How To Crack The Group Exercise Round | For MICA, SIBM, SCMHRD And More

Group Exercises (GE) or Group Tasks is a type of preliminary round that takes place before Personal Interviews. In this round, candidates are assessed on a variety of things like logical reasoning, teamwork, leadership, communication, problem-solving, focus and the ability to get a given task done in the stipulated time. Group Exercise is a challenging and unique format because it is competitive but in a fun way. The activities can range anything from re-enacting an old movie or TV commercial and relating it to the current scenario, to pitching a startup idea for building an underwater city. Interesting isn't it? But how does one go on about it? How is the prep different from group discussion? Read this article to know more.   

What is a Group Exercise (GE)?

It is a way of evaluating a candidate based on a bunch of psychological parameters. Through this exercise, panellists get an understanding of how candidates act/behave in a group and also find out if their behaviour alters in a group.   

Key Things That You Need To Know About Group Exercise

• At one session, 8-9 members take part in it.
• These people will be assigned one or two group tasks at a time.
• Duration of this exercise is 15-30 minutes.
• Group tasks can be anything from role-play, creating proposals, presentations, outdoor group exercise, practical task (in an indoor setting), to performing a part of a movie or a skit and more. 

 

What will you be evaluated on?

• Cooperation
• Negotiation skills
• Quick thinking
• Confidence
• Attitude
• Alertness
• Leadership Skills
• Persuasion techniques
• Initiative
• Teamwork
• Reasoning ability
• Determination

 

How Are Group Exercise Are Different From Group Discussions?

Group Exercise	Group Discussions
Exchange of ideas in order to discuss and reach a common goal.	It's just an exchange of Ideas
There has to be a consensus or conclusion.	There may not be a conclusion.
Members have to make decisions to move forward.	Members are not compelled to make decisions.
You are often given a task or case to solve.	You are just given a topic and you have to discuss it in a group.
It's a group activity.	It’s not very group-oriented.
They assess your intellectual and psychological and behaviour	In GD you are also assessed on similar things but more importance is given on your knowledge over the subject matter.

 

Best Framework To Accomplish Group Exercises

Before we get into discussing the basic tips and pointers one needs to keep in mind when approaching group exercise round, let’s also look into the famous Tuckman’s Model known. It is one of the best frameworks to accomplish Group Exercises.  

General Tips

• Listen to each and every idea presented by the members of the group attentively and make notes if possible.
• Segregate the task into a bundle of activities, so each member has something to work on. 
• Try to be more team-oriented, as teamwork skills are being tested.  
• Always communicate with your team.
• Take responsible and reasonable risks. 
• Take initiative but don’t try to override your teammates. 
• Group synergy is important, so make sure everyone is heading the same way. 
• Whatever your task may be, don't give up till the last minute.

Remember the reason behind doing Group Exercise. Today’s management practices have shifted from top-down to teamwork, as managers often have to handle live projects. And, these group exercises try to simulate similar managerial dilemmas and complexities of corporate life.  

How To Behave In Group Exercise

1. Introduce yourself: Introduce yourself to others in the team. This will help in breaking the ice and can be perceived as your way to build rapport with the team. And that's a good thing. 
2. Ask your team to introduce themselves: Ask others to also introduce themselves. This will make others feel more comfortable around you and make the panellist feel that you are taking initiative and organising the group.
3. Don’t give negative feedback to your teammates: Your team will be made of people who have different experiences and come from a different walk of life. So it is natural that there will be differences in ideas. So, when someone presents you an idea that you don’t agree with, don't criticise them or give negative feedback. If you do that, your team will be on an edge and will feel comfortable around you. You don’t want to look impatient, aggressive, not a ‘diplomat’ and off-putting in front of the evaluators. 
4. Collaborate: Yes, you are competing with other candidates to get a seat in your dream b-school. But, don’t carry that attitude with you, when you enter the CE room. Your evaluators are looking for someone who can work in a team, so don’t try to dominate,   show off, or compete with your peers. Aggressive individualism, over competitiveness and not supporting team members is a serious put off for evaluators. 

 

Group Exercise (Practice Questions) 

1. Come up with a social networking site that has new features, name and marketing communication.
2. All candidates will draw random scribbles and lines and see to it that no line intersect each other, then slowly derive to a figure, what it depicts and discuss to the panellists about it. 
3. Two people from the group are tied to each with a rope. The whole group has to untie these two people without touching them. 
4. Your team has to go to a village in Rajasthan and educate the village residents (most of whom are above 60 yrs and illiterate) about the Government pension schemes. Enact a skit to make them understand the scheme better.
5. Dress one of your team members as an Egyptian queen. You will be given chalk, markers, chart paper, scissors, tapes, and gum.