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 from the Jain Government College who had planned a day of hunting in Banana Reserve Forest. You arranged for a jeep from the college, which is required to return by 10 am. You came to the Forest Rest House and arranged for the two horses and guns provided by the forest department. As you were preparing to proceed from FRH, you saw a small aircraft driving to your east. You also saw 3 parachutes coming down in the same direction. You also heard a faint blast, presumably of the air crash, quite a distance away. One of the parachutes landed close to you and you heard loud cries of help. As you rushed to the spot, you saw a man badly injured, trying to come out of the parachute. Upon inquiring, he told you, “I am the pilot of the aircraft, which has crashed a while ago due to mechanical failure. I was being forced by a gang of terrorists to drop arms and ammunition north of Kajri, so that they could use it for creating terror in Akash, being the district headquarters. The arms, etc., were to be collected from the parachutes and sent to Kajri, from where a truck would leave at 7.30 am for Akash. They also planned to blow up the Denwa Headworks on the Mahadev Canal at 7.45 am, so that the village Banana is washed away.” Saying this, he fell unconscious. As you were planning to do something, a shepherd came running, shouting for help. He said that something fell from the sky on his herd of sheep and they all ran away. He also said that his master will beat him up and not pay him unless he can get his sheep back to Sherpur city. Time now is 6.30 am. As young students, what will you do?
Sample GPE Priority-wise Problems
| PRIORITIES | REASONS | PROBLEMS |
| 1 | Threat to human life | Treat injured pilot |
| 2 | Threat to human life | Aid crash site survivors |
| 3 | Mass disaster | Prevent bombing of Denwa Headworks at 7:45 AM |
| 4 | Urgent | Stop arms drop collection & truck in Kajri |
| 5 | Minor | Recover sheep for shepherd |
Sample GPE Group Division (Assuming 8 Students)
| GROUPS | MEMBERS | ASSIGNED TASKS |
| A | 2 | Prevent blowing up of Denwa Headworks |
| B | 2 | Stop arms collection at Kajri and intercept truck to Akash |
| C | 2 | Reach crash site to rescue survivors / gather information |
| D | 2 | Attend injured pilot and help recover sheep (after treatment) |
Sample GPE Solution Timeline
| TASKS | TIME SLOT |
| Situation assessed, groups formed | 6:30 AM |
| Jeep leaves for Denwa + Kajri | 6:35 AM |
| Group A reaches Denwa, secures headworks | 6:45 AM |
| Group B reaches Kajri, halts arms collection | 7:00 AM |
| Intercepts truck headed to Akash | 7:15 AM |
| Group C reaches crash site | 7:00 AM |
| Group D treats pilot, recovers sheep | 6:40–7:30 AM |
| All groups regroup at FRH | 8:30 AM |
| Jeep departs back to college (before 10 AM) | 9:00 AM |
For detailed solution, check out Sample GPE With Detailed Solution For SSB Interview – Part 23
