Telling Time Examples: 58 Problems with Answers

Start with the recap, study the fully worked examples, then use the practice problems to check your understanding of Telling Time.

This page combines explanation, solved examples, and follow-up practice so you can move from recognition to confident problem-solving in Math.

Concept Recap

Reading analog and digital clocks to determine the current time in hours, half hours, quarter hours, and five-minute intervals.

A clock is like a race track with two runners—the short hand (hours) moves slowly, the long hand (minutes) moves fast. When the long hand points to 12, it's exactly on the hour, like the start of a new lap.

Read the full concept explanation →

How to Use These Examples

Read the first worked example with the solution open so the structure is clear.
Try the practice problems before revealing each solution.
Use the related concepts and background knowledge badges if you feel stuck.

What to Focus On

Core idea: Reading a clock means the short hand gives the hour and the long hand counts minutes in fives around the face.

Common stuck point: The procedure for telling time is the easy part; the trap is reading the long hand's number as that many minutes. Asking "Am I naming the time a clock shows right now (not how much time has passed)?" first is what keeps a correct-looking calculation from being attached to the wrong concept.

Sense of Study hint: Ask: Am I naming the time a clock shows right now (not how much time has passed)?

Worked Examples

Example 1

easy

The minute hand points to the 3 on a clock. How many minutes past the hour is it? Remember: each number on a clock equals 5 minutes.

Answer

15 minutes past the hour

First step

Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes.

Full solution

2
The minute hand points to 3.
3
Multiply: $3 \times 5 = 15$ minutes.
4
It is 15 minutes past the hour.

On a clock face, each number mark equals 5 minutes because 60 minutes ÷ 12 numbers = 5 minutes per number.

Example 2

medium

The hour hand points just past 2 and the minute hand points to 6. What time is it?

Example 3

easy

The long hand on the clock points to

12

. What word do we say after the hour?

Example 4

medium

The short hand points to

3

and the long hand points to

12

. What number does the hour hand show?

Example 5

medium

The short hand points to

2

and the long hand points to

12

. What hour is it?

Example 6

easy

Maya's clock shows the short hand on

9

and the long hand on

12

. What time does Maya's clock show?

Example 7

medium

Liam's snack time is when the short hand points to

10

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is Liam's snack?

Example 8

medium

A clock shows the short hand on

6

and the long hand on

12

. What time does the clock show in digital form?

Example 9

easy

Liam's reading time starts when the short hand points to

7

and the long hand points to

12

. What time does reading start?

Example 10

easy

Mia's clock has the short hand pointing to

5

and the long hand pointing to

12

. Write the time in two ways: in words and in digital form.

Example 11

hard

Noah eats lunch when the short hand is between

12

and

1

and the long hand points to

6

. What time does Noah eat lunch?

Example 12

easy

A clock shows the short hand just past

9

and the long hand pointing to

4

. What time is it?

Example 13

easy

Ava's clock shows the short hand between

6

and

7

, and the long hand on

9

. What time does Ava's clock show?

Example 14

hard

Sara looks at the clock: the short hand is between

10

and

11

, and the long hand points to

8

. What time is it, and how many minutes is it before

11

o'clock?

Practice Problems

Try these problems on your own first, then open the solution to compare your method.

Example 1

easy

The minute hand points to the 4. How many minutes past the hour does it show?

Example 2

medium

A clock shows the hour hand between 7 and 8, and the minute hand pointing to 9. What time does the clock show?

Example 3

easy

The hour hand points to

3

and the minute hand points to

12

. What time is it?

Example 4

easy

The minute hand points to

6

. How many minutes past the hour is it?

Example 5

easy

What time is half past

4

Example 6

easy

The minute hand points to

3

. What time phrase describes this?

Example 7

easy

Write '

7

o'clock' in digital form.

Example 8

easy

The minute hand points to

9

. How many minutes past the hour?

Example 9

easy

It is

2{:}00

. What time will it be in

1

hour?

Example 10

easy

The clock reads

5{:}15

. Where does the minute hand point?

Example 11

medium

A movie starts at

3{:}00

and lasts

2

hours. When does it end?

Example 12

medium

Write '

10

minutes past

6

' in digital form.

Example 13

medium

It is

9{:}20

. What time was it

20

minutes ago?

Example 14

medium

It is

4{:}45

. How many minutes until

5{:}00

Example 15

medium

School starts at

8{:}15

and ends at

11{:}15

. How many hours is that?

Example 16

medium

A clock shows the hour hand halfway between

2

and

3

, minute hand on

6

. What time is it?

Example 17

medium

It is

10{:}50

. What time will it be in

20

minutes?

Example 18

medium

A bus leaves every

15

minutes starting at

9{:}00

. What are the first three departure times?

Example 19

medium

From

7{:}40

8{:}10

, how many minutes pass?

Example 20

challenge

A clock is

5

minutes fast. It reads

3{:}20

. What is the true time, and what will it read in

40

true minutes?

Example 21

challenge

How many minutes are there from

11{:}50

AM to

12{:}30

PM?

Example 22

challenge

A meeting lasts

1

hour

45

minutes and ends at

3{:}30

. When did it start?

Example 23

easy

A clock has two hands. One hand is short and one hand is long. Which hand is the hour hand?

Example 24

easy

Which clock hand is the minute hand: the long hand or the short hand?

Example 25

easy

The long hand on a clock points to

12

. Is it "o'clock" time?

Example 26

easy

Which hand tells you the hour on a clock?

Example 27

medium

The short hand points to

5

and the long hand points to

12

. Is the long hand showing "o'clock"?

Example 28

medium

Which clock hand moves slower, the short hand or the long hand?

Example 29

hard

A clock has the short hand on

4

and the long hand on

12

. Which number tells you the hour?

Example 30

easy

The short hand points to

3

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is it?

Example 31

easy

The short hand points to

7

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is it?

Example 32

easy

Write the time "

5

o'clock" in digital form.

Example 33

easy

The short hand points to

1

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is it?

Example 34

medium

The short hand points to

12

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is it?

Example 35

easy

The short hand points to

4

and the long hand points to

12

. What time is it in digital form?

Example 36

easy

The short hand is between

2

and

3

, and the long hand points to

6

. What time is it in digital form?

Example 37

easy

The short hand is between

9

and

10

, and the long hand points to

6

. What time is it?

Example 38

medium

The short hand is between

11

and

12

, and the long hand points to

6

. What time is it in digital form?

Example 39

medium

It is

6{:}00

. Where do the short hand and the long hand point?

Example 40

easy

The short hand is just past

4

and the long hand points to

3

. What time is it?

Example 41

easy

The short hand is just past

7

and the long hand points to

2

. What time is it?

Example 42

easy

The short hand is between

3

and

4

, and the long hand points to

7

. What time is it?

Example 43

medium

The time is

5{:}20

. How many minutes is this past

5

o'clock?

Example 44

medium

The short hand is between

2

and

3

, and the long hand points to

11

. What time is it, and how many minutes is it before the next hour?

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Related Concepts

Counting Number Sense Elapsed Time

Background Knowledge

These ideas may be useful before you work through the harder examples.

countingnumber sense