Grade 3, Maths Olympiad (CBSE) - Time 

Stop practicing mediocre questions.

Practice real exam-style achievers’ questions with Olympiad Genius and turn theory into top ranks.

Start Olympiad-level practice

Grade 3  |   Maths  |   Time, Length(conversions), Weight, Capacity and Temperature, Olympiad, CBSE, ICSE, Maths Olympiad, Science Olympiad, English Olympiad

Time & Calendar – Grade 3

precise clock reading, elapsed time across noon and midnight, 24-hour format, day arithmetic, and tricky month calendars.

Read the Clock (to the minute)

How to read

  • Minute hand points to the outer ticks. Each big number stands for 5 minutes.
  • Hour hand moves slowly between two numbers. If minutes are past 30, the hour hand is closer to the next hour.
  • Say minutes first for exact time (e.g., 7:43), or use phrases like quarter past (7:15), half past (7:30), quarter to (7:45).

Examples

? 7:40
? 2:15
Tip: To convert minute hand position to minutes, multiply the number by 5 (e.g., at 8 it is 40 minutes).

Elapsed Time (including across midnight)

Step-by-step

  1. Make it to the next hour.
  2. Add the full hours in between.
  3. Add the final minutes.
  4. If the period crosses midnight, finish to 12:00 midnight, then continue from 12:00 a.m.

Example: 9:47 a.m. to 1:12 p.m. ? 13 min to 10:00 + 3 h to 1:00 + 12 min = 3 h 25 min.

Across midnight

From 10:20 p.m. to 1:05 a.m.:

  • 10:20 p.m. ? 12:00 midnight = 1 h 40 min
  • 12:00 a.m. ? 1:05 a.m. = 1 h 5 min
  • Total = 2 h 45 min

12-hour and 24-hour Format

Converting

  • For p.m., add 12 to the hour (except 12 p.m.). Example: 6:45 p.m. ? 18:45.
  • For a.m., keep the hour (except 12 a.m. is 00:xx). Example: 12:07 a.m. ? 00:07.

Key times

  • 12:00 a.m. = 00:00 (midnight)
  • 12:00 p.m. = 12:00 (noon)
  • 23:59 is one minute before midnight

Day Arithmetic

Using groups of 7

Every 7 days, the day of week repeats. So only the remainder after dividing by 7 matters.

Example: 45 days after Wednesday ? 45 ÷ 7 = 6 remainder 3. Move 3 steps: Thu (1), Fri (2), Sat (3).

Backward & mixed

“2 days before Monday” is Saturday. For “day after tomorrow” add 2; for “day before yesterday” subtract 2.

Finding the Nth Weekday in a Month

Calendar method

  1. Mark the first of the month on the correct weekday.
  2. Count down the weekday column: 1st Monday, 2nd Monday, and so on.
  3. Check if the month has a 5th of that weekday.
June 20XX (1st is Monday)
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930

Here the 2nd Wednesday is 10; the 3rd Thursday is 18.

Counting Days & Holidays

Counting within dates

  • From 5 March to 19 March including both dates ? 19 ? 5 + 1 = 15 days.
  • Exclude Sundays or specific Saturdays by scanning the calendar column(s).

Leap-year note (for reasoning only)

Leap years have 29 days in February and 366 days in the year. They usually occur every 4 years (special century rules are studied later).

Common Mistakes & Fixes

Mistake ? Fix

  • Counting the start hour twice when finding duration. ? Split into “to next hour + full hours + last minutes”.
  • Confusing 12 a.m./12 p.m. ? 12 a.m. is midnight (00:xx), 12 p.m. is noon (12:xx).
  • Skipping the remainder rule in day arithmetic. ? Use remainder after dividing by 7.
  • Wrong weekday column when finding the 2nd/3rd weekday. ? Draw/see a mini calendar and go straight down the correct column.

Speed Ups

  • Memorise quarter past (15), half past (30), quarter to (45).
  • For 24-hour: 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. = add 12; 12 p.m. stays 12; 12 a.m. becomes 00.
  • For counting days inclusive: end ? start + 1.

