Ace Time, Speed, and Distance with Understanding Decision-Making puzzle sets and Active-Passive Voice - Day 30

Ace Time, Speed, and Distance with Understanding Decision-Making puzzle sets and Active-Passive Voice - Day 30

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Irshad AnwarUpdated on 18 Jun 2025, 02:45 PM IST

Speed, Time, Distance, and Races form one of the most frequently tested and conceptually rich topics in the CAT exam. These questions consistently appear each year, often requiring a deep understanding of fundamentals and real-world application rather than just formulas. Built on core concepts like ratios and proportions, this topic typically contributes 3–4 questions for CAT 2025. Mastering it can significantly boost your score, especially when practised through quizzes and detailed solution-based exercises. As part of our CAT 2024 60-day preparation blog series, today’s focus is on offering key strategies to help you stay on track, strengthen your core skills

Ace Time, Speed, and Distance with Understanding Decision-Making puzzle sets and Active-Passive Voice - Day 30
cat 2024

Part-1: CAT 2024 QA Preparation Tips (Quantitative Aptitude)

Time and distance questions are a must and come most of the time in exams. Aspirants are recommended to go through this topic properly and prepare well. The questions can be like time and distance basic questions or speed and distance advanced questions.

CAT Exam Important Topic: Strategy to Prepare “Basics of Time, Speed and Distance” and time and distance questions for CAT-2024

Time and distance questions for competitive exams are some of the most important topics to focus on. The Time, Speed and Distance questions need proper clarity of concepts and formulas and also knowledge on how to solve the following questions.

CAT Syllabus 2024: Important Concept/Formula Used in Time, Speed and Distance Questions

  1. Speed = Distance/ Time
  2. Concept of proportionality
    1. S1/S2= T2/T1, when distance is fixed

    2. S1/S2= D1/D2, when time is fixed
      S2, speed, when the time taken is T2
      S1, speed when the time taken, is T1
      D1, D2 are distances for S1 and S2 respectively.

  3. Average speed = Total Distance/Time taken

  4. Concept of relative speed

    Srel = S1+ S2, if both are moving in opposite direction
    Srel = S1 – S2, if both are moving in same direction

CAT Exam: Previous Year CAT Questions On Time, Speed and Distance (Concept of Proportionality, Relative Speed and Average Speed )

Q1. Two cars travel the same distance starting at 10:00 am and 11:00 am, respectively, on the same day. They reach their common destination at the same point in time. If the first car travelled for at least 6 hours, then the highest possible value of the percentage by which the speed of the second car could exceed that of the first car is [CAT exam:2019]

  1. 10
  2. 20
  3. 30
  4. 25
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Answer: [2]

Second car took 1 hr less than the first car.

First Car travelled for at least 6 hours, then the second car must travel for at least 5 hrs.

For, the highest possible value of the percentage by which the speed of the second car could exceed that of the first car, the above case should be taken

S1/S2 = T2/T1

S1/S2 = 5/6,

If S1 = 5, then S2 = 6

So, S2 is greater than S1 by 20%.

Speed Distance Time Questions With Solutions

Q2. The distance from A to B is 60 km. Partha and Narayan start from A simultaneously and move towards B. Partha takes four hours more than Narayan to reach B. Moreover, Partha reaches the mid-point of A and B two hours before Narayan reaches B. The speed of Partha, in km per hour, is [CAT exam: 2018]

  1. 6
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 5
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Solution: [4]

Let Parth reach mid-way at x hours, then Narayan will reach B at (x+2) hours.

Since Parth takes 4 hours more than Narayan to reach B, Parth should reach at (x+ 6) hours to B.

It reflects that Parth took 6 hours to reach from midways to B(30 Km).

So, the Speed of Parth = 30/6 = 5 Km/ hr.

CAT entrance exam: Prerequisite:

Tips and Tricks for problems on time and distance:

  1. Divide questions into the categories of proportionality, Relative Speed and Average Speed.
  2. Average Speed = 2 S1.S2/ (S1 + S2) If distances covered with both speeds are the same.
  3. Using the concept of ratio while solving the questions proportionality.
  4. Relative Speed can be calculated by the Distance covered by both A and B/ Time taken if they are approaching each other.
  5. Relative Speed can be calculated by the Difference between distances covered by A and B/ Time taken if they are going away from each other.
  6. Practice different problems based on CAT Previous years questions

CAT study material: References to Study (Theory)

  1. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma (7th Edition; Pg No 335 to 339)
  2. Rodha (YouTube, Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKiP208avbc)

CAT study material: References to Practice Time, Speed and Distance Questions

  1. Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT – Sarvesh Verma.
  2. 2IIM CAT Preparation (YouTube)
  3. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPLrK2RWVME)

Part 2: CAT 2024 Preparation Tips: CAT DILR tips (Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation)

CAT 2024 Syllabus Topic: Strategy to prepare “Decision Making Questions ” (Part-1) for CAT

CAT 2024: Important Concepts

  1. Eligibility Criteria
  2. Passage based decision making
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Decision Making And Problem Solving Questions For Cat 2024

Comprehension:

A fertiliser company AFC decided to recruit management trainees for its ammonia plant. The following criteria are decided to select a candidate:

Should be a Chemical Engineer graduate with a minimum of 65%.

Should have a Post graduate diploma in business management.

Should not be less than 21 yr of age on 1 July 2024.

Should not be greater than 28 yr of age on 1 July 2024.

Should have scored a minimum of 70% marks on the Entrance test.

