The Situation Reaction Test (SRT) presents 60 real-life situations in a single booklet with only 30 minutes to react — roughly 30 seconds per situation. There is no time to craft an ideal answer; assessors want the first practical action you would take. This guide gives you the response framework, common mistakes, and 20 sample situation-and-response pairs to model.
Each situation is designed to probe how you behave when a real problem lands in your lap — no rehearsal, no ideal setting, no unlimited resources. Your responses reveal:
Act first, inform second. Basic first aid, moving the person to safety, calling help — all before "informing the authorities". Show that you can be the first responder.
Do not create a public scene. Approach the person privately first, then escalate to the appropriate authority if the behaviour continues. Show fairness, not vengeance.
Ration or substitute what you have, use immediate contacts, and plan a realistic recovery. Avoid magical solutions.
Show that a setback does not paralyse you. One backup plan, one communication (informing whoever is waiting for you), and a calm next step.
De-escalate before intervening. Listen briefly, separate the parties if needed, and involve a neutral third party. Never take sides in front of a crowd.
Do not memorise these. Use them to internalise the tone: a verb-led first sentence, one or two concrete steps, and a realistic close. Your own situations in the exam will differ.
Situation: On the way to college he saw a man fall unconscious on a busy footpath. What will he do?
Response: "He checked the man's pulse, asked a bystander to call an ambulance, cleared the crowd for airflow, and stayed with him until paramedics arrived."
Situation: His father was hospitalised the night before an important interview 200 km away. What will he do?
Response: "He informed the interviewer about a family emergency by email and phone, arranged for his cousin to stay with his father, and requested a rescheduled slot after confirming his father was stable."
Situation: He was leading a trek when the team ran out of drinking water two hours from base camp. What will he do?
Response: "He rationed the remaining sips, guided the team to the nearest stream marked on his map, filtered the water using his cloth and purification tablets, and reached base by evening."
Situation: His hostel friends insisted he skip class to attend a birthday party in another city. What will he do?
Response: "He wished the friend by video call, sent a small gift with a hostel-mate who was travelling, and stayed back to attend his class and complete the practical submission."
Situation: His younger sister needed exam fees the same week he had planned to buy a bike. What will he do?
Response: "He paid his sister's fees first, postponed the bike purchase by three months, and picked up part-time tutoring work to rebuild the amount."
Situation: He saw his close friend copying answers in a college exam. What will he do?
Response: "He did not confront him in the exam hall. That evening he spoke to him privately, explained the risks, and offered to revise the syllabus together for the next test."
Situation: Two neighbours were arguing loudly in the middle of the street, blocking traffic. What will he do?
Response: "He stepped in calmly, requested them to move to the footpath, listened briefly to both sides, and suggested they meet the resident welfare secretary the next morning to resolve it formally."
Situation: His scooter broke down 10 km from home at night in the rain. What will he do?
Response: "He pushed the scooter to the nearest tea shop, called a mechanic he knew, and while waiting phoned home to inform his parents of the delay."
Situation: He was made captain of a team that had lost its previous three matches. What will he do?
Response: "He held a short honest meeting, identified two specific weaknesses in fielding and communication, scheduled two focused practice sessions per week, and rotated positions to build depth."
Situation: While travelling in a train, he noticed smoke coming from the electrical panel of the coach. What will he do?
Response: "He pulled the emergency chain, alerted fellow passengers to move to the next coach, informed the guard, and helped an elderly passenger step down safely."
Situation: His football coach picked him for the state trial the same week as his semester final. What will he do?
Response: "He spoke to his coach and requested to appear for the trial slot on a non-exam day, prepared his weakest exam subject in the free evening hours, and gave both his best."
Situation: A false rumour was spreading in his class that he had cheated in the last test. What will he do?
Response: "He calmly asked the class teacher for a five-minute private meeting, shared his answer sheet openly, and requested the teacher to clarify the fact to the class the next morning."
Situation: His village was flooded and elderly neighbours were stranded on the ground floor of their house. What will he do?
Response: "He shifted them to the first floor with dry clothes and biscuits, informed the panchayat office, and helped ferry a boat later that day for other stranded families."
Situation: A junior colleague constantly turned up late to project meetings. What will he do?
Response: "He spoke to the junior privately to understand the reason, agreed on a fixed 10-minute grace window with a clear reason-in-writing rule, and thanked him publicly the first week he was on time."
Situation: He accidentally broke a lab microscope while his professor was out of the room. What will he do?
Response: "He informed his lab partner, wrote a short note describing what happened, and reported it to the professor as soon as he returned."
Situation: His college friends wanted him to drive them home after they had been drinking. What will he do?
Response: "He refused to drive under the influence of anyone in the car, offered to book a cab, and stayed with the group until they reached home safely."
Situation: His younger brother was being ragged by seniors in his hostel. What will he do?
Response: "He listened to his brother patiently, spoke to the hostel warden with specific incidents and names, and stayed available for follow-up until the situation was resolved."
Situation: The chief guest failed to arrive at his college function and someone had to fill 10 minutes. What will he do?
Response: "He volunteered, briefed the audience about the schedule change, spoke about the event's purpose, and invited two students to share their experience until the guest arrived."
Situation: He was rejected in the SSB interview on his first attempt. What will he do?
Response: "He requested his conference feedback, identified the two OLQs he was weak in, joined a structured practice routine for TAT/WAT/SRT, and re-applied in the next available cycle."
Situation: He noticed the street light in front of the local school was broken for a week. What will he do?
Response: "He noted the pole number, filed a written complaint at the municipal office, followed up after two days, and confirmed with the school's watchman when the light was fixed."
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