While writing the TAT, many candidates do not observe the picture carefully in the allotted
thirty seconds. Some do it superficially while others come up with pre-conceived ideas.
Obviously, their stories will not have relevance. Always remember that proper perception of
the picture is a prerequisite for a good story.
There are three things to observe when a picture is shown – setting, characters and
situation. Setting refers to the surroundings where the action is happening. It could be a
home, a street, a classroom, a hospital, a mountain, a lake, and so on.
Setting will help you to assess the situation which is the action happening at a particular time
in the surroundings. While the situation is obvious in some pictures e.g. a problem, a conflict,
an emergency etc., it is not so in some pictures when the candidate needs to use her
imagination.
Characters refer to the person(s) involved in the situation. You need to identify the gender,
age, and mood of the characters and also establish relationships between them. One of the
characters should be the hero who ought to be involved in problem-solving.
It is very important to observe the picture closely to record all the minute details presented in
the picture. The task of writing a good story becomes easier then and it will also project your
grasp and reasoning ability to the assessor.