Time and Work Formula, Concepts, Tricks and Tips

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Published on 19 June 2026 by

Key Takeaways

  • Time and Work is essential for SSC Exams focusing on task completion rates and teamwork efficiency.
  • The article provides 20 solved questions and offers a downloadable PDF for SSC-level practice, enhancing preparation.
  • Understanding Time and Work helps tackle real-life problems and common exam questions, including direct, combined, and inverse problems.
  • Key concepts include efficiency, LCM, and the formulas for calculating work, time, and wages.
  • The article includes effective shortcuts and techniques to solve Time and Work questions quickly.

Time and Work is one of the most common and important topics in the Quantitative Aptitude section for SSC Exams. Questions from this topic often test your ability to calculate how quickly a task can be completed by one or more people, and how efficiently they can work together. In this blog, we will give you 20 previous year solved questions to help you score better in your exams on Time and Work including basic concepts, important formulas, short tricks, and previous year solved questions to help you score better in your exams.

Download Time and Work Questions PDF

Candidates preparing for SSC CGL 2026 can download the Time and Work Questions PDF from the link given below. The PDF includes a collection of SSC-level questions along with detailed solutions to help you understand important concepts, formulas, and shortcut techniques. These practice questions are based on the latest SSC exam pattern and previous year trends, making them highly useful for exam preparation and revision.

Download PDF

Practice Time and Work Questions Live

To strengthen your preparation, practice the Time and Work Questions provided below. These questions cover a wide range of Time and Work concepts and difficulty levels commonly asked in SSC Exams. Solving them regularly will help you improve your calculation speed, enhance accuracy, and build confidence for the Quantitative Aptitude section.

Time and Work Live Quiz Score: 0.00

1. A, B, and C can complete a work in 24, 36, and 48 days respectively. They start together but A leaves after 6 days and B leaves 4 days before completion. In how many days is the work completed?

2. 12 men and 16 women can complete a work in 14 days. 18 men and 10 women can complete the same work in 12 days. How many days will 8 men and 16 women take?

3. A can do a work in 18 days. B is 50% more efficient than A and C is 25% less efficient than B. Working together, how many days will they take?

4. Two pipes A and B can fill a tank in 24 and 32 minutes respectively. Both pipes are opened together, but A is closed after 8 minutes. How long will B take to fill the remaining tank?

5. A and B can complete a work in 15 days and 10 days respectively. They started together but B left 3 days before completion. In how many total days was the work completed?

6. A pipe can fill a tank in 12 hours, but due to a leak, it takes 16 hours. If the tank is full, how long will the leak take to empty it?

7. 15 workers can complete a project in 24 days. After 6 days, 5 more workers join. In how many total days will the project finish?

8. A can do 1/3 of a work in 5 days and B can do 2/5 of the work in 8 days. In how many days can both together complete the work?

9. A, B, and C together earn ₹2400 for a piece of work. A and B together can do it in 8 days, B and C in 12 days, and A and C in 16 days. Find C’s share.

10. Two taps can fill a cistern in 10 hours and 15 hours respectively. A third tap can empty it in 12 hours. If all three are opened together, how long will it take to fill the cistern?

11. A is thrice as efficient as B, and together they can complete a work 20 days faster than B alone. In how many days can A alone complete the work?

12. 24 men can complete a wall in 15 days working 8 hours a day. How many days will 18 men take working 10 hours a day?

13. A and B can do a job in 12 days. With the help of C, they finish it in 8 days. C alone would take how many days?

14. A tank has two inlet pipes and one outlet pipe. Inlet A fills in 20 hours, inlet B fills in 30 hours, and the outlet empties in 40 hours. If all three are opened together, how long to fill the tank?

15. A can complete a work in 30 days. He worked for 6 days and then B joined him, and they completed the remaining work in 16 days. In how many days can B alone complete the work?

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Know Time And Work Short tricks

What is Time and Work in Quantitative Aptitude?

Time and Work is a fundamental topic in Quantitative Aptitude that deals with measuring the efficiency of individuals or machines performing tasks over time. It builds upon concepts from ratio and proportion, unitary method, and LCM.

