Work and Time for SSC and Railways Exams

By : Neha Uppal

Updated : Nov 2, 2020, 13:35

Work and time are essential topics for exams like SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, RRB NTPC, and other government exams. We have discussed below the time and work problems and tricks to have a clear understanding of the topic. In Work & Time questions, you have to solve questions based on a relation between work and time. Topics like LCM, Basic arithmetic, efficiency plays an important role here.

Below, we have provided some of the best strategies and tricks to excel in this topic. Along with the topic, we will also discuss the best resources to get work and time notes pdf, the best time and work problems with solutions, and most importantly, time and work practice questions and tricks for the SSC, Railway, and the other government exams. Time and work come under the Arithmetic section of Mathematics.

Important Work and Time Topics for SSC Exams

The relation between time, work done, and efficiency

Time= Work done/Efficiency

When the work is not variable, then Time∝1/Efficiency

In SSC-CGL work & time questions, efficiency is work done in one day, or if well-defined, then efficiency is work done in a unit time.
The efficiency of P and Q is a:b then their time taken ratio will be b:a because of the same inverse proportionality reason.

If Kabir does some work in n number of days, then his per day working efficiency will be 1/n.

For instance, If Kabir reads a book home 4 times faster than Kiran, then their work done ratio will be 4: 1, and 1:4 will be the time taken ratio.

The questions to calculate work done together can be solved using basic Maths, but we can also use the ab/(a+b) formula.

Work done by Kabir in a number of days

Work done by Kiran in a number of days

Work done by both Kabir and Kiran together will be in ab/(a+b) days

The above formula is a result of LCM.

Tips to Solve or Prepare Work & Time Questions

Prerequisite: Basic Maths knowledge with an understanding of formulas like efficiency, as discussed below.

Weightage: 1-2 questions

Super Tip - Crack Work & Time questions in less than 30 seconds

There is no set work & time formula but kindly check the format given below because you need to understand topics like efficiency to solve the questions. Also, work and time question tricks will help you a lot.

Let’s assume there are two students- Kabir and Kiran. Kabir will take 30 days to complete the work, and Kiran takes 20 days for the same. The question is if both the students work together, then how much time will it take to make 60 pens.

Super Tip for Work Time Questions and Answers:

STEP 1: Take the LCM to find real work.

60 is the LCM of 30 and 20. Hence the total work is 60 days.

STEP 2:

Find out the number of pens they are making in a day

60 days / Time taken by Kabir or Kiran

No. of pens Kabir making in a day: 2 Pens

No. of pens Kiran making in a day : 3 Pens

Total Pens: 5 Pens

STEP 3: To calculate how much time it will take if they both work together:

Note that 2 Pens/day and 3 Pens/day is Kabir and Kiran’s efficiency, respectively.

Total number of days: Total work / Total Efficiency = 60/5 = 12 days

Here we learned that days are inversely proportional to efficiency. You can download BYJU'S Exam Prep work time questions SSC pdf to get work time questions tricks.

Let's discuss the type of question you will face in your exams.

A B and C can complete work in 12 days, 15 days, and 20 days respectively. How much time they together complete the job.

Again, follow the same procedure.

STEP 1: Find LCM

LCM of 12, 15, and 20 is 12.

Hence the total work is 12 days.

STEP 2: To find the amount of work completed in a day.

Amount of work A doing in a day: 60/12 = 5

Amount of work B doing in a day: 60/15 = 4

Amount of work C doing in a day: 60/20 = 3

STEP 3: The amount of work A, B, and C doing together is 5+4+3 = 12

Total number of days: Total work / Total Efficiency = 60/12 = 5 days

So in Work and Time, you will receive questions like this. Let's discuss other important details now.

Importance of Work and Time for Competitive SSC and Government Exams

It's recommended not to skip this topic because of the reasons given below:

(1) Easy to solve: The topic is easy, and a little effort to solve questions will help you to score well. Hence it's important to solve this topic so as not to lose your marks.

(2) Predictable questions: Solving the previous year questions trend will help you have a clear understanding of the topic from the exam’s perspective. Hence you can boost your score early.

(3) Takes less time: A good practice of the questions will help you fetch your marks within 10 seconds. Solve more questions to learn work & time tricks.

(4) Basic maths knowledge is required: The only prerequisite is to have a basic knowledge of maths and topics like LCM, efficiency, etc.

Most Recommended Books for Work and Time

Time and work come under the Arithmetic section of mathematics. The two best books you can refer to for Work and time (mathematics arithmetic section) are:

Fast Track Objective Arithmetic	It covers all the important questions, tips/tricks, and strategies for SSC-CGL, Railways, and all other government exams.
Objective Arithmetic (SSC and Railway Exam Special)	Targeted time and work practice questions for SSC and Railway exams make this book stand out in the market.

You can also consider BYJU'S Exam Prep work and time notes pdf to boost your rank up. Our time and work quiz for SSC CGL will also help you to have a brief idea of time and work practice questions with solutions.

Why prepare for Work & Time from BYJU'S Exam Prep?

BYJU'S Exam Prep is focused not only on teaching students for the competitive exams, but our results and work experience also guarantees your success!
We are ready with the best test series, time and work shortcut formula pdf, notes, lectures, and a dedicated team to boost your academic career.
We know the importance of topics like work and time for your exams. Our experts have created the best courses, BYJU'S Exam Prep work time questions for SSC PDF, and, more importantly, the most predictable problems for your examination. Try BYJU'S Exam Prep Now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you skip the work and time questions for SSC and Railways?

If you understand topics like LCM, efficiency, and basic arithmetic, then we advise you to work on this topic. Practice questions and try the BYJU'S Exam Prep test series to get a grip on this topic and do the best work & time tricks.

Are work and time questions time-consuming?

Work and time questions follow a very set pattern, which makes them less time-consuming. Maybe in the earlier phase, you may find it challenging to solve the problems, but if you have a clear understanding of the topic, you can easily solve it in 10-20 seconds. Download our work and time notes pdf to cover the topic at a good pace.

What is the weightage of work and time questions for SSC and Railways?

The weightage is at least two questions in the SSC and Railways. 30 seconds to 1 minute is enough to fetch marks. But a good understanding is required.

How to practice work and time questions for SSC and Railways?

You can refer to books like Fast Track Objective Arithmetic and Objective Arithmetic (SSC and Railway Exam Special). The questions are the best to increase your speed and accuracy. For work & time tricks, you can also download BYJU'S Exam Prep work time questions SSC pdf or can give our test series for SSC and Railways to boost your scores.

Are Work & Time questions difficult?

In Quantitative Aptitude questions, the topic work and time is a bit tricky. Be extra careful for the work & time questions, but a good practice of questions and using the right strategy/tricks can help excel in this topic. Solving problems will also help you make your strategies and work & time formula to solve them quickly.

Do check our work and time notes pdf to excel in your exams!