Time and Work Questions for SSC MTS

Core Concept: One Day Work

If a person completes a job in N days, then in one day they finish 1/N part of the work. This fraction is called their one-day work or work rate. The whole job equals 1 (think of it as 100 percent). You add work rates when people work together, just like adding speeds when moving in the same direction.

• Work done = Rate x Time. Always remember this basic link.
• If A finishes work in 10 days, A's one-day work = 1/10.
• If A and B work together, combined rate = 1/A + 1/B.
• Total days together = 1 divided by combined rate.
• Think of work like filling a tank — each person is a pipe adding water.

LCM Method: Fastest Approach for SSC MTS

Instead of dealing with fractions, assign total work as the LCM of all the days given. Then find how much each person does per day as a whole number. This avoids messy fractions and saves 30 to 40 seconds per question. This is the method toppers use in SSC exams.

• Step 1: Take LCM of all days given. Call this Total Work.
• Step 2: Each person's daily work = Total Work divided by their days.
• Step 3: Add daily work of people working together.
• Step 4: Days needed = Total Work divided by combined daily work.
• Always use LCM method when 3 or more people are involved.

Work Done by One Person When Another Leaves Early

A very common SSC MTS pattern: A and B start together, but B leaves after some days. You need to find how many more days A works alone to finish. Use LCM method — calculate work done in the days they worked together, subtract from total, then divide remaining work by A's daily rate.

• Find total work using LCM.
• Multiply combined daily work by days worked together to get work completed.
• Remaining work = Total work minus work already done.
• Days A works alone = Remaining work divided by A's daily rate.
• This type appears often: 'B left after X days, when does the work finish?'

Efficiency and Wages Problems

SSC MTS sometimes links work with wages. The key rule is: wages are split in proportion to work done. If A does twice the work of B, A gets double the wages. Think of it as a fair payment system based on contribution.

• Wages are divided in ratio of work done, not time spent.
• Work done by each person = Their daily rate multiplied by days they worked.
• Ratio of wages = Ratio of work done.
• If work rates are A and B, wage share = A : B.
• Quick trick: Use daily work units from LCM method to find ratio directly.

• Adding days instead of work rates. Never add the days directly. Always add 1/days, or use LCM method.
• Using A x B / (A + B) formula when three or more people are involved. This formula works only for two people.
• Forgetting to add the days already worked together when asked for total time. Students calculate only the remaining days and give that as final answer.
• Confusing more workers means more days. More workers always means fewer days. If this feels backwards, re-check your setup.
• In wage problems, dividing wages equally when workers have different rates or worked different days. Always split by actual work done.

• RATE ADD RULE: You add RATES (1/days), never add DAYS. Think of tap water — two taps together fill faster, you add their flow rates.
• LCM = Your Best Friend: LCM converts ugly fractions into clean whole numbers. Always try LCM first.
• Mnemonic for Together Formula (2 people): AB over A plus B. Say it: A-B-over-A-plus-B. Like the word ABAB.
• Wages follow Work: Remember W-W rule. Wages split like Work done. More work = more money. Simple justice.

• SSC MTS usually asks straightforward two-person problems. Master the LCM method and the AB/(A+B) formula and you can solve in under 45 seconds.
• Watch for the leaving-early pattern: 'A and B work together for X days, then one leaves.' This is the second most common type. Practice at least 5 such questions.
• Wage division questions appear once in a while — they look different but are solved by just finding work ratio. Do not panic when you see money amounts.
• If all answer options are fractions or decimals, LCM method is safest to avoid errors.
• Do not spend more than 60 seconds on any Time and Work question in SSC MTS. If stuck, move on and come back — these questions have no complex reasoning, only calculation.