Quantitative Aptitude · Reasoning

Time and Clocks

562 Questions

Time and clocks problems evaluate quantitative aptitude by testing concepts on clock gains, losses, and relative speeds of hands. Questions also cover global time zones and standard time calculations. These logical reasoning topics frequently appear in SSC and banking exams.

Clock gain or lossTime zonesAngle between handsStandard time calculationPrecise time measurement

Time and Clocks Questions

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

If 2 hours ago it was as long after one o'clock in the afternoon as it was before one o'clock in the morning. What time would it be now?

  1. 10 o'clock

  2. 9 o'clock

  3. 2 o'clock

  4. 12 o'clock
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Let's work backwards: 2 hours ago it was 7 o'clock. At 7 PM, it is 6 hours after 1 PM and 6 hours before 1 AM, so the condition is satisfied. Therefore it is now 9 o'clock. The time symmetry works because 7 PM is exactly halfway between 1 PM and 1 AM.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

There are three clocks One shows 9:05, another 8:15 and the third 8:35. “One of the clocks is 20 minutes fast, one is slow and one is wrong by 30 minutes.” So Whats the correct time?

  1. 8:45

  2. 9:00

  3. 8:30

  4. 8:00
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

If the correct time is 8:45: Clock 1 (9:05) is 20 mins fast. Clock 2 (8:15) is 30 mins slow (wrong by 30). Clock 3 (8:35) is 10 mins slow. The prompt says 'one is slow', which fits 8:35. This satisfies all conditions.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

My flight takes of at 2pm from a place at 18N 40E and landed 10 Hrs later at a place with coordinates 36N40W. What is the local time when my plane landed?

  1. 8.00 pm

  2. 6.00 pm

  3. 12.00 am

  4. 6.40 pm
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The time difference between 40E and 40W is 80 degrees. Since 15 degrees = 1 hour, 80 degrees = 5 hours 20 minutes. Traveling west, you subtract time. Departure: 2 PM (40E). Local time at 40W then: 8:40 AM. Add 10 hours flight time: 6:40 PM.

Multiple choice general knowledge history

At what time did Titanic sink?

  1. 12:50 am

  2. 2:45 am

  3. 1:15 am

  4. 3:20 am
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The RMS Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 PM on April 14, 1912, and foundered (completely sank) at 2:20 AM on April 15, 1912. None of the provided options are perfectly accurate, but 2:45 AM is the closest to the actual time of 2:20 AM.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

If 2 hours ago it was as long after one o'clock in the afternoon as it was before one o'clock in the morning. What time would it be now?

  1. 1 o Clock

  2. 12 o Clock

  3. 3 o Clock

  4. 9 o Clock
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The midpoint between 1 PM (13:00) and 1 AM (01:00) is 7 PM (19:00). If 2 hours ago it was 7 PM, then the current time is 9 PM. This satisfies the condition that 7 PM is 6 hours after 1 PM and 6 hours before 1 AM.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

Lowell started his homework at 5:00pm. He spent 45 minutes on English, 35 minutes on math, and 1 hour 15 minutes on history. At what time did he finish all his homework?

  1. 0.815972222222222

  2. 0.770833333333333

  3. 0.763888888888889

  4. 0.8125
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Total time spent: 45m + 35m + 75m = 155 minutes (2 hours 35 minutes). Starting at 5:00 PM, he finishes at 7:35 PM. In Excel/decimal time format, 7:35 PM (19:35) is 19.5833/24 ≈ 0.81597. Option 68581 correctly represents this decimal time.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

There are two candles of equal lengths and of different thickness. The thicker one lasts of six hours. The thinner 2 hours less than the thicker one. Ramesh lights the two candles at the same time. When he went to bed he saw the thicker one is twice the length of the thinner one. How long ago did Ramesh light the two candles

  1. 3 hour

  2. 4 hour

  3. 5 hour

  4. none
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The thicker candle burns at 1/6 per hour, the thinner at 1/4 per hour (since it lasts 2 hours less). Let t be the burning time. Remaining: thicker = 1 - t/6, thinner = 1 - t/4. When thicker is twice thinner: 1 - t/6 = 2(1 - t/4). Solving: 1 - t/6 = 2 - t/2, giving t/2 - t/6 = 1, so t/3 = 1, meaning t = 3 hours.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

Lowell started his homework at 5:00pm. He spent 45 minutes on English, 35 minutes on math, and 1 hour 15 minutes on history. At what time did he finish all his homework?

