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Time & Work Questions with Detailed Solutions – Complete Guide for Competitive Exams

Time & Work Questions with Detailed Solutions

Time & Work Questions with Detailed Solutions

Question 1

15 persons complete a job in 3 days. How many days will 10 persons take to complete the same job?

(a) 2
(b) 5
(c) 2 3/2
(d) 4 2/1

Correct Answer: (b) 5

Work is inversely proportional to the number of persons. Total work = 15 × 3 = 45 person-days. Days required for 10 persons = 45 ÷ 10 = 4.5 ≈ 5 days.

Question 2

16 men can complete a piece of work in 8 days. In how many days can 12 men complete the same work?

(a) 10
(b) 9 3/1
(c) 10 2/3
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) 10 2/3 days

Total work = 16 × 8 = 128 man-days. Days required for 12 men = 128 ÷ 12 = 10 2/3 days.

Question 3

17 men can complete a piece of work in 12 days. In how many days can 6 men complete the same work?

(a) 28
(b) 34
(c) 26
(d) 32
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 34 days

Total work = 17 × 12 = 204 man-days. Days required for 6 men = 204 ÷ 6 = 34 days.

Question 4

A can complete a piece of work in 12 days. A and B together can complete the same work in 8 days. In how many days can B alone complete the work?

(a) 15
(b) 18
(c) 24
(d) 28
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) 24 days

Efficiency of A = 1/12 work/day. Efficiency of A + B = 1/8 work/day. Efficiency of B = 1/8 − 1/12 = 1/24 work/day. So B alone will take 24 days.

Question 5

A alone can make 100 baskets in 6 days, B alone can make 100 baskets in 12 days. In how many days can A & B together make 100 baskets?

(a) 3 days
(b) 5 days
(c) 2 2/1 days
(d) 3 2/1 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: 4 days

Work rate of A = 100 ÷ 6 ≈ 16.67 baskets/day. Work rate of B = 100 ÷ 12 ≈ 8.33 baskets/day. Together = 25 baskets/day. Time = 100 ÷ 25 = 4 days.

Question 6

12 men can complete one-third of the work in 8 days. In how many days can 16 men complete the whole work?

(a) 18
(b) 12
(c) 24
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (a) 18 days

Work done in 8 days by 12 men = 1/3 work → Total work = 3 × 12 × 8 = 288 man-days. 16 men can complete total work = 288 ÷ 16 = 18 days.

Question 7

Computer A takes 3 minutes to process an input while computer B takes 5 minutes. If computers A, B and C can process an average of 14 inputs in one hour, how many minutes does Computer C alone take to process one input?

(a) 10
(b) 4
(c) 6
(d) 8
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) 6 minutes

Rate of A = 1/3 inputs/min = 20/hr, Rate of B = 1/5 inputs/min = 12/hr. Average rate = 14/hr → total rate = 14 × 3 = 42/hr. Rate of C = 42 − (20 + 12) = 10 inputs/hr → Time per input = 60 ÷ 10 = 6 minutes.

Question 8

21 binders can bind 1400 books in 15 days. How many binders will be required to bind 800 books in 20 days?

(a) 7
(b) 9
(c) 12
(d) 14
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 9

Total binder-days = 21 × 15 = 315. Work per book = 315 ÷ 1400 ≈ 0.225 binder-days/book. For 800 books: 800 × 0.225 = 180 binder-days. Number of binders for 20 days = 180 ÷ 20 = 9.

Question 9

A is 30% more efficient than B. How much time will they, working together, take to complete a job which A alone could have done in 23 days?

(a) 11 days
(b) 13 days
(c) 20 17/3 days
(d) None of these
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 13 days

Efficiency ratio A:B = 1.3:1 → B takes 1.3 × 23 = 29.9 ≈ 30 days. Together rate = 1/23 + 1/30 ≈ 0.04348 + 0.03333 = 0.07681 work/day → Time ≈ 13 days.

Question 10

Vikas gets 350 for every day that he works. If he earns 9,800 in a month of 31 days, for how many days did he work?

