Group planning exercise [GPE] or Military Planning Exercise [MPE] is done to check the reaction of candidates when put under a series of stressful situation, in which decision making ability and quick reactions of a candidate is checked.
What is Military Planning Exercise in SSB Interview
- GTO explains the candidates a model on wooden plank, at the end of explanation candidates are permitted to ask any question.
- Now GTO reads a story from the card, 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.
Structure of GPE problems
Generally there are four problems given in GPE. One is of a serious nature which involves immediate reaction or is costing more life; such problem must be assigned first priority. Second kind of problem is also of serious nature and has some time left to solve it, assign them second priority; third problem is comparatively less serious. Also there will be one silly problem, assign it least priority.
Group Planning Exercise Tips
- Listen to the GTO carefully, make a mental picture of the problem in your mind and start finding solutions.
- Clarify all the doubts from the GTO before writing your own solution.
- Write your solution with confidence. Be clear with your ideas and approach. There is no right or wrong solution here.
- Make a mental note of all the minute details in the model. They will come handy while solving the problem.
- Identify all the possible resources at your disposal; generally all the problems are easily solvable if the requisite resources are identified.
- During the group discussion you are required to support the group to formulate the best possible plan. Hence, do not always stick to your own opinions for the heck of it.
- If someone has a better idea than yours, accept it and contribute your bit in the group.
- Generally, the GD in the GPE is chaotic and no group solution is formed. Try to avoid this phenomenon by urging your group members to be more cooperative
Sample GPE or MPE
Details:
You are a group of students (as many as in the group) of Shyamgarh college returning from Dinapur after winning the Dinapur District Volley Ball Championship. The victory celebrations in your college are to start at 7.30 PM. As you mini -bus stopped at the petrol pump – cum – garage to get the headlights of the minibus repaired, you saw the attendant lying in a pool of blood. He told you that some anti – social elements had beaten him up and left him dead before looting all the cash and cutting off the telephone wires. He had managed to overhear their conversation. They planned to exchange large consignment of drugs in return for Arms from a foreigner near the Rock at 6.45 PM. They had also removed the fish plates of both railway tracks on the bridge. You know that an express train crosses the bridge at 6.30 PM. Also two of their men were hiding near the ferry to kill Tota Ram of Badli Village who was a police informer. The ferry has a motor boat with a speed of 20 Kmph which the two men have planned to use for their escape later. After telling this the pump attendant falls unconscious. Just then one of your friends comes running from the mini- bus and tells you that he has to take the mini – bus back to the office of Dinapur College where your Silver Trophy and the medals have been left behind. The time now is 5.30 PM. What will you do?
Map for Group Planning Exercise
