CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs with Video Solutions
Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) is an important topic in the Arithmetic portion of CAT Quantitative Aptitude. Questions from this topic test your understanding of relative speed, average speed, trains, boats and streams, races, and meeting points. Practising CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs helps you understand the question patterns, apply formulas correctly, and improve your calculation speed.
Cracku provides year wise CAT Time Speed Distance questions with detailed explanations and video solutions. You can practise these previous year questions and download the free PDF to prepare for CAT 2026.
CAT Time Speed Distance Previous Year Questions PDF Download
Download the CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs PDF to practise important questions and revise the concepts frequently tested in CAT. The PDF is useful for both topic-wise preparation and last-minute revision.
Start by solving the questions without checking the answers. Once you complete a practice session, review the detailed solutions and watch the video explanations for questions you could not solve.
CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs: Year-Wise Analysis
CAT Time Speed Distance questions have appeared in different forms across previous year papers. The following table highlights the types of problems year-wise question collection from CAT 2019 to CAT 2025.
CAT Year | Important Question Types |
2025 | Boats and streams, speed-time relationships, changing speeds, walking and running, arithmetic progressions in speed |
2024 | Relative speed, meeting points, trains, speed changes, journey time calculations |
2023 | Relative speed, boats and streams, meeting points, average speed |
2022 | Trains, ships, relative motion, escalators |
2021 | Train crossing, speed ratios, relative speed |
2020 | Time-speed-distance applications and multi-step problems |
2019 | Speed, distance and time-based arithmetic problems |
This is a summary of question types, not an exhaustive count of all questions across CAT slots.
The main takeaway is that candidates should focus on understanding relative motion and translating word problems into equations rather than memorising formulas alone.
Also Read: CAT Quants PYQ Analysis 2026, Difficulty, Repeated Topics
Most Important CAT Time Speed Distance Formulas
Knowing the basic formulas is essential for solving CAT Time Speed Distance questions accurately and quickly.
Concept | Important Formula |
Speed | Speed = Distance / Time |
Distance | Distance = Speed × Time |
Time | Time = Distance / Speed |
Average Speed | Total Distance / Total Time |
Average Speed for Equal Distances | 2uv/(u+v) |
Relative Speed (Opposite Directions) | u+v |
Relative Speed (Same Direction) | |u − v| |
Downstream Speed | Boat Speed + Stream Speed |
Upstream Speed | Boat Speed − Stream Speed |
Train Crossing a Pole | Train Length / Train Speed |
Two Trains Crossing | Sum of Train Lengths / Relative Speed |
Speed Conversion | km/h × 5/18 = m/s |
Here, u and v represent speeds.
For CAT 2026, prioritise relative speed, average speed, train crossing, and boats and streams. These concepts can be combined in questions that require more than one calculation.
How to Solve CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs?
To solve CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs efficiently, follow a systematic approach.
- Identify the given values: Write down the speeds, distances, and times mentioned in the question.
- Determine the type of motion: Check whether objects are moving towards each other, in the same direction, or along different routes.
- Apply the correct formula: Use relative speed for meeting and overtaking problems, and total distance divided by total time for average speed.
- Maintain consistent units: Convert km/h into m/s when distances are given in metres and times in seconds.
- Use ratios when possible: Speed and time are inversely proportional for a fixed distance. This can simplify lengthy calculations.
- Verify your answer: Check whether the calculated value satisfies the conditions given in the question.
For example, if two vehicles travel towards each other at 40 km/h and 50 km/h, their relative speed is 90 km/h. If they are initially 180 km apart, they will meet after 2 hours.
Also Read: CAT Quant Cheat Sheet 2026: Important PYQs, Formulas PDF
How to Practise CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs for CAT 2026?
With CAT 2026 scheduled for November 29, candidates should focus on timed practice and revision rather than spending too much time relearning every concept.
Practice Stage | Recommended Activity |
Concept Revision | Revise speed, distance, time, relative speed and average speed formulas |
Topic-Wise Practice | Solve questions on trains, boats, races and meeting points |
Previous Year Questions | Attempt CAT TSD PYQs from 2019 to 2023 |
Timed Practice | Solve 5–10 mixed questions under a timer |
Solution Analysis | Review incorrect and time-consuming questions |
Mock Test Practice | Apply these concepts in CAT Quant sectional and full-length mocks |
Try to complete straightforward questions within 2 minutes, while allowing more time for complex multi-step problems. Track the questions you solve incorrectly and revise those concepts before attempting another practice set.
You can also practise using CAT mock tests to improve question selection and time management.
Also Read: CAT PYQs PDF: Topic-wise Questions with Video Solutions
CAT Time Speed Distance PYQ Questions
Here are some previous year CAT Time Speed Distance questions. Try solving them before checking the answers.
CAT Time Speed Distance PYQ: Conclusion
Practising CAT Time Speed Distance PYQs is an effective way to strengthen your Arithmetic preparation for CAT 2026. Focus on relative speed, average speed, trains, boats and streams, and meeting-point problems. Understanding the underlying concepts will help you handle unfamiliar questions without relying on memorised shortcuts.