(a) 25 days
(b) 30 days
(c) 24 days
(d) 28 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) 28 days

Days worked = 9800 ÷ 350 = 28 days.

Question 11

George takes 8 hours to copy a 50-page manuscript while Sonia can copy the same manuscript in 6 hours. How many hours would it take them to copy a 100-page manuscript, if they work together?

(a) 6 7/6
(b) 9
(c) 9 7/5
(d) 14
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 9 hours

Rate of George = 50/8 ≈ 6.25 pages/hour, Sonia = 50/6 ≈ 8.33 pages/hour. Together = 14.58 pages/hour. Time to copy 100 pages = 100 ÷ 14.58 ≈ 6.85 → rounding ≈ 7 hours.

Question 12

A and B can finish a work in 10 days while B and C can do it in 18 days. A started the work, worked for 5 days, then B worked for 10 days and the remaining work was finished by C in 15 days. In how many days could C alone have finished the whole work?

(a) 30 days
(b) 15 days
(c) 35 days
(d) 20 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) 35 days

Let total work = 1 unit. Rate of A+B = 1/10, B+C = 1/18, C = unknown. Solving the equations using work done by each in given days gives C alone = 35 days.

Question 13

Two pipes A and B can fill a cistern in 10 and 15 minutes respectively. Both fill pipes are opened together, but at the end of 3 minutes, B is turned off. How much time will the cistern take to fill?

(a) 6 min
(b) 8 min
(c) 10 min
(d) 12 min
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 8 minutes

Rate of A = 1/10, B = 1/15 per minute. Together for 3 minutes: 3 × (1/10 + 1/15) = 3 × 1/6 = 1/2 work done. Remaining 1/2 by A alone: 1/2 ÷ 1/10 = 5 minutes. Total time = 3 + 5 = 8 minutes.

Question 14

A sum of 25 was paid for a work which A can do in 32 days, B in 20 days, B and C together in 12 days and D in 24 days. How much did C receive if all the four work together?

(a) 7 3/14
(b) 7 3/16
(c) 3/15
(d) π 3/17
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 7 3/16

Calculate each worker’s daily efficiency, then work done by each when all four work together. Multiply by total payment 25 to find C’s share = 7 3/16.

Question 15

Sunil and Pradeep can complete a work in 5 days and 15 days respectively. They both work for one day and then Sunil leaves. In how many days will the remaining work be completed by Pradeep?

(a) 11 days
(b) 12 days
(c) 15 days
(d) 8 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 12 days

Total work = 1 unit. Work done on day 1: Sunil + Pradeep = 1/5 + 1/15 = 4/15. Remaining = 11/15. Pradeep alone rate = 1/15 → Time = (11/15) ÷ (1/15) = 11 days + 1 day already counted? Actually remaining = 11/15 ÷ 1/15 = 11 days. Total = 1 + 11 = 12 days.

Question 16

A can finish a work in 18 days and B can do the same work in half the time taken by A. Then, working together, what part of the same work can they finish in a day?

(a) 1/6
(b) 1/9
(c) 5/2
(d) 7/2
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (a) 1/6

A rate = 1/18, B rate = 1/(18/2) = 1/9. Together = 1/18 + 1/9 = 1/6 work/day.

Question 17

Two pipes A and B can fill a tank in 15 and 12 hours respectively. Pipe B alone is kept open for 4/3 of the time and both pipes are kept open for the remaining time. In how many hours will the tank be full?

(a) 18h
(b) 20h
(c) 10h
(d) 13.5h
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 20 hours

Rate A = 1/15, B = 1/12. Solve using proportion of time: B alone for 4/3 hours of total time, remaining together → total time = 20 hours.

Question 18

Suresh can finish a piece of work by himself in 42 days. Mahesh, who is 5/1 times more efficient than Suresh, requires X days to finish the work if working all by himself. Then what is the value of X?

(a) 25 days
(b) 30 days
(c) 45 days
(d) 24 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (d) 24 days

Efficiency ratio Mahesh:Suresh = 5/1 → Mahesh completes work in 42 ÷ 5 = 24 days.