However, if the candidate fulfils all the criteria except

A above but got marks less than 65% but greater than 60% in graduation and has experience of more than 2 yrs, his case may be referred to the managing director.

B above and has scored more than 85% on the Entrance test. His case may be referred to GM.

Give Answers

  1. if the candidate is selected
  2. if the candidate is referred to the managing director
  3. if the candidate is not selected
  4. if the candidate is referred to GM

Q1. Ram Chandra Saini from Gujrat, born on 12 Sept 2000, passed his Chemical Engineering degree with 65.49% and scored 77% on the Entrance Test. He also worked in a fertiliser company from 17 November 2021 to 23 Sept 2024.

Q2. Ms Arundhanti Ray from WB, a 27 yr old lady, is a chemical Engineer with 61% marks and has a postgraduate diploma in business and also scored 74% on Entrance Test. She has also worked as a manager in a private company for 3 years.

Q3. Raju Mhatre is a 25 yr old chemical engineering graduate with 62% marks in graduation. He is working as an assistant manager in a private company for the last 2 yr. He passed the Entrance test with 52% marks and has done a diploma in business management in 2019.

Decision Making And Problem-Solving Questions

Solution:

As per the information given in the question, a criteria table is drawn.

Name

Criteria A

Criteria B

Criteria C

Criteria D

Criteria E

Criteria (i)

Criteria (ii)

Ram Chandra Saini


X




NA

X

Arundhanti Ray

X






NA

Raju

Mhatre

X




X


NA

Answers:

1. [3], Since B and (ii) both are not fulfilled

2. [2]

3. [3], since both A and E are not fulfilled.

CAT entrance exam: Prerequisite:

  1. Analytical Skills
  2. Problem Solving/ Puzzles

CAT Tips and Tricks for Decision Making Questions

  1. Read carefully all the conditions given.
  2. Make a table to check the validity of the conditions given.
  3. For Selection all the basic conditions must be fulfilled.
  4. For rejection at-least one independent condition and one additional condition must be violated.

CAT Syllabus 2024: References to Study (Theory)

  1. Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by B S Sijwali (Pg No 514- 540)
  2. CAT LRDI by Nishit K Sinha

CAT Syllabus 2024: References to Study (Practice)

  1. Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R S Agrawal.
  2. CAT/XAT Previous years Papers and Sample Papers.

Part-3: CAT Exam Preparation 2024: CAT exam tips for VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)

CAT preparation: Basic Concept of active and passive voice

Structure of Active voice sentences

Subject + Verb + Object (S + V + O)

Structure of Passive voice sentences

Object + Verb + Subject (O + V + S)

CAT Exam Important Topic: Strategy to Prepare “Active and Passive Voice” for CAT-2024

CAT Previous Years' Questions on Active and Passive Voice:

Question 1: We have to leave the tap open for all the polluted water to drain

  1. The tap has to be left open for all the polluted water to drain.

  1. The tap had to be left open for all the polluted water to drain.

  1. The tap will be left open for all the polluted water to drain.

  1. The tap should be left open for all the polluted water to drain.

Ans (a)

Explanation: Active: Subject + have / has / had + to + V1+ Object

Passive: Subject(Obj)+ have / has / had + to + be + V3+ by + Agent(Sub)

Question 2: Did someone tease you?

  1. Was you teased by someone?

  1. Were you teased by someone?

  1. Was you being teased by someone?

  1. Were you being teased by someone?

Ans (d)

Explanation: To make passive form of modal verbs, following structure is followed:

(for indefinite)

Sub + Modal + V1 + Obj (active)

Obj + Modal + be + V3 + by + Sub (passive)

CAT 2024: Prerequisite

  1. The basic idea of sentence structure.
  2. Knowledge of subject-verb and object.

CAT exam: References to Study (Theory)

  1. How to Prepare for Verbal Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma (9th Edition)
  2. Wren and Martin
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUnSLYPrdk

CAT: References to Study (Practice)

  1. https://iim-cat-questions-answers.2iim.com/
  2. CAT Previous years Papers and Sample Papers.
  3. CAT2CET (YouTube)

We will be back with Day 31 tomorrow. Do practice and be focused.

Time, Speed and Distance Weightage in CAT Exams

Time, Speed, and Distance is a consistently tested topic in the CAT Quantitative Aptitude section. Understanding its weightage over the years helps aspirants prioritize preparation, focus on key question types, and enhance their accuracy and time management skills.

Year

Topic Name

Number of Questions

2,023

Time, Distance, and Work

9

2022

Time, Distance, and Work

8

2021

Time, Distance, and Work

9

2020

Time, Distance, and Work

13

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are common mistakes in solving Speed-Time-Distance problems?
A:

Rushing through without understanding the question, misusing formulas, ignoring unit conversions, and poor time management are common errors. Always clarify what is being asked before starting calculations.

Q: How important is grammar for the CAT VARC section?
A:

While CAT doesn’t test grammar directly, strong grammar improves comprehension and sentence correction accuracy, especially in para jumbles and summary-based questions.

Q: What’s the best way to approach decision-making puzzle sets in CAT?
A:

Read puzzles carefully, break them into data points, and create tables or diagrams. Prioritise constraints and eliminate impossibilities to arrive at a logical and structured solution.

Q: How can I improve accuracy in Time, Speed, and Distance questions?
A:

Practice with varied difficulty levels, master unit conversions, and understand core formulas. Focus on concepts over memorisation and simulate exam conditions to improve accuracy and time management.

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