Final Group Task (FGT) in SSB
~6 min read
- What: The last outdoor GTO task — full group, same rules and colour codes as PGT, typically one obstacle, approximately 10–15 minutes.
- When: Day 3 (the final GTO day), after all other outdoor tasks are complete.
- Why it matters: It is the GTO's final observation before writing their assessment. The impression formed over two days is confirmed — or revised — here.
- Key point: Do not mentally disengage. The GTO is still watching.
The Final Group Task is the closing outdoor task of the SSB. By this point, the GTO has observed the group across the Progressive Group Task, the Half Group Task, individual obstacles, and the command task. The FGT is the last piece of evidence they add to that picture before writing their final candidate assessment - and crucially, it is the only task the GTO observes with the candidates already physically and mentally worn down. The fatigue is the point.
What Is FGT?
The FGT brings the full batch back together — the same group that ran PGT on Day 2. The task format is identical to PGT:
- An outdoor obstacle task with a load that must be moved from start to finish.
- The same colour code rules: WHITE structures are freely usable by candidates and load; RED zones are forbidden for both; BLUE structures can be used by candidates but the load must not touch them.
- The same helping material — planks, ropes, boulders or oil drums as counterweights — provided at the start.
- Typically one obstacle (compared to the progressive, multi-stage structure of PGT).
- A duration of approximately 10–15 minutes.
The FGT is conducted on Day 3, after all other outdoor GTO tasks are complete. Candidates are typically physically fatigued by this point. This is part of the observation context — the GTO is watching how the group performs when tired.
Conduct of FGT
| Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Group | Full original batch |
| Task format | Same as PGT — outdoor obstacle with load and helping material |
| Number of obstacles | Typically one |
| Duration | Approximately 10–15 minutes |
| Colour code: WHITE | Starting and finishing platforms and structures. Both candidates and the load/material can be placed here. |
| Colour code: RED | Forbidden zone or chasm. Neither candidates nor the load may touch a red area. |
| Colour code: BLUE | Intermediate structures. Candidates CAN stand on or use blue structures. The load/material must NOT touch blue areas. |
| Timing in the SSB | Final outdoor task of Day 3 — after PGT, HGT, individual obstacles, and command task |
Why the Final Task Matters More Than You Think
Candidates sometimes underestimate the FGT because it comes at the end of a long set of GTO tasks and because the duration is shorter than PGT. This is a strategic error. Here is why the FGT carries significant weight:
- It is the GTO's last observation before writing the final assessment. Whatever the GTO writes about you is written after the FGT. A strong performance here reinforces the positive impressions from earlier tasks. A poor performance here raises doubts that did not previously exist.
- Inconsistency is re-examined. Candidates who showed inconsistent OLQs across Day 2 — sometimes showing initiative, sometimes passive; sometimes physically engaged, sometimes hanging back — give the GTO one more data point to resolve that uncertainty. The FGT can break a tie in either direction.
- Physical and mental fatigue reveals character. By Day 3, candidates who began the SSB with a rehearsed performance are typically running lower on their reserves. The GTO knows this. How you manage fatigue — whether you maintain energy, encourage the group, and complete the task — is exactly what the OLQ "Stamina" and "Liveliness" measure.
- It is an opportunity for candidates who performed below their best earlier. If PGT or HGT did not go as well as you hoped, the FGT is your last chance to leave the GTO with a stronger final impression. The GTO's assessment is cumulative, not fixed after Day 2.
What Changes When Fatigue Is Real
By the time the FGT starts, candidates have been on the GTO ground for most of two days. They have planned in the GPE, argued in the GD, lifted load in the PGT, lifted load again in the HGT, sprinted through individual obstacles and stood under observation as commander or subordinate in the command task. They are tired in a way that is not rehearsed and cannot be performed through. That is exactly why the FGT exists where it does in the schedule - the GTO has now produced the conditions under which character, rather than presentation, is visible.
What fatigue surfaces, and which OLQs each one affects:
- Irritability: A short reply to a batchmate's suggestion that would have been polite in the morning. A clipped tone at the load. A muttered comment when someone causes a restart. Each is a small thing and each is logged - against Cooperation, Social Adaptability, Sense of Responsibility.
- Shortcuts: Stepping on a red corner because it would save five seconds. Dropping the load on a blue surface for a moment because no one would see. Skipping a brief because everyone is tired. Each is a colour-code or rule violation, but the deeper marker is Integrity and Sense of Responsibility - the candidate who cuts rules when tired is the officer who would cut rules under operational pressure.
- Withdrawal: The candidate who was talkative in PGT and is now standing quietly at the back of the FGT. The body language is "I have done enough today" and the GTO reads it exactly that way. Stamina and Determination both take a hit. Most damaging of all, it confirms a suspicion the GTO has been holding from PGT - that the morning's energy was effort, not character.
- Tunnel vision: A tired candidate stops scanning the team. They focus on their own foot placement and forget the batchmate struggling at the other end of the obstacle. Cooperation suffers, and the Ability to Influence the Group disappears because the group is no longer in your field of view.