  1. 0.815972222222222

  2. 0.770833333333333

  3. 0.763888888888889

  4. 0.8125
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Convert each time to hours and add: 45 min = 0.75 hr, 35 min ≈ 0.5833 hr, 1 hr 15 min = 1.25 hr. Total ≈ 2.5833 hours. Starting at 5:00 PM (17:00 in decimal hours), finishing time ≈ 19.5833. Converting back: 0.5833 × 24 ≈ 14 hours, or approximately 7:35 PM. Option A (≈0.816 of a day) represents the finishing time as a fraction of the day.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

There are two candles of equal lengths and of different thickness. The thicker one lasts of six hours. The thinner 2 hours less than the thicker one. Ramesh lights the two candles at the same time. When he went to bed he saw the thicker one is twice the length of the thinner one. How long ago did Ramesh light the two candles

  1. 3 hour

  2. 4 hour

  3. 5 hour

  4. none
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Let length be L. Thicker burns at L/6 per hour; thinner at L/4. After time t, remaining lengths are L(1-t/6) and L(1-t/4). Setting (1-t/6) = 2(1-t/4) gives 1-t/6 = 2-t/2. Solving for t: t/2 - t/6 = 1, so t/3 = 1, meaning t = 3 hours.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

Suppose we have three traffic light changing after 36,42 and 72 sec respectively. If the light had been switched on at 9:00 A.M sharp, at what time will they change simultaneously.

  1. 9:08:04 a.m

  2. 9:08:06 a.m

  3. 9:08:24 a.m

  4. 9:08:30 a.m
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The lights change simultaneously at intervals equal to the LCM of 36, 42, and 72 seconds. LCM(36,42,72) = 504 seconds = 8 minutes 24 seconds. Starting at 9:00 AM, they will change together again at 9:08:24 AM. To find LCM: 36=2^2×3^2, 42=2×3×7, 72=2^3×3^2, so LCM=2^3×3^2×7=504.

Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

What type of clock was first introduced by the US National Bureau of Standards in 1949?

  1. Atomic Clock

  2. Big Ben Alarm Clock

  3. Quartz clock

  4. Twelve O'Clock
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first atomic clock, an ammonia maser, was developed at the US National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) and introduced in 1949. This groundbreaking invention revolutionized timekeeping by using atomic vibrations as the frequency standard, providing unprecedented accuracy.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

Byomkesh then interrogates the guard to check whether he has monitored the vault right or not. The guard says that he monitors with full punctuality. Given the camera is on only for 30 second every 29 minute 30 second(cost cutting in bank: D). the power fluctuation in area is every 49 minutes after 9 and the power remains down for 1 minute. The first monitoring of camera started at 9:30. Help byomkesh in calculating if guard is telling the truth. Power went down first at 9:50.

  1. we cant say whether the guard is lying or not.

  2. The guard is telling the truth as the camera was on then,

  3. The guard is lying cause the camera was off then

  4. The guard must be lying as he must have slept.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The camera schedule starts at 9:30, then every 30 minutes: 10:00, 10:30, 11:00... Power goes down every 49 minutes after 9:00, first at 9:50 for 1 minute, then 10:39, 11:28, etc. At 10:00 (camera on), power is ON (from 9:51 to 10:38). At 10:30 (camera on), power is ON. At 10:39 (power off), camera would be OFF. At 11:00 (camera on), power is ON (from 10:40 to 11:27). However, by counting cycles, at 10:00 camera time would have power off from 9:49-9:50, but camera is only on 30 seconds starting at 9:59:30. By 11:38, the pattern shows camera was on during power outages, proving the guard lied.

Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

If a clock is showing 8:15 through a mirror, then what is the actual time??

  1. 4:45

  2. 2:15

  3. 4:15

  4. 3:45
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

For a mirror image of an analog clock showing time h:m (where h < 12), the actual time is (11-h):(60-m). For 8:15, we calculate (11-8):(60-15) = 3:45. This works because mirror images appear reversed, and the sum of the actual time and mirror time equals 11:60 (which is equivalent to 12:00). Option D is correct. Option C would be correct if we simply subtracted from 12:00 without accounting for minutes.