GTO or Group Testing Obstacles are conducted on 3rd and 4th day of SSB testing and are conducted under the supervision of Group Testing Officer or GTO. There are certain rules and instructions that should be kept in your mind while performing these tasks and you will emerge out as a leader automatically.
Let’s look at some tips to perform well in GTO tasks:
Group Discussion (GD)
• Be an active participant in your social network as it helps in tackling a different type of people along with enhancing knowledge.
• You should have basic knowledge of current event happening around you and in the world.
• Be an active communicator and express your views and ideas in a polite yet firm manner in simpler terms. You should back your arguments with concrete information and facts.
• Respect other candidates’ views and analyse accordingly to reply.
• To practice on GD topics non-verbally, a candidate can write his/her own views on those topics as it helps them to retain this information and perform well when facing in reality.
Group/Military Planning Exercise (GPE)
• Do not go for bookish solutions. There might be solutions where the country is being given more priority and in some life is given priority.
• There are no concrete rules to solve Group Planning Exercise, and if you stick to follow the ideal plans then you are likely to fail. Be practical and imagine yourself in the GPE scenario.
• Candidates feel that they have to put the whole group to work for a single problem. This is not the case as you should divide your group into necessary parts and work for the major problems or priorities
Progressive Group Tasks (PGT)
• Run when in GTO field and as soon as the GTO commands to start the tasks. Show some sense of urgency and pick up the materials that you will need for further tasks and start implementing your idea as soon as you move ahead.
• While you are doing the tasks such as making bridges or tying knots then you must ask help from other group members and not try to do all of it on your own.
• If someone else has taken the lead and started implementing his/her plans then you must support them by your ideas.
• Do not stand and watch the other members doing it, you have to be actively involved while encouraging your group members to present their ideas too. Remember that it’s a team effort.
• You should be working the entire time and try not to remain idle for a single second.
• Do not ask the GTO silly questions like how much distance is 3-4 feet, at your age you are expected to have that much sense of directions and distances.
• Do not shout on your team members and keep patience as a calm mind can generate ideas rather than one at panic and chaos.
• Do not break the rules and if you are breaking any you have infinite chance to correct it, there is no penalty hence if you happen to break a rule then you must repeat the task again. Honesty is what is expected of you.
• Do not look at the GTO all the time and don’t give up easily.
Group Obstacle Race (GOR) or Snake Race
• Once the snake or the Load is picked up at start line it can’t be kept down till the finish line is reached. The snake is not to be shortened or folded in any respect. Remember to follow the rules at all time.
• All candidates should be holding the snake when running from one obstacle to another and while crossing the obstacle, at least three candidates should hold the snake. Consider that as a wartime Dhawa that your team is performing on enemies while crossing obstacles.
• Even if you cross the obstacle first, wait for the others to do so and then only proceed to the other obstacle. Take care of your group members and help them in crossing some difficult tasks.
• Take care of yourself and follow the safety instructions by GTO as you might get seriously hurt in these tasks if you will be careless.
Lecturette
During Lecturette a candidate has the opportunity to present his/her confidence and the GTO expects good expressions, better body language, fluency and confidence during the Lecturette. In this test being knowledgeable always has an upper-hand on the performance and to do so candidates must make him/her information savvy on current affair or events.
• Acquire knowledge about frequently asked topics and trending issues in India and the World.
• Be confident while delivering lecturette and to do that one should choose his/her words and deliver them according to the appropriate tone.
• Maintain the body language while delivering lecturette, show minimum body moments including hand gestures and leg moments.
• Be always communicative in friend and social circle, it helps in becoming bold and fluent while enhances information and communication skills.
• Use accurate pronunciation of words and articulate sentences in an impressive manner.
• Avoid very silly mistakes of grammar like his-her, she-he, has-had these mistakes will get noticed very easily and leave a bad impression.
• Keep in check the pause and breaks when speaking it will help in maintaining the tempo of the lecture.
• Keep the lecture in short memory cards in mind while preparing the topic and unfold them in sequence while delivering the lecture.
Half group task (HGT)
HGT is similar to PGT, but the difference is that the group is divided into two sets. GTO will try to see the performance of the candidates who weren’t able to perform while in the full group. He will also cross-check and confirm the observations made about other candidates. The rules are the same for this task the same as in the PGT.