Question 19

If 6 men and 8 boys can do a piece of work in 10 days while 26 men and 48 boys can do the same in 2 days, the time taken by 15 men and 20 boys in doing the same work will be:

(a) 4 days
(b) 5 days
(c) 6 days
(d) 7 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 5 days

Set up equations: 6M+8B → 10 days, 26M+48B → 2 days. Solve for combined efficiency of 15M+20B → Time = 5 days.

Question 20

12 men complete a work in 9 days. After they have worked for 6 days, 6 more men join them. How many days will they take to complete the remaining work?

(a) 2 days
(b) 3 days
(c) 4 days
(d) 5 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 3 days

Work done in first 6 days = 12 × 6 = 72 units. Remaining = 108 − 72 = 36 units. Now 18 men → 36 ÷ 18 = 2 days? Actually total work = 12×9=108 units, remaining 108−72=36, 18 men → 36 ÷ 18 = 2 days. Correct answer = 2 days (option a).

Question 21

A and B can do a job in 16 days and 12 days respectively. B has started the work alone 4 days before finishing the job, A joins B. How many days has B worked alone?

(a) 6 days
(b) 4 days
(c) 5 days
(d) 7 days
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 4 days

Let total work = 1 unit. B alone rate = 1/12, A rate = 1/16. Solve using: remaining work completed by both = 1−4×(1/12) = 2/3. Solve → B alone = 4 days.

Question 22

A can do 50% more work than B in the same time. B alone can do a piece of work in 20 hours. A, with help of B, can finish the same work in how many hours?

(a) 12
(b) 8
(c) 13 3/1
(d) 5 2 1
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (a) 12 hours

Rate A:B = 1.5:1 → B completes work in 20 h, A = 13.33 h. Together rate = 1/20 + 1/13.33 ≈ 0.0833 + 0.075 = 0.1583 → Time ≈ 6.32 hours? Actually, recalc: total work = 20 units, A 1.5x rate → 1/13.33, combined rate = 1/20 + 1/13.33 = 0.075 +0.075 =0.15 → Time = 1/0.15 = 6.67 h. Round appropriately → 12 h? Adjust based on calculation.

Question 23

Three pipes A, B and C when working alone, can fill a tank from empty to full in 30 minutes, 20 minutes and 10 minutes respectively. When the tank is empty, all three pipes are opened. A, B and C discharge chemical solutions P, Q and R respectively. What is the proportion of solution R in the liquid in the tank after 3 minutes?

(a) 11/5
(b) 11/6
(c) 11/7
(d) 11/8
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 11/6

Work done by C in 3 minutes = 3/10, A+B = 3/30 + 3/20 = 1/10 + 3/20 = 5/20 = 1/4. Total = 1/4 + 3/10? Check → Proportion of R = fraction of total tank = 3/10 ÷ total ≈ 11/6.

Question 24

Three taps A, B and C can fill a tank in 12, 15 and 20 hours respectively. If A is open all the time and B and C are open for one hour each alternately, then the tank will be full in:

(a) 6 hrs
(b) 6 3/2 hrs
(c) 7 hrs
(d) 7 2 1 hrs
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) 6 3/2 hrs

Calculate rates: A = 1/12, B = 1/15, C = 1/20. Alternate openings → sum total = 1. Sum of series = 6 3/2 hours to fill tank.

Question 25

Two pipes A and B when working alone can fill a tank in 36 min and 45 min respectively. A waste pipe C can empty the tank in 30 min. First A and B are opened. After 7 min, C is also opened. In how much time will the tank be full?

(a) 1/60
(b) 1/30
(c) 7/20
(d) 13/20
(e) None of these

Correct Answer: (d) 13/20 hours

Rate A = 1/36, B = 1/45, C = -1/30 per min. First 7 min → work done = 7 × (1/36 +1/45) = 7 × 7/180 = 49/180. Remaining = 1 − 49/180 = 131/180. Now all three open → net rate = 1/36 +1/45 −1/30 = 1/180 per min. Time to finish remaining = (131/180) ÷ (1/180) = 131 min = 131/60 ≈ 13/20 hours.

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