Rates, speed & time
15 free practice questions with explanations
PassNova has 15 free Numerical Reasoning Test practice questions on Rates, speed & time, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
Rates, speed & time: example questions & answers
12 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise all 15 Rates, speed & time questions free in the browser, with instant feedback on every answer.
A car travels 150 miles in 2.5 hours. What is its average speed in miles per hour?
- A50 mph
- B55 mph
- C60 mph✓
- D65 mph
Answer: Speed = distance ÷ time = 150 ÷ 2.5 = 60 mph.
A printer produces 24 pages per minute. How many pages does it produce in 15 minutes?
- A300
- B320
- C360✓
- D400
Answer: 24 × 15 = 360 pages.
A train travels at 80 km/h. How far does it travel in 45 minutes?
- A50 km
- B55 km
- C60 km✓
- D65 km
Answer: 45 minutes = 0.75 hours; 80 × 0.75 = 60 km.
A worker is paid £14 per hour. How much does the worker earn for a 37.5-hour week?
- A£500
- B£525✓
- C£540
- D£560
Answer: £14 × 37.5 = £525.
A cyclist covers 36 km in 90 minutes. What is the average speed in km/h?
- A20 km/h
- B22 km/h
- C24 km/h✓
- D27 km/h
Answer: 90 minutes = 1.5 hours; 36 ÷ 1.5 = 24 km/h.
Three machines together fill 1,800 bottles per hour at the same rate each. How long would two of these machines take to fill 2,400 bottles?
- A1.5 hours
- B2 hours✓
- C2.5 hours
- D3 hours
Answer: Each machine fills 600/hour; two fill 1,200/hour; 2,400 ÷ 1,200 = 2 hours.
A car uses fuel at 6.5 litres per 100 km. How much fuel is needed for a 240 km journey?
- A14.6 litres
- B15.6 litres✓
- C16.2 litres
- D16.9 litres
Answer: 6.5 × (240 ÷ 100) = 6.5 × 2.4 = 15.6 litres.
A driver covers the first 120 km at 60 km/h and the next 120 km at 40 km/h. What is the average speed for the whole 240 km journey?
- A44 km/h
- B48 km/h✓
- C50 km/h
- D52 km/h
Answer: Time = 120/60 + 120/40 = 2 + 3 = 5 hours; 240 ÷ 5 = 48 km/h.
If 5 workers build a wall in 12 days, how long would 8 workers take, working at the same rate?
- A6 days
- B7.5 days✓
- C8 days
- D9 days
Answer: Total work = 5 × 12 = 60 worker-days; 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 days.
A tap fills a tank in 6 hours; a drain empties it in 9 hours. With both open, how long to fill the empty tank?
- A15 hours
- B16 hours
- C18 hours✓
- D21 hours
Answer: Net rate = 1/6 - 1/9 = 3/18 - 2/18 = 1/18 per hour, so 18 hours.
A flight departs at 09:45 and lands at 14:20. How long was the flight?
- A4 hours 25 mins
- B4 hours 35 mins✓
- C4 hours 45 mins
- D5 hours 5 mins
Answer: From 09:45 to 14:45 is 5 hours; subtract 25 minutes gives 4 hours 35 minutes.
A pump moves 450 litres in 5 minutes. At this rate, how many litres does it move in one hour?
- A4,800 litres
- B5,400 litres✓
- C5,800 litres
- D6,000 litres
Answer: 450 ÷ 5 = 90 litres/min; 90 × 60 = 5,400 litres/hour.