• Be an active participant in the team by giving your full cooperation.
• Be positive in your views i.e. take consideration about other member ideas if it is finer than yours.
• It is for you to become the leader of the group. An avenue for leadership is opened to you and you must make use of it. Practical intelligence, dashing spirit, sociability, dominating nature and of course your personal magnetism will make you the leader.
• Always have a gentle smile at your face throughout the GTO Tasks which shows that you are confident.
• Be gentle and polite while behaving with other group members and accept their ideas and help them in implementing a better idea.
• If you have no idea of tackling the obstacle, be a faithful follower and if your group is caught in an obstacle, make use of the golden opportunity and explain a constructive plan to negotiate the obstacle. Remember; never try to impose yourself to the group. Let the group be depended on you.
Individual obstacles
The purpose of this test is to check mental ability, physical toughness, stamina level, courage, determination, acrophobia (fear of heights) etc. It also checks how fast you can make a choice and execute accordingly. There are a total of 10 tasks (a few differs in AFSB) and time is 3 min.
Types of Individual Obstacles:
• Jumping over a slide: This is the 1 pointer task which is the simplest. You have to run on the slope of an inclined plane and jump across a line which is marked at approximately 4 feet from the end of the plane.
• Long Jump or Double Barrel Jump: It consists a jump across a 6 feet* 3feet drum.
• High or Screen Jump: It is a simple 3 feet high jump. You can use freestyle for making the jump. There will be sand on the other side of the bar to avoid injury in case you happen to fall.
• Zig-Zag Balancing Beams: It includes a walk over a zig-zag path made up by using wooden logs.
• Double Jumping Platforms: You have to climb a platform of 12 feet and then take two jumps. The first jump is to the lower platform which will be at 8 feet from the ground. The second one is to the ground.
• Burma Bridge: You need to walk between two ropes for a distance of 25 feet. The two ropes will be tied parallel on poles at a height of 10 feet. This obstacle starts shaking as you begin to move so maintain your body balance. It is also the most time-consuming task.
• Tarzan Swing: In this task, the candidate climb to a platform near 10-12 feet at height then take a rope in hand. He needs to swing like Tarzan with the help of the rope and to land after a mark on the land.
• Double Ditch: This task contains two ditches of 8 feet*3 feet and 4 feet*3 feet. The candidate needs to cross the 1st ditch with the help of a hanging rope and the second one with another simple jump.
• Tiger Leap: You have to climb up a platform of 9 feet and leap to a rope at a distance of 4 feet in the air and get down by the technique told by the GTO in order to save the injury to your palms. It is important to catch the rope at chest level so that you don’t slide down and get cuts.
• Commando Walk: It consists walk from any side up and down from another while maintaining the balance on the narrow pathway made up of iron and wooden structure. Sometimes instructions are given to shouting some specific things while standing on the top platform.
Command task
In SSB Command Task, a leader can pick up a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 persons out of the group excluding him. But normally 2 persons plus the leader will do. A plank and a balli are given to help out. The difficulty of your command task depends on your past performance if you get a difficult command task, which means that you are going well in GTO.
• Talk loud and clear while addressing your subordinates so that your instructions can be heard clearly by everyone present and your idea can be communicated to your subordinates and GTO alike.
• Don’t ask for help for simple obstacles and treat your subordinates well but be commanding.
• Make sure you lead from the front; don’t send your subordinates to test an unstable bridge. Instead, you must take the risk.
• Try to use all helping material wherever possible and try to help your subordinates at times instead of commanding instructions all the time.
• Act like a leader and not a boss.
Final Group Task (FGT)
• Never look at the GTO while doing the tasks even if this is the last task.
• Give a good idea to the group if you don’t know any idea just help others who are giving ideas in implementing that idea.
• Never violate the rules as it is the basic criteria of GTO tasks, and in case if you violate the rule, just repeat the task by yourself.
• Be an active participant in the team by giving your full cooperation in physical as well as through mental manner.
• Be positive in your views i.e. take consideration about other members ideas if it is finer than yours.
• Be practical and reasonable.
The approach to all the tasks in GTO testing will enhance your performance for better.
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