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 who come from Tulsi for a picnic and you are presently at rest house near the lake. After enjoying the picnic, you decided to go back to your location, but the minibus you were traveling to developed some mechanical fault and it will take approximately one hour to get it repaired. As you were thinking about the problem, a villager from Kali came to you and told you that while he was going to his village, six militants were planning to loot village Kalsi at around 3.30 pm and simultaneously two of the miscreants of the same group will go for kidnapping a rich person at Tezpur at 4 pm. After finishing the work, all six miscreants will come to Kirti, collect illegal items as planned, and catch the train at 4.30 pm from the railway station. In the meanwhile, a person approaches you and tells you that he has lost his monkey which is his primary livelihood and approaches you for help to trace the animal. While you were listening to the villager, a local person came to you and informs you that due to a landslide, rocks have fallen on the railway track and a passenger train is likely to start from Sherpur railway station at 2.30 pm causing a likely threat which may result into a train accident. The time is now 1300 hours. As a group of brave young students, what will you do?
Sample GPE Priority-wise Problems
| PRIORITIES | REASONS | PROBLEMS |
| 1 | Mass Disaster | Train accident threat due to landslide on railway track at 2:30PM |
| 2 | Mass Disaster | Militant attack on Kalsi village at 3:30PM |
| 3 | Important | Kidnapping attempt in Tezpur at 4:00 PM |
| 4 | Important | Militants plan to collect illegal items in Kirti and board train at 4:30 PM |
| 5 | Minor | Help local man find his monkey (livelihood at stake) |
Sample GPE Group Division (Assuming 10 Members)
| GROUPS | MEMBERS | ASSIGNED TASKS |
| A | 2 | Train accident alert at Railway Station |
| B | 2 | Prevent militant attack at Kalsi |
| C | 2 | Foil kidnapping plan in Tezpur |
| D | 2 | Intercept militants at Kirti/Railway Station |
| E | 2 | Assist in monkey search |
Sample GPE Solution Timeline
| GROUPS | TASKS | DISTANCE | MODE | START | END | TIME TAKEN |
| A | Stop Train Accident | 2 km | Walk | 1:00 PM | 1:25 PM | 25 mins |
| B | Stop Militant Attack at Kalsi | 3 km | Minibus | 2:00 PM | 2:20 PM | 20 mins |
| C | Foil kidnapping plan in Tezpur | 4 – 5 km | Minibus | 2:30 PM | 3:00 PM | 30 mins |
| D | Intercept militants | 2 km | Minibus | 3:15 PM | 3:35 PM | 20 mins |
| E | Assist in monkey search | Local | Walk | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 1 hour |
For detailed solution, check out Sample GPE With Detailed Solution For SSB Interview – Part 19
