What Is GTO Task In SSB Interview?

SSB interviews are conducted by various Services Selection Boards of Indian Army, Navy and by Air Force Selection Boards. These SSB boards select candidates for commissioned officer posts in Indian Armed Forces through SSB interviews.

SSB Interview is five days long procedure which includes two stages of testing as stage I & stage II. The stage (I) will consist of Officer Intelligence Rating (OIR) and Picture Perception & Description Test (PP & DT). The stage (II) will consist of Interview, Group Testing Officer Tasks, Psychology Tests and the Conference.

One among these 5 days, entirely goes for GTO test.

What is GTO?

GTO task is scheduled on the 3^rd or 4^th day of SSB Interview. It is a series of outdoor tasks, designed to access a candidate’s qualities in a group and how they get involve with each others in a group.

The Group discussion and Progressive group task is used by the GTO to reach into a picture of the personalities of candidates and other tasks like Half Group task, Individual obstacles, Inter Group Obstacle Race , Group Lecturette are designed to confirm the earlier findings of the GTO and also to change the assumption about a Candidate.

GTO task consists of 9 different tests. All of them are explained below:

1. Group Discussion: Group Discussion (GD) is the first test in GTO Tests. It is a friendly and informal talk on the topics of common interests but of controversial nature. GD is similar to what you do sitting with your friends in the canteen of your school/college or units of your regiment etc. There are 2 group discussions and each will be for approximately 15 Minutes.
2. Group Planning Exercise (GPE): It is an indoor task. All the participants are briefed about the task while they are sitting in a horseshoe formation with the map/modal placed between them. There are five stages.

• The G.T.O introduces the candidates to the map or the model in a simple and detailed manner.
• The G.T.O then reads out a story and relates it to the map/model.
• The same story card is handed over to the candidates individually for them to read and understand in the five minutes allotted.
• The candidates are then given 10minutes to make their plans individually and also write the plan.
• Once the plans are written individually, the group is then put through a discussion for 15-20 minutes with an aim to work out a common plan.

3. Progressive Group Task (PGT): Progressive Group Task of SSB interviews is one of the most important outdoor tests of GTO tests. PGT test is very helpful for GTO officers to assess all candidates for various OLQ’s such as team spirit, self confidence and ability of proper planning. This SSB interview test is designed in such a way that it has to be completed by a team and not an individual. The test includes few problems and few objectives for which the group needs to find out solution. Not only finding solution is important, but to accomplish the objective by using that solution is also lays a vital role in getting recommended by the SSB board.
4. Half Group Task: Similar to the PGT but only 1 Major Obstacle has to be tackled. The group size will be halved. Each half group will attempt a different obstacle. Helping material provided: Rope, Plank, Wooden Log and Load.
5. Group Obstacle Race or Snake Race: Group Obstacle Race (GOR) is one of the interesting but painful tasks in SSB Interviews, it is interesting because you have to cheer a lot and you will enjoy as you will compete with other groups and painful because you would be one of the lucky persons who escaped uninjured. This is a race in which your group will compete with other groups.
6. Individual Obstacle: Each candidate will individually run the course of the 10 obstacles. In this task you have to perform 10 obstacles in 3 Minutes, you can repeat the Obstacles to increase your marks.
7. Lecturette: This is one of the most important tasks of the GTO task in SSB interview. The candidates are made to sit in a circle and every candidate is given a topic and he has to speak on it. The time allotted is three minutes.
8. Command Task: The GTO will brief the candidate about the obstacle and makes him/her a commander. The GTO asks the candidate to call 2 subordinates. The aim of this task is to find the commanding capability of the candidate.
9. Final Group Task (FGT): This is the last and final task in GTO series, it is similar to PGT. The entire group is participated in this task and there is only one obstacle.