This topic is common in almost all competitive exams because it tests logical reasoning, speed, and the ability to manage complex calculations under time pressure.

Skills Required:

  • Basic arithmetic (LCM, ratios, percentages)
  • Logical sequencing
  • Efficiency-based calculations
  • Time-speed optimization

Read other Time and Work related blogs:

Time and Work Practice BlogsExam-Specific Practice Blogs
Time and Work Questions for IBPS ExamsData Interpretation Based on Time and Work
Time and Work Questions for SSC CHSL

Why is Time and Work Important in Competitive Exams?

Understanding Time and Work helps candidates solve a wide range of real-life and exam-oriented problems involving jobs completed by people, machines, or groups in a given time.

ExamNo. of QuestionsDifficulty
SSC CGL / SSC CHSL1–2Easy
IBPS PO / SBI PO1–2Moderate
RRB NTPC / RRB Group D1Easy
State PSC / Police1–2Moderate
Download sSC CGL previous Year Question Papers

Time and Work Quantitative Aptitude Short Notes

Some of the important notes aspirants must keep in mind while solving questions based on Time and Work are as follows:

TermDetails
WorkThe total task to be done (generally considered as 1 unit unless specified).
EfficiencyAmount of work done per unit of time.
TimeThe duration taken to complete the work.
LCM ApproachUsed to assume total work for simplifying calculations.
Work and WagesWages are distributed in the ratio of work done.
Alternate WorkSituations where different persons work on alternate days.

Concepts Used in Time and Work Questions

The concepts used in Time and Work questions are as follows:

ConceptExplanation
Basic FormulaWork = Rate × Time
Efficiency ComparisonMore efficiency → Less time
Total WorkOften assumed as LCM of individual times
Combined Work1/A + 1/B for A and B working together
Negative WorkUsed when a pipe/person does the opposite of the task (like leakage/draining)
One Day’s Work1/Total time to complete the job

What are the Types of Time and Work Questions in Quantitative Aptitude?

Types of Time and Work questions commonly asked are as follows:

  • Direct Time-Efficiency Problems: Basic questions using formula Work = Time × Efficiency
  • Combined Work: Two or more persons working together or alternately
  • Work and Wages: Wages divided in proportion to work done
  • Pipes and Cisterns: Same logic applied to tanks filled/drained
  • Inverse Problems: Work undone or uncompleted scenarios
Attempt SSC CGL Topic-Wise Maths Questions

Time and Work Formulas for Quantitative Aptitude

Use these formulas for rapid solving:

  1. Work = Time × Efficiency
  2. Efficiency = 1 / Time
  3. If A can do a work in ‘x’ days, B in ‘y’ days
    → Together = xyx+y\frac{xy}{x + y}x+yxy​ days
  4. If total work = W, and A does ‘a’ work/day
    → Time = W / a
  5. Wage Ratio = Work Ratio
  6. Alternate Day Work: Use LCM of days worked and alternate pattern tracking

Time and Work Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams

Some of the effective time and work question tricks are as follows:

  1. Assume total work as LCM of given days to simplify complex fractions
  2. Convert time into fractions (like 1/2 day = 0.5, etc.) for faster calculation
  3. Use unit work approach for one-day or one-hour work logic
  4. Avoid decimal calculations — work with ratios and LCM
  5. For pipes and cisterns, treat filling as +ve work, draining as –ve work
  6. Reverse engineer the question using options for time-bound mocks
  7. Break alternate day cycles into full and half cycles
Attempt A Free SSC CGL Mock Test

FAQs

Q1. What is the basic formula of Time and Work?

Time = Work ÷ Efficiency.

Q2. How do you calculate total work in Time and Work questions?

Assume total work as the LCM of individual time durations.

Q3. How to calculate combined work of two people?

Add their one-day work: 1/A + 1/B.

Q4. What if one person is more efficient than another?

Use ratio-based comparison to divide work accordingly.

Q5. How is unitary method used in Time and Work?

Find one-day work first, then multiply or divide to find total time or work.