Quantitative Aptitude · Reasoning

Time and Clocks

491 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 maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

There are two clocks on a wall, both set right at 10:00 a.m. One clock is losing 2 minutes per hour and the other clock is gaining 3 minutes per hour. If the clock which is losing 2 minutes per hour shows 3:00 p.m. the next day, what time does the clock gaining 3 minutes per hour show?

  1. 5.30 p.m.

  2. 4.00 p.m.

  3. 4.15 p.m.

  4. 5.00 p.m.

  5. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In each hour, the time difference between the 2 clocks will increase by 5mins
time passed $=24+2+3=29hrs$ on clock 1
Real time on clock $1=4 p.m$
difference between 2 clocks=$5*30=150mins$,
time on clock $2=3hrs+2hrs+30mins$
$=5.30 p.m$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

At what time, between twelve o'clock and one o'clock, will the hands of the clock overlap again?

  1. 12 hours $\displaystyle 50 \frac{2}{11}$ minutes

  2. 12 hours 45 minutes

  3. 12 hours 59 minutes

  4. Never happen

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

At twelve o'clock, the 2 hands are overlapping. 
As the minutes pass, the minutes hand moves farther away from the hours hand.
Therefore, between twelve o'clock and 1 o'clock, the hands will not overlap again.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A watch showed five past five on Wednesday evening when the correct time was 5:00 p.m. It loses uniformly, and was 5 minutes slow after two days at 7:00 p.m. When did the watch show the correct time?

  1. Thursday 6:00 a.m.

  2. Thursday 6:00 p.m.

  3. Thursday 6:30 p.m.

  4. Thursday 5:00 a.m.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Since the watch was 5 minutes fast on Wednesday evening, 5:00 p.m. and was 5 minutes slow after two days at 7:00 p.m., the correct time would be at the mid point of these 2 times.
Time difference=(24+24+2)50 hours,
So the right time will be 25 hours past 5 p.m. Wednesday,
I.e, 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A clock gains 10 minutes in 2 hours. It is set right at 10:I0 a.m. When the clock shows 4:40 p.m. on the same day, what is the correct time?

  1. 4.54 p.m.

  2. 5.00 p.m.

  3. 5.10 p.m.

  4. 4.10 p.m.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Let the hours passed be x,
time difference as per clock=5hrs and 30mins 
actual time=x*60+x*5=330,
x=5 hrs,
actual time=4:10

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A  certain $12$-hour digital clock displays the hour and minute of a day. Due to a defect in the clock whenever the digit $1$ is supposed to be displayed it displays $7$. What fraction of the day will the clock show the correct time?

  1. $\displaystyle \frac {1} {2} $
  2. $\displaystyle \frac {5} {8} $
  3. $\displaystyle \frac {3} {4} $
  4. $\displaystyle \frac {5} {6} $
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The clock will show 1 in an hour for 19 time for 11 hours it will show the incorrect time for $(19 \times 11)$ time. The last 12th hour will always show the in correct time so total in correct time.

$(19 \times 11 + 60)$ min = $269$ min

there are $24$ hours in a day to $ = 269 \times 2 = 538 $ min

$538$ min = $\displaystyle \frac {269} {30} = 9 $ hours

the fraction day when the clock shows the correct time is $\displaystyle = 1 - \frac {9} {24} $

                                                                                                 $\displaystyle = 1 - \frac {3} {8} = \frac {5} {8}$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

There are two clocks, both set to show correct time at 9:00 a.m. One clock loses 1 minute every hour, and the other gains 1 minute every hour. By how many minutes do they differ at 10:00 p.m. on the same day?

  1. 24 minutes

  2. 30 minutes

  3. 28 minutes

  4. 26 minutes

  5. 13 minutes
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

After each hour, the difference between clocks will increase by 2 minutes.
At 10 p.m., hours passed=13,
Difference=13*2=26 minutes.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

Imagine a clock where the hour hand makes only one revolution in 1 day (i.e., 24 hours) whereas the minute hand completes one revolution in 1 hour. What is the angle between the two hands at 14:50 hours as per this clock?

