Time: Clocks, Duration and Calendars
Time: Clocks, Duration and Calendars is the Year 3 topic covering telling and writing the time from an analogue clock to the nearest minute, using Roman numerals I to XII, and finding a duration by counting on from a start time to an end time.
Method
- Learn the number of minutes in an hour (60), seconds in a minute (60), days in each month, and days in a year (365, or 366 in a leap year).
- Read an analogue clock by looking at the hour hand (shorter, shows the hour) and the minute hand (longer, shows the minutes) separately.
- Convert between 12-hour clock times (using a.m./p.m.) and 24-hour clock times by adding 12 to the hour for any afternoon or evening time.
- To find a duration, count on from the start time to the end time in stages (e.g. to the next whole hour first, then the remaining minutes) rather than subtracting the digits directly.
- To find an end time, add the duration on to the start time using the same staged counting-on method.
- Use a calendar or knowledge of the months to work out dates that are a given number of days or weeks apart.
Worked example
A film starts at 2:45 pm and lasts for 1 hour 35 minutes. Work out what time the film finishes.
- Start counting on from 2:45 pm. First add 1 hour to reach 3:45 pm.
- Now add the remaining 35 minutes. From 3:45 pm, count on 15 minutes to reach the next whole hour, 4:00 pm.
- 35 minutes minus the 15 minutes already used leaves 20 minutes still to add.
- Add the remaining 20 minutes to 4:00 pm, giving a finish time of 4:20 pm.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1How many minutes are there in 2 hours?Show answer
Answer: 120 minutes
Q2Write 15:00 as a 12-hour clock time.Show answer
Answer: 3:00 pm
Q3How many days are there in the month of April?Show answer
Answer: 30 days
Q4A train journey starts at 9:20 am and ends at 10:05 am. How long does the journey take?Show answer
Answer: 45 minutes
Q5How many seconds are there in 3 minutes?Show answer
Answer: 180 seconds
Q6Is 6:30 pm before or after 18:00 on the 24-hour clock?Show answer
Answer: After, because 18:00 is 6:00 pm, so 6:30 pm comes later
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a KS2 Maths exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A football match kicks off at 14:15 and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, including a break. What time does the match finish? Give your answer using the 24-hour clock.
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Nothing ticked yet - 2 available
Amelia's swimming lesson starts at 4:40 pm and finishes at 5:25 pm. Work out the length of the lesson in minutes.
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Nothing ticked yet - 1 available
A bus is due to arrive at 10:50 am but is delayed by 25 minutes. What time does the bus actually arrive?
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the time: clocks, duration and calendars worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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