Topics / Maths
Time
Time questions look easy but cost marks through careless mistakes, because time is not decimal. Count in 60s, use the 24-hour clock confidently, and bridge through the hour.
What is tested
- Durations and end times
- 12-hour and 24-hour clocks
- Timetables and time-based problems
Worked example
A train leaves at 09:47 and the journey takes 2 hours 38 minutes. When does it arrive?
- Add the hours: 09:47 + 2 h = 11:47.
- Add the minutes: 11:47 + 38 min = 12:25 (13 min to 12:00, then 25 more).
Answer: 12:25
Exam-day checklist
- Bridge through the hour: count up to the next o'clock, then the rest.
- Convert to 24-hour time to avoid am/pm errors.
- Remember 60 minutes in an hour, not 100.
- Check the answer is a valid time.
Common mistakes
- Treating minutes as decimals (1.50 h is 1 h 30 min, not 1 h 50 min).
- am/pm slips across noon.
- Subtracting minutes without borrowing an hour.
Try it yourself
1. A film starts at 6:50 pm and ends at 8:35 pm. How long is it?
Show answer
1 hour 45 minutes
6:50 to 7:00 is 10 min, to 8:00 is 60 min, to 8:35 is 35 min: 10 + 60 + 35 = 105 min.
2. How many minutes from 10:35 to 12:10?
Show answer
95
25 min to 11:00, 60 min to 12:00, then 10 min: 95 min.
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