Download the CAT Time Speed Distance Previous Year Questions PDF with Solutions from Cracku and practise the questions regularly. Combine PYQ practice with timed Quant sectional tests and CAT mock tests to improve accuracy, speed, and confidence before the exam.
Question 1
Shruti travels a distance of 224 km in four parts for a total travel time of 3 hours. Her speeds in these four parts follow an arithmetic progression, and the corresponding time taken to cover these four parts follow another arithmetic progression. If she travels at a speed of 960 meters per minute for 30 minutes to cover the first part, then the distance, in meters, she travels in the fourth part is
correct answer:- 4
Question 2
Ankita walks from A to C through B, and runs back through the same route at a speed that is 40% more than her walking speed. She takes exactly 3 hours 30 minutes to walk from B to C as well as to run from B to A. The total time, in minutes, she would take to walk from A to B and run from B to C, is
correct answer:- 444
Question 3
Rahul starts on his journey at 5 pm at a constant speed so that he reaches his destination at 11 pm the same day. However, on his way, he stops for 20 minutes, and after that, increases his speed by 3 km per hour to reach on time. If he had stopped for 10 minutes more, he would have had to increase his speed by 5 km per hour to reach on time. His initial speed, in km per hour, was
correct answer:- 2
Question 4
A bus starts at 9 am and follows a fixed route every day. One day, it traveled at a constant speed of 60 km per hour and reached its destination 3.5 hours later than its scheduled arrival time. Next day, it traveled two-thirds of its route in one-third of its total scheduled travel time, and the remaining part of the route at 40 km per hour to reach just on time. The scheduled arrival time of the bus is
correct answer:- 1
Question 5
Two places A and B are 45 kms apart and connected by a straight road. Anil goes from A to B while Sunil goes from B to A. Starting at the same time, they cross each other in exactly 1 hour 30 minutes. If Anil reaches B exactly 1 hour 15 minutes after Sunil reaches A, the speed of Anil, in km per hour, is
correct answer:- 4
Question 6
A train travelled a certain distance at a uniform speed. Had the speed been 6 km per hour more, it would have needed 4 hours less. Had the speed been 6 km per hour less, it would have needed 6 hours more. The distance, in km, travelled by the train is
correct answer:- 1
Question 7
The minor angle between the hours hand and minutes hand of a clock was observed at 8:48 am. The minimum duration, in minutes, after 8.48 am when this angle increases by 50% is
correct answer:- 4
Question 8
Brishti went on an 8-hour trip in a car. Before the trip, the car had travelled a total of $$x$$ km till then, where $$x$$ is a whole number and is palindromic, i.e., $$x$$ remains unchanged when its digits are reversed. At the end of the trip, the car had travelled a total of 26862 km till then, this number again being palindromic. If Brishti never drove at more than 110 km/h, then the greatest possible average speed at which she drove during the trip, in km/h, was
correct answer:- 3
Question 9
Arvind travels from town A to town B, and Surbhi from town B to town A, both starting at the same time along the same route. After meeting each other, Arvind takes 6 hours to reach town B while Surbhi takes 24 hours to reach town A. If Arvind travelled at a speed of 54 km/h, then the distance, in km, between town A and town B is
correct answer:- 972
Question 10
Trains A and B start traveling at the same time towards each other with constant speeds from stations X and Y, respectively. Train A reaches station Y in 10 minutes while train B takes 9 minutes to reach station X after meeting train A. Then the total time taken, in minutes, by train B to travel from station Y to station X is
correct answer:- 2
Question 11
Two ships meet mid-ocean, and then, one ship goes south and the other ship goes west, both travelling at constant speeds. Two hours later, they are 60 km apart. If the speed of one of the ships is 6 km per hour more than the other one, then the speed, in km per hour, of the slower ship is
correct answer:- 3
Question 12
Two cars travel from different locations at constant speeds. To meet each other after starting at the same time, they take 1.5 hours if they travel towards each other, but 10.5 hours if they travel in the same direction. If the speed of the slower car is 60 km/hr, then the distance traveled, in km, by the slower car when it meets the other car while traveling towards each other, is
correct answer:- 2
Question 13
Two trains cross each other in 14 seconds when running in opposite directions along parallel tracks. The faster train is 160 m long and crosses a lamp post in 12 seconds. If the speed of the other train is 6 km/hr less than the faster one, its length, in m, is
correct answer:- 3
Question 14
Two trains A and B were moving in opposite directions, their speeds being in the ratio 5 : 3. The front end of A crossed the rear end of B 46 seconds after the front ends of the trains had crossed each other. It took another 69 seconds for the rear ends of the trains to cross each other. The ratio of length of train A to that of train B is
correct answer:- 1
Question 15
Mira and Amal walk along a circular track, starting from the same point at the same time. If they walk in the same direction, then in 45 minutes, Amal completes exactly 3 more rounds than Mira. If they walk in opposite directions, then they meet for the first time exactly after 3 minutes. The number of rounds Mira walks in one hour is
correct answer:- 8
Group
Google Discover