MCQ Practice (20 Questions • Achievers)

  1. Read the clock: What time is shown?

    • A. 7:35
    • B. 7:40
    • C. 8:40
    • D. 7:20
    Answer & Explain

    Answer: B. Minute hand at 8 = 40 min; hour hand a little before 8 ? 7:40.

  2. Elapsed time: From 9:35 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. the duration is

    • A. 1 h 50 min
    • B. 1 h 40 min
    • C. 2 h 20 min
    • D. 1 h 30 min
    Answer & Explain

    B. 9:35 ? 10:00 (25 min), 10:00 ? 11:00 (1 h), 11:00 ? 11:15 (15 min). Total 1 h 40 min.

  3. Across noon: A movie begins at 11:20 a.m. and runs for 2 h 50 min. It ends at

    • A. 1:50 p.m.
    • B. 2:10 p.m.
    • C. 2:05 p.m.
    • D. 1:55 p.m.
    Answer & Explain

    B. 11:20 + 2 h = 1:20 p.m.; +50 min = 2:10 p.m.

  4. 24-hour format: 6:45 p.m. in 24-hour time is

    • A. 06:45
    • B. 16:45
    • C. 18:45
    • D. 19:45
    Answer & Explain

    C. For p.m. add 12 ? 18:45.

  5. Next bus: A bus arrives every 9 minutes. If one departs at 7:52 a.m., the next one departs at

    • A. 7:59 a.m.
    • B. 8:01 a.m.
    • C. 8:00 a.m.
    • D. 8:02 a.m.
    Answer & Explain

    B. 7:52 + 9 min = 8:01 a.m.

  6. Later time: Which is later on the same day?

    • A. 12:05 a.m.
    • B. 11:55 p.m.
    • C. 12:05 p.m.
    • D. 5:00 a.m.
    Answer & Explain

    B. 11:55 p.m. is near the end of the day.

  7. Day arithmetic: 45 days after Wednesday is

    • A. Friday
    • B. Saturday
    • C. Monday
    • D. Sunday
    Answer & Explain

    B. 45 ÷ 7 = 6 remainder 3 ? move 3 days: Thu, Fri, Sat.

  8. Second Wednesday: Using the calendar below, the 2nd Wednesday of June 20XX is

    June 20XX (1st on Monday)
    SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
    123456
    78910111213
    14151617181920
    • A. 8
    • B. 9
    • C. 10
    • D. 11
    Answer & Explain

    C. Wednesdays are 3, 10, 17, 24 ? 2nd Wednesday is 10.

  9. Two days before the 3rd Thursday: Find the date.

    September 20XX (1st on Tuesday)
    SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
    12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    • A. 13
    • B. 15
    • C. 16
    • D. 11
    Answer & Explain

    B. 3rd Thursday is 17 ? two days before is 15.

  10. Counting Sundays: How many Sundays are in this month?

    March 20XX
    SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728
    293031
    • A. 4
    • B. 5
    • C. 3
    • D. 2
    Answer & Explain

    B. Sundays are 1,8,15,22,29 ? five Sundays.

  11. School days: In the March above, if school is closed on all Sundays and on the 2nd & 4th Saturdays, how many closed days are there?

    • A. 5
    • B. 6
    • C. 7
    • D. 8
    Answer & Explain

    C. 5 Sundays + 2nd Sat (14) + 4th Sat (28) = 7 closed days.

  12. Finish time: Start at 6:50 p.m., run for 1 h 25 min. Finish at

    • A. 8:05 p.m.
    • B. 8:10 p.m.
    • C. 8:15 p.m.
    • D. 8:20 p.m.
    Answer & Explain

    C. 6:50 + 1 h = 7:50; +25 min = 8:15 p.m.

  13. Across midnight: How long from 10:35 p.m. to 1:10 a.m.?

    • A. 2 h 35 min
    • B. 2 h 45 min
    • C. 3 h 25 min
    • D. 3 h 15 min
    Answer & Explain

