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Topic Time Speed Distance
Asked 6 times across 2 UPSC exams over 8 years (2015–2023), peaking in 2015.
Key insights
- Most tested in EPFO — 4 of 6 PYQs
- Most asked in 2015
- Recurs across 3 years (2015–2023)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
EPFO 2015 → CISF 2023
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (4 of 6) are since 2016.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CISF2023
Two trains are approaching each other on parallel tracks. Their lengths are 700 m and 400 m, respectively. The speed of the first train is 95 km/hr and that of the second train is 125 km/hr. The time required by the trains to cross each other is :
- A 20 seconds
- B 18 seconds ✓
- C 16 seconds
- D 14 seconds
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Quantitative Aptitude › Arithmetic
CISF2023
In a swimming competition, the players were asked to swim 9 km upstream and then swim back to the point of starting. The winner of the competition could complete the task in 1 hour and 30 minutes. If the speed of the current of the river water was 8 km/hr, the speed of the winner is :
- A 16 km/hr ✓
- B 20 km/hr
- C 14 km/hr
- D 18 km/hr
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Quantitative Aptitude › Arithmetic
EPFO2016
Two vehicles which are 100 km apart are running towards each other in a straight line. In how much time will they meet each other provided they follow a uniform speed of 45 km per hour and 80 km per hour respectively?
- A 60 minutes
- B 55 minutes
- C 48 minutes ✓
- D 45 minutes
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Quantitative Aptitude › Arithmetic
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