Cracking The GD: Tips From Successful Candidates

No matter which exam you wish you take to get into the Defence Services, or any other major exam for that matter, the GD or Group Discussion stage is always a difficult animal to control. The only probable reason why GD is so difficult to handle is that this stage is not always under the control of the candidate. Other candidates are involved and in a way, they can affect your performance. So, you need to carefully conduct your own GD performance and make sure that others don’t upset your cart.

Siegwald Academy, the premier institute of SSB coaching in Eastern India, asked some successful candidates of our institute to find out what you actually require to crack the GD. While mentors can tell you what you should do, practical advice from someone who’s already made through is always appreciated. One candidate laid out the most important advice by stating the rule of the GD: there are 6 to 10 candidates in a group with a time frame of 15 to 20 minutes. Mathematically, each candidate gets not more than 2-3 minutes to speak. The rest of the time is spent listening.

To make the most of the GD and make the more impactful impression on the assessors, listen well. That will give you enough to counter and speak when your turn comes. When you keep a track of what the others are saying, you find a lot to say yourself and make better points. In order to do that, you need to be well prepared. Reading the newspapers daily and books on current affairs is a must. It will give the fodder for you to talk when you get the chance.

There’s another successful candidate at our Siegwald Academy who had something interesting to say: try and practice the art of arguing points in daily life, without raising a storm. You can have discussions on important topics with friends. Assess your own performance and present your case as you would in the actual GD. These are pointers to indicate that where you are doing right, and otherwise.

A good point raised by another candidate was not to agree always. You don’t want to come off as a yes-man! Disagree when you actually feel so. State your arguments professionally and calmly. Avoid picking on others and you will do fine!