- Loss of voice: The candidate who proposed clearly in PGT and now mumbles - or speaks but the group doesn't hear them. Power of Expression is partly volume, partly composure; both are the first things fatigue takes.
The candidate who is aware of this in advance has a small but real advantage. Not by faking energy - the GTO sees performed energy easily - but by anticipating which behaviours to watch in themselves. The candidate who notices they are about to snap at a batchmate and instead takes a half-second pause has shown more Self-Confidence than the candidate who never felt the impulse.
How FGT Differs from PGT
| Factor | PGT | FGT |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Full batch | Full batch (same group as PGT) |
| Obstacles | Multiple, progressive — complexity builds across the task | Typically one obstacle |
| Duration | 30–40 minutes | 10–15 minutes |
| GTO's knowledge of candidates | First outdoor observation — GTO is building an initial picture | GTO already has 2 days of data — FGT is confirmation, not discovery |
| Candidate energy level | Day 2 — relatively fresh | Day 3 — typically fatigued after a full slate of GTO tasks |
| Purpose in assessment | Initial outdoor assessment; wide range of OLQs observed | Final outdoor observation; OLQs assessed in the context of fatigue and established group dynamic |
| Colour codes and load rules | Same | Identical to PGT — no changes |
How to Approach FGT
- Do not mentally disengage. The most common FGT error is treating it as a formality — "I've already been assessed; this doesn't count much." The GTO is watching as closely in the FGT as in the PGT. Disengagement is immediately visible.
- Match your Day 2 energy, or exceed it. If you were physically and verbally active in PGT, the GTO expects that level of contribution to continue. Dropping below it in the FGT suggests your Day 2 performance was effort-driven rather than genuine — which raises questions about your stamina OLQ.
- If you were passive in PGT or HGT, the FGT is your last chance. A significantly stronger FGT can partially redress a weak earlier record. Take initiative clearly and early. Contribute physically. Help the group complete the obstacle rather than waiting to react. The GTO will record the improvement.
- Physical fatigue is expected — manage it visibly. The GTO knows everyone is tired. They are not expecting supernatural energy. What they are watching for is whether fatigue causes you to mentally withdraw, to become irritable with batchmates, to cut corners on colour codes, or to give less than your best. Manage fatigue with composure.
- Maintain colour code discipline. Fatigue increases the likelihood of colour code errors — grabbing the load carelessly, placing it on a blue structure, or crossing a red zone out of frustration. These errors are as visible and significant on Day 3 as on Day 2.
- Encourage the group. Liveliness OLQ is partly demonstrated by how you respond to a tired group. Encouraging a batchmate who is struggling, keeping the group's morale positive during a difficult moment, and maintaining a constructive tone even when the task is hard — these are visible and valued.
OLQs FGT Primarily Assesses
| OLQ | How it shows in FGT |
|---|---|
| Determination | Do you keep trying when the obstacle is not yielding? Do you maintain effort through physical fatigue? Do you persist after a colour code violation forces the group to restart? |
| Stamina | Is your physical and mental energy level in the FGT consistent with what the GTO saw in PGT and HGT? Stamina is observed over the full GTO arc, and the FGT is the final data point. |
| Liveliness | Are you animated and positive even on the last task? Do you encourage batchmates? Is your tone constructive or flat and disengaged? |
| Cooperation | With the full group back together and everyone fatigued, does the group cooperate effectively — or does the tiredness produce friction, impatience, or withdrawal? Your contribution to a cooperative final task is visible. |
Complete GTO Preparation — All Tasks, All Days
Full-arc GTO coaching by a retired GTO — PGT, HGT, FGT, individual obstacles, and command task, with progressive OLQ assessment across simulated Day 2 and Day 3 sessions.
Get SSB CoachingFrequently Asked Questions
Is the FGT easier than PGT?
The FGT is typically shorter and involves fewer obstacles than PGT. Whether the obstacle itself is easier varies — the GTO selects it. Do not approach the FGT expecting it to be easier; approach it expecting the GTO to assess you at the same standard as PGT.
What if the group finishes the FGT quickly?
If the group completes the obstacle before time runs out, the GTO will typically call time. You cannot artificially extend the task. Focus on completing the obstacle correctly, not on managing the clock.
Does it matter if the group fails to complete the FGT obstacle?
The GTO does not primarily assess success or failure in completing the obstacle — they assess the OLQs displayed during the attempt. A group that fails the obstacle while showing full effort, cooperation, and correct colour code observance will be assessed more positively than a group that completes it with conflict, passivity from some members, and colour code violations.
Can a strong FGT change my overall GTO assessment significantly?
It can shift the assessment at the margin — particularly for candidates whose earlier performance was inconsistent. A GTO who is deciding between two ratings for a candidate will factor in the FGT. It cannot fully reverse a pattern established over PGT and HGT, but it can meaningfully influence a borderline case.
Are the colour code rules the same in FGT as in PGT?
Yes — exactly the same. WHITE: candidates and load can use. RED: forbidden for both candidates and load. BLUE: candidates can use, load must not touch. These rules do not change across any outdoor GTO task.