  1. 90$^o$
  2. 120$^o$
  3. 77.5$^o$
  4. 162.5$^o$

  5. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

14:50 in the current clock would be indicated by the hour hand a little before midway of 7 and 8 and minute hand would be on 10.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A clock strikes once at one o'clock, twice at two o'clock, thrice at three o'clock, and so on. How many times, in total, will it strike in 24 hours?

  1. 144

  2. 288

  3. 300

  4. 156

  5. 72
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Clock strikes the same number of times as the hour that it is in, i.e, once at 1. 
The hours on the clock range from 1 to 12.
In a span of 24 hours, it will complete the cycle twice.
number of times it strikes=2(1+2+...12)
=156

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

How many times do the hands of a clock make an angle of 90$^o$ in 36 hours?

  1. 11

  2. 22

  3. 44

  4. 72

  5. 66
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

If you switch to a rotating coordinate system in which the hour hand stands still, then the minute hand makes only 11 revolutions, and so it is at right angles with the hour hand 22 times. In 36 hours, you get 322=66.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A clock runs 6 minutes slow per day. By what percentage is it running slow?

  1. 6

  2. 1/10

  3. 12/5

  4. 5/12

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

$The\quad clock\quad is\quad running\quad 6\quad minutes\quad slow\quad in\quad 1\quad day,\ %\quad of\quad time\quad lost=\frac { 6 }{ 24*60 } *100=\frac { 5 }{ 12 }%$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

What is the angle between the $2$ hands of the clock at $8:24$ pm?

  1. $\displaystyle 100^{\circ}$
  2. $\displaystyle 107^{\circ}$
  3. $\displaystyle 106^{\circ}$
  4. $\displaystyle 108^{\circ}$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Required angle = 240 - 24 $\displaystyle \times $ (11/2)
                        = 240 - 132 = $\displaystyle 108^{\circ}$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

At what angle are the hands of a clock inclined at $30$ minutes past $6 $?

  1. $7\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$
  2. $11\displaystyle\frac{1}{2}$
  3. $15$
  4. $23$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Angle between hands of clock $=\left| 30H- \displaystyle\frac { 11 }{ 2 } M \right| $
where $H \rightarrow $ Hour hand, $M \rightarrow $ Minute hand
$\therefore  \left| 30\times 6- \displaystyle\frac { 11 }{ 2 } \times 30 \right| =15$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

There are two clocks on a wall, both set right at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Both the clocks lose 1 minute and 2 minute, respectively, every hour. Ifthe clock which loses 2 minutes every hour shows 8:00 p.m. on the following Tuesday, what time does the clock which loses 1 minute every hour show?

  1. 8:30 p.m.

  2. 9:00 p.m.

  3. 8:45 p.m.

  4. 9:30 p.m.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Let the hours passed be x,
time shown on clock 1=8:00 p.m. tuesday (24+24+10 hrs)
60x-2x=58*60,
x=60hrs,
actual time=10:00 p.m.
time on clock 2=(60-1)*60=59hrs,
=9:00 p.m. tuesday.

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

A clock has numbers $1$ to $12$. If a clock has a shape of a circle, then the degree measure made by an arc between any two consecutive numbers of the clock is

  1. $60$
  2. $30$
  3. $45$
  4. $90$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

$12\rightarrow \frac { 360 }{ 12 } 30$

Multiple choice maths measuring time time in 24 hour clock time difference time

From $6$ am to $6$ pm, the number of times the angle between the two hands of a clock is $\displaystyle { 180 }^{ o }$ is 

  1. $2$
  2. $11$
  3. $13$
  4. $14$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The two hands of a clock make $\displaystyle { 180 }^{ o }$ when they face each other in a straight line. 
This happens 11 times in 12 h. 
At 6 am and 6 pm, two hands form $\displaystyle { 180 }^{ o }$
Number of times they form $\displaystyle { 180 }^{ o }$ = 11