Practice tests · Bank exams

Time and work practice questions for bank exams

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 4 min read

Time and work questions ask how long a job takes when one or more workers do it alone, together, or in turns. The idea is simple: a worker who finishes a job in n days does 1/n of it each day. Bank exams add twists such as a worker leaving early, three workers in pairs and sharing wages, so the skill is turning the story into daily rates. Try the five questions below.

The method in one table

Pick a total amount of work equal to the LCM of the days, so that every rate becomes a whole number.

Five practice questions

Question 1

A can finish a piece of work in 12 days and B in 18 days. In how many days will they finish it working together?

• A. 6 days
• B. 7.2 days
• C. 7.5 days
• D. 15 days

Question 2

A and B together can finish a job in 10 days. A alone can finish it in 15 days. How many days would B alone take?

• A. 20 days
• B. 25 days
• C. 30 days
• D. 45 days

Question 3

A and B can do a work in 12 days, B and C in 15 days, and C and A in 20 days. In how many days will all three finish it working together?

• A. 10 days
• B. 12 days
• C. 13 days
• D. 16 days

Question 4

A can complete a work in 20 days and B in 30 days. They start together, but A leaves 5 days before the work is finished. In how many days is the work completed?

• A. 12 days
• B. 15 days
• C. 16 days
• D. 18 days

Question 5

A and B are paid ₹6,000 for a job. Working alone, A would take 10 days and B 15 days. They work together and finish the job. What is A's share?

• A. ₹2,400
• B. ₹3,000
• C. ₹3,200
• D. ₹3,600

Answers and explanations

1. B. Take 36 units of work. A does 3 units a day and B does 2, so together they do 5 a day. The time is 36 ÷ 5 = 7.2 days.
2. C. Together they do 1/10 of the job a day and A does 1/15. B does 1/10 − 1/15 = 1/30, so B alone takes 30 days.
3. A. Add the three pair rates: 1/12 + 1/15 + 1/20 = 5/60 + 4/60 + 3/60 = 12/60. This is twice the rate of A, B and C together, because each worker appears in two pairs. So the combined rate is 6/60 = 1/10 and the time is 10 days.
4. B. Let the work last x days. B works all x days, and A works x − 5 days. So (x − 5) ÷ 20 + x ÷ 30 = 1. Multiply by 60: 3(x − 5) + 2x = 60, so 5x = 75 and x = 15.
5. D. Wages follow the work each person does. A's rate is 1/10 and B's rate is 1/15, a ratio of 3 : 2. A gets 3/5 of ₹6,000 = ₹3,600.

How to prepare time and work

• Always use the LCM. Choosing the total work as the LCM of the days (36 in Question 1) removes fractions from the whole solution.
• Count each worker's days separately. In leaving-early questions (Question 4), write one term per worker and the days that person actually worked.
• Recognise the "pairs" pattern. When pairs are given, add the pair rates and halve the total. This step is easy to miss in Question 3.
• Convert efficiency to rate. "A is twice as efficient as B" means A's rate is twice B's, so A takes half the time.
• Pay by work, not by days. In wage questions, divide in the ratio of daily rates when both work the same number of days.
• Check the answer lies in range. Working together must take less time than the faster worker alone (here, under 12 days in Question 1).

Time and work leads directly into pipes and cisterns, where some "workers" undo the work. A target of 45 seconds per question is realistic for standard types.

The full time and work topic test is on PrepMatic (about 15 questions, 30 minutes). The Quantitative Aptitude guide lists the related topics, and the bank exam hub links each exam's pattern.

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