General Aptitude

Time & Work Tutorial

Time and work problems are common in aptitude tests. Key: convert work to rate, then add/subtract rates.

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Key Formulas

Work, Time & Rate

Open

Basic work-time relationship.

Combined Work (2+ Persons)

Open

Solve when multiple work together.

Pipe & Tank Problems

Open

Inlet-outlet problems (pipes filling/draining).

Work, Time & Rate

Basic work-time relationship.

When to Use: When single person/task duration given.

Step-by-Step Method

  1. Work = Time × Rate (or Efficiency).
  2. Total work = 1 (whole job).
  3. If person completes in T days, rate = 1/T.

Worked Example

Question: A person completes a work in 8 days. In how many days will 2 persons complete?

  1. One person: 8 days to complete 1 work
  2. Rate of 1 person = 1/8 work/day
  3. Rate of 2 persons = 2 × (1/8) = 1/4
  4. Days = 1 ÷ (1/4) = 4 days

Final Answer: 4 days

Option Analysis

Common Mistakes

Quick Shortcut: Time = Work / Rate. More persons = less time proportionally.

Practice This Pattern

5 Q 10 Q 15 Q

Generated 10 focused questions for this pattern.

Q1. Two values are in ratio 7:6. If total is 190, find first value.

  • 99
  • 108
  • 105
  • 102

Answer: 102

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 7+6. Step 2: One part = 190/(13). Step 3: First value = 7 parts = 102.

Q2. Two values are in ratio 2:3. If total is 170, find first value.

  • 74
  • 65
  • 71
  • 68

Answer: 68

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 2+3. Step 2: One part = 170/(5). Step 3: First value = 2 parts = 68.

Q3. Two values are in ratio 2:7. If total is 140, find first value.

  • 34
  • 28
  • 31
  • 37

Answer: 31

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 2+7. Step 2: One part = 140/(9). Step 3: First value = 2 parts = 31.

Q4. Two values are in ratio 4:2. If total is 160, find first value.

  • 103
  • 109
  • 112
  • 106

Answer: 106

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 4+2. Step 2: One part = 160/(6). Step 3: First value = 4 parts = 106.

Q5. Two values are in ratio 5:4. If total is 160, find first value.

  • 94
  • 88
  • 91
  • 85

Answer: 88

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 5+4. Step 2: One part = 160/(9). Step 3: First value = 5 parts = 88.

Q6. Two values are in ratio 7:3. If total is 170, find first value.

  • 125
  • 122
  • 119
  • 116

Answer: 119

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 7+3. Step 2: One part = 170/(10). Step 3: First value = 7 parts = 119.

Q7. Two values are in ratio 5:2. If total is 190, find first value.

  • 135
  • 132
  • 141
  • 138

Answer: 135

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 5+2. Step 2: One part = 190/(7). Step 3: First value = 5 parts = 135.

Q8. Two values are in ratio 6:7. If total is 100, find first value.

  • 49
  • 43
  • 46
  • 52

Answer: 46

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 6+7. Step 2: One part = 100/(13). Step 3: First value = 6 parts = 46.

Q9. Two values are in ratio 5:7. If total is 160, find first value.

  • 66
  • 63
  • 72
  • 69

Answer: 66

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 5+7. Step 2: One part = 160/(12). Step 3: First value = 5 parts = 66.

Q10. Two values are in ratio 2:4. If total is 200, find first value.

  • 66
  • 72
  • 63
  • 69

Answer: 66

Explanation: Step 1: Total parts = 2+4. Step 2: One part = 200/(6). Step 3: First value = 2 parts = 66.