Group Tasks are held on the third and fourth day of the SSB selection process. During these two days, the following tasks are conducted:
- Group Discussion (G.D) - Indoor Task
- Group Planning Exercise or Military Planning Exercise (G.P.E or M.P.E)- Indoor Task
- Progressive Group Task (P.G.T) -Outdoor Task
- Half Group Task (H.G.T) -Outdoor Task
- Individual Obstacles(I.O)-Outdoor Task
- Command Task (C.T) -Outdoor Task
- Snake Race or Group Obstacle Race-Outdoor Task
- Individual Lectures or Extempore- Indoor Task
Let us understand what happens in each of these tasks.
Task-1: GROUP DISCUSSION
A Group Discussion, popularly known as GD, is a discussion that takes place within a group on students and the issues of discussion is a common topic. Group Discussions require you to possess an ability to think on your feet and then combine it with good presentation skills. If you can make a good impression on the panel with your good oratory skills and impressive content, you will be able to do well in this task. For more details on how to approach Group Discussions and how to go about them, refer to the following links:
Task- 2: Group Planning Exercise or Military Planning Exercise (G.P.E or M.P.E):
GD is followed by Group Planning Exercise or Military Planning Exercise on Day 3. The task requires you to engage with a group and find solution to the problem given. It is important to demonstrate leadership qualities in this task and make sure you are able to use all the resources available at your disposal.
Rules for the Military Planning Exercise or Group Planning Exercise:
- The candidates are required to sit in a semi circle based on the chest numbers.
- The Group Testing Officer (G.T.O) will narrate the set of problems. For example, a small story with a wooden model before you. i.e. A wooden plan drawn like a map between two towns. In that fields are painted as green, river (water bodies) are painted in blue, tar roads are painted in black and mud roads in pale yellow color.
- Every instruction regarding the time and direction to is given and the doubts are clarified, if any.
- In the next step, a story with set of problems is given which the candidates have to read quickly and place it by side.
- The candidate is given time to write the solutions to the given problem individually.
- At last, within ten minutes the candidates have to discuss the set of problems and arrive at a common solution to win the overall situation.
Task- 3: Progressive Group Task (P.G.T):
In continuation of Military Planning exercise is the Progressive Group Task (P.G.T. It is an outdoor task where you along with the team- mates should cross each obstacle in ground in a specified area. The obstacle is defined by a set of rules. The G.T.O. provides you with some helping material to cross the obstacle. The overall time allotment is 40- 60 minutes. If one task is finished, you have to move to the next P.G.T. The difficulty level increases from one task to another.
It is compulsory for the whole group to participate with no team leader. The member who is able to apply his basic physics (fulcrum, cantilever) in real life and has the analyzing capability is noted as the leader.
Task- 4: Half Group Task (H.G.T):
After P.G.T, Half Group task are conducted. As the name indicates, the group is divided in half. When some members of the group are not able to express the ideas to solve P.G.T due to communication problem, the H.G.T is used.
The rules to conduct the H.G.T are same as P.G.T.
Task- 5: Individual Obstacles (I.O):
Next in the series is the Individual Obstacle (I.O) where the aim of the individual obstacles is to judge your stamina level, endurance, boldness and courage. The several hurdles are marked with number according to the level of difficulty. The number painted near the obstacles denotes the marks allocated for the obstacles. The total number of obstacles is 10 and the time limit to cross those obstacles is 3 minutes. The total marks are 55.
The obstacle with highest level of difficulty scores the maximum of 10 and the one lowest level of difficulty, scores the minimum of 1.
Some examples of the obstacles are: Commando Walk, Balanced Walk, Jumping over the screen (high jump, Rope Climbing etc.
Task- 6: Command Task. (C.T):
Command Task is the ground task where you will act as a leader and you have to choose two candidates from the group as sub- ordinates. Ultimately, every army officer should be commanding in his order and action.
Task- 7: Snake Race or Group Obstacle Race:
The next activity is snake race or group obstacle task. In this the group is given a material called as Snake made up of jute, thick clothes which are usually bulky. The length of the snake is 6-8 feet in length.
Rules to hold a snake:
- The group has to hold the snake throughout the Race with some exclusion such as while crossing the obstacle, minimum three candidates should hold the snake.
- If the group starts to hold the snake at the hip region, then throughout the race it should hold the snake at that region only. The rule varies from board to board.
- The snake should never be kept on the ground.
- There are also some of bound areas in the obstacles such as, some region in the obstacle is painted with red colour. While doing the task the candidate should not touch the out of bound region.
- The group should not move from one obstacle to another without even a single member of the group. It should wait with the snake until all the guys reach the snake to hold.
Task- 8: Individual Lectures or Extempore:
In army life, command in the voice is all the more important. The army officer should lead his men and material with good lectures and boost the confidence of the members to follow the leader or officer. Thus, the role of G.T.O is to observe the candidate’s clarity of thought, power of expression, depth of knowledge and the confidence level. The total duration for the candidate to talk is three minutes.
One important thing to note down while giving lecture is the body language and how you are giving the topic to the audience.
Rules of the Lecture:-
- All the participants are allowed to sit in the semi circle.
- The G.T.O sitting behind the participants will place a group of cards in front of them.
- The candidates are ordered to take one card from that bunch and given three minutes to prepare about the topic. There are three choices for the topic (Tough, normal and easy).
- At the end of 2.30 minutes out of 3 minutes the G.T.O will give a warning bell so that the candidate who is speaking should sum up his points.