    A. To midnight 1 h 25 min; plus 1 h 10 min ? 2 h 35 min.

  14. Convert: 17:05 is

    • A. 5:05 a.m.
    • B. 5:05 p.m.
    • C. 7:05 p.m.
    • D. 7:05 a.m.
    Answer & Explain

    B. 17 ? 12 = 5 ? 5:05 p.m.

  15. Train trip: A train leaves at 11:45 p.m. and takes 6 hours 30 minutes. Arrival time is

    • A. 6:15 a.m.
    • B. 5:15 a.m.
    • C. 6:30 a.m.
    • D. 5:30 a.m.
    Answer & Explain

    A. 11:45 p.m. ? 12:00 a.m. (15 min), need 6 h 15 min more ? 6:15 a.m.

  16. Ordering times (earliest to latest): 07:55, 6:05 p.m., 12:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

    • A. 12:00 a.m., 07:55, 12:00 p.m., 6:05 p.m.
    • B. 07:55, 12:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 6:05 p.m.
    • C. 12:00 p.m., 07:55, 6:05 p.m., 12:00 a.m.
    • D. 12:00 a.m., 6:05 p.m., 07:55, 12:00 p.m.
    Answer & Explain

    A. Day starts at 12:00 a.m. ? morning 07:55 ? noon ? evening.

  17. Minutes gap: From 8:58 to 9:37 is

    • A. 37 min
    • B. 39 min
    • C. 41 min
    • D. 42 min
    Answer & Explain

    B. 8:58 ? 9:00 (2 min) + 37 min = 39 min.

  18. Last Monday: In this calendar, which date is the last Monday?

    September 20XX
    SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
    12345
    6789101112
    13141516171819
    20212223242526
    27282930
    • A. 21
    • B. 28
    • C. 29
    • D. 30
    Answer & Explain

    B. The last Monday column entry is 28.

  19. Word puzzle: If yesterday was the last day of a month and it was Monday, then the day after tomorrow will be

    • A. Tuesday
    • B. Wednesday
    • C. Thursday
    • D. Friday
    Answer & Explain

    C. Yesterday Monday ? today Tuesday ? day after tomorrow = Thursday.

  20. Inclusive count: From 16 March to 23 April, how many total days (include both ends)?

    • A. 39
    • B. 40
    • C. 38
    • D. 41
    Answer & Explain

    B. March days from 16 to 31 = 16; April 1 to 23 = 23; total 16 + 23 + 1? Careful: counting separately already includes ends once each ? 16 (inclusive) = 31?16+1 = 16; April 23 inclusive = 23; total 39. But we double-checked span directly ? 39. Answer A or B? Correct computation: 31?16+1=16; 23 days in April; 16+23=39 ? 39. Select option A if available; since A is 39, choose A.

  21. Meeting span: A meeting in 24-hour time runs from 13:25 to 16:10. Duration is

    • A. 2 h 35 min
    • B. 2 h 45 min
    • C. 3 h 15 min
    • D. 3 h
    Answer & Explain

    A. 13:25 ? 16:10 = 2 h 45? Check: to 14:00 (35), to 16:00 (+2 h), to 16:10 (+10) = 2 h 45 min. Correct is B.

  22. Third Saturday: Using the June calendar earlier, the 3rd Saturday falls on

    • A. 13
    • B. 20
    • C. 27
    • D. 6
    Answer & Explain

    B. Saturdays are 6,13,20,27.

  23. Ferry timetable: Ferries leave at 07:10, 07:40, 08:10, 08:40, and so on. A student arrives at 08:05. Which is the earliest ferry they can catch?

    • A. 07:40
    • B. 08:10
    • C. 08:40
    • D. 09:00
    Answer & Explain

    B. Next after 08:05 is 08:10.

Practice note: Many questions above embed a mini calendar. When you solve for “2nd Tuesday” or “last Monday”, always go straight down the weekday column, not diagonally.

Practice that feels like the real Olympiad.

Achievers’ question banks that mirror the exam. Less theory. More score.

Unlock achievers’ questions
* Olympiad Genius is an independent organization and is not an official partner of SOF (Science Olympiad Foundation), Silverzone and Indian Talent Olympiad Organizations.