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
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I will refuel the minibus and then we will take injured attendant to the trisection of the road and from there to the coast guard. There I will inform coast guards about the drug’s deal , 2 people hiding near the ferry to kill Tota Ram near the petrol pump and also about the removed fish plate of the track on the bridge. From there we will go back to Dimapur collage to bring back medals back to our college
I assume that I have 9 more people with me.
1 member takes the attendant in bus to Dinapur for treatment. While returning the bus bring back medals and trophies.
5 members catch the two people waiting to kill Tota Ram, tie them and bring them to coast guard using the ferry. They handover the criminals to Coast Guard, and also alert them about fish plates and drug consignment.
On the way to Dinapur, the bus drops 4 members at T-point. 2 members take their jerseys off to alert any incoming train traffic. Other 2 keep watch on drug and arms dealers and keep the group at coast guard updated on phone about their movements.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard alerts railway department and also nabs the foreign dealer and drug dealers.
The 9 members assemble at T-point and are picked up by their mini-bus. They reach Shyamgarh before 7.30 pm and celebrate.
PRIORITY WISE PROBLEMS
Priority 1: Medical aid to the injured person.
Priority 2: Inform the Railway officials
Priority 3: Inform coast guards about the drugs
Priority 4: Inform the sarpanch and police about the person whose life in danger
DIVISION OF GROUPS
GP A: 3
GP B: 3
GP C:2
GP D:2
START TIME: After planning for 15 min Present time is 5:45 pm
SOLN NO 1: Firstly two groups of 2 will carry the injured person onto the bus and will take them to the ferry. From there we will go to the village as there will be some medical facilities. Get him hospitalised and try to check his clothes for identification so that they can call his family. Distance: 1 KM Time taken: 15 Min
Soln no 2: Group of 3 will go to the railway officials and will inform about the railway network which is destructed by those peoples. Distance: 5 km Time taken: 20 min
Soln no 3: Next group of 3 will go to the coast guard by ferry and inform them about the whole plan of drug dealers. Distance: 6 km Time taken: 25 min
Soln no 4: Group of 2 who are in the village with the Group 1 ( mentioned in Soln 1) will go to the police station along with the sarpanch and tell them about the plan to kill the informer of their village
Total time took: 60 Min
After this, they all will come back to the petrol pump around 6:30 pm and from there they went to Dinapur and enjoyed.
1.2 friends will take the injured to Dinapur hospital after giving first aid and will reach at 0600 and from there 1 will inform on the way to railway station to stop the train.
2.5 friends will go near ferry and nab those criminals and tie them and will go to coast guard at 0615 and tell them about drug deal and hand over the criminals.Coast guard will burst the drug deal at 0645.
3.2 friends with bus will bring medal on the way of return.
4.All will assemble at petrol pump at 0645 and wull return to college before dark to attend annual function.