori Forest Reserve Rail Bridge on Dhir Nadi. The Sadakpur-Dilnagar passenger crosses the Dhir Bridge at about 4.30 pm. As you were contemplating, you observed that a young couple who had also come for picnic were shouting for assistance. You turned and saw that the boat in which the young couple were sitting was drowning and they were desperately screaming for help. You were still in shock and trying to keep your cool when a fisherman came running for help as his boat had broken her moorings and was drifting in the Kali Lake. The time now is 3 pm. You as group of dynamic young students, how will you handle the situation?
Sample GPE Priority-wise Problems
| PRIORITIES | REASONS | PROBLEMS |
| 1 | Threat to human life | Drowning couple |
| 2 | Threat to human life | Injured forest guard |
| 3 | Mass disaster | Prevent Train Loot at 4:30 PM |
| 4 | Important problem | Idol theft at Seba Temple at 4 PM |
| 5 | Minor problem | Fisherman’s boat drifting |
Sample GPE Group Division (Assuming 10 Students)
| GROUPS | MEMBERS | ASSIGNED TASKS |
| A | 2 | Rescue drowning couple |
| B | 4 | Prevent train looting |
| C | 2 | Prevent idol theft |
| D | 2 | Assist forest guard and help fisherman |
Sample GPE Solution Timeline
| GROUPS | TASKS | START | END | TIME TAKEN |
| 1 | Rescue Couple | 3:00 PM | 3:10 PM | 10 mins |
| 2 | Prevent Train Looting | 3:00 PM | 3:25 PM | 25 mins |
| 3 | Prevent Idol Theft | 3:00 PM | 3:15 PM | 15 mins |
| 4 | Help Guard & Fisherman | 3:00 PM | 3:35 PM | 35 mins |
For detailed solution, check out Sample GPE With Detailed Solution For SSB Interview – Part 6
