What does a child have to do to calculate a duration in the 11+?

Find elapsed time between two clock or timetable entries. It is one of 55 named maths skills in the 11+, in the measure strand, and this page carries 1 interactive exercise that practises it.

What is the trap in an 11+ calculate a duration question?

An hour is 60 minutes, so the digits on a clock cannot be subtracted the way ordinary numbers are. The wrong answers on this skill are built out of that, not out of random numbers, so it is worth naming out loud before your child meets it under time pressure.

What can I say if my child is stuck on calculate a duration?

Point at the next move rather than explaining the whole rule. Count on from the earlier time to the next whole hour, then on to the later time, and add the two counts together.

What is not part of calculate a duration in the 11+?

The skill map draws the line here: One continuous interval. A question past that line is testing a different named maths skill, which is worth knowing before you spend a week practising the wrong one.

Which other 11+ skills should we practise alongside calculate a duration?

The measure strand holds 4 skills that are tested together, and the pages next to calculate a duration are calculate perimeter, convert units and calculate area. Each has its own exercise and its own link, and none of them needs an account.

How can my child practise calculate a duration for free?

Use Clock & Coins, embedded on this page. It is the exercise the skill map attaches to calculate a duration, it runs in the browser with no account to make, these exercises are not scored and do not save learner records. The separate quiz sends answers for marking and shows a score, without saving an assessment record. It also has its own link, so you can send it to a child without sending them anywhere else first.

Maths · Measure

Calculate a duration

Find elapsed time between two clock or timetable entries.

Watch the worked example

Open the video page

Friendly Jumps Through Time

This video shows how to calculate how much time passes between two clock times or timetable entries. Watch an 11+ maths question solved step by step.

0:00 / 2:34

Turn on captions with the CC button. Jump to any part with the chapter buttons.

Read the transcript

Keep practising with Trace Learn. Find topics to practise next

Quick quiz: Calculate a duration

10 questions, with feedback after each one. No sign-up needed.

Read the questions in this quiz

Question 1
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Hill Top to Riverside?
Hill Top
Departure time
15:15
Station Road
Departure time
15:40
Oak Lane
Departure time
16:04
Market Square
Departure time
16:30
The Common
Departure time
16:51
Riverside
Departure time
17:16
Stop Departure time
Hill Top 15:15
Station Road 15:40
Oak Lane 16:04
Market Square 16:30
The Common 16:51
Riverside 17:16
- A.120 minutes
- B.1 minutes
- C.201 minutes
- D.121 minutes
Question 2
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Riverside to Station Road?
The Common
Departure time
12:39
Hill Top
Departure time
12:49
Riverside
Departure time
13:06
Oak Lane
Departure time
13:31
Market Square
Departure time
13:50
Station Road
Departure time
14:13
Stop Departure time
The Common 12:39
Hill Top 12:49
Riverside 13:06
Oak Lane 13:31
Market Square 13:50
Station Road 14:13
- A.107 minutes
- B.60 minutes
- C.67 minutes
- D.7 minutes
Question 3
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Hill Top to Oak Lane?
Hill Top
Departure time
08:07
The Common
Departure time
08:25
Market Square
Departure time
08:40
Station Road
Departure time
08:57
Oak Lane
Departure time
09:08
Stop Departure time
Hill Top 08:07
The Common 08:25
Market Square 08:40
Station Road 08:57
Oak Lane 09:08
- A.1 minutes
- B.101 minutes
- C.60 minutes
- D.61 minutes
Question 4
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Longstone to Fern Bay?
Longstone
Departure time
07:02
Cliff Road
Departure time
07:16
Sandbank
Departure time
07:38
Harbour
Departure time
07:55
Fern Bay
Departure time
08:19
Stop Departure time
Longstone 07:02
Cliff Road 07:16
Sandbank 07:38
Harbour 07:55
Fern Bay 08:19
- A.17 minutes
- B.60 minutes
- C.117 minutes
- D.77 minutes
Question 5
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Riverside to The Common?
Riverside
Departure time
15:09
Station Road
Departure time
15:25
Oak Lane
Departure time
15:43
Market Square
Departure time
16:05
Hill Top
Departure time
16:29
The Common
Departure time
16:43
Stop Departure time
Riverside 15:09
Station Road 15:25
Oak Lane 15:43
Market Square 16:05
Hill Top 16:29
The Common 16:43
- A.94 minutes
- B.134 minutes
- C.34 minutes
- D.60 minutes
Question 6
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Oak Lane to Station Road?
Oak Lane
Departure time
12:18
Hill Top
Departure time
12:41
The Common
Departure time
12:59
Station Road
Departure time
13:22
Stop Departure time
Oak Lane 12:18
Hill Top 12:41
The Common 12:59
Station Road 13:22
- A.104 minutes
- B.60 minutes
- C.64 minutes
- D.4 minutes
Question 7
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Harbour to Sandbank?
Harbour
Departure time
09:43
Westgate
Departure time
10:06
Longstone
Departure time
10:19
Cliff Road
Departure time
10:43
Sandbank
Departure time
11:05
Stop Departure time
Harbour 09:43
Westgate 10:06
Longstone 10:19
Cliff Road 10:43
Sandbank 11:05
- A.82 minutes
- B.120 minutes
- C.162 minutes
- D.38 minutes
Question 8
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Oak Lane to Hill Top?
The Common
Departure time
13:31
Oak Lane
Departure time
13:53
Riverside
Departure time
14:13
Station Road
Departure time
14:38
Market Square
Departure time
14:52
Hill Top
Departure time
15:01
Stop Departure time
The Common 13:31
Oak Lane 13:53
Riverside 14:13
Station Road 14:38
Market Square 14:52
Hill Top 15:01
- A.148 minutes
- B.68 minutes
- C.52 minutes
- D.120 minutes
Question 9
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Hill Top to Station Road?
Hill Top
Departure time
09:09
The Common
Departure time
09:26
Oak Lane
Departure time
09:38
Riverside
Departure time
09:58
Market Square
Departure time
10:14
Station Road
Departure time
10:38
Stop Departure time
Hill Top 09:09
The Common 09:26
Oak Lane 09:38
Riverside 09:58
Market Square 10:14
Station Road 10:38
- A.89 minutes
- B.129 minutes
- C.29 minutes
- D.60 minutes
Question 10
Each stop on the route shows its departure time. How many minutes does the journey take from Market Square to Oak Lane?
Market Square
Departure time
10:54
Riverside
Departure time
11:19
Hill Top
Departure time
11:40
Station Road
Departure time
11:56
Oak Lane
Departure time
12:15
The Common
Departure time
12:26
Stop Departure time
Market Square 10:54
Riverside 11:19
Hill Top 11:40
Station Road 11:56
Oak Lane 12:15
The Common 12:26
- A.81 minutes
- B.39 minutes
- C.120 minutes
- D.161 minutes

Stop	Departure time
Hill Top	15:15
Station Road	15:40
Oak Lane	16:04
Market Square	16:30
The Common	16:51
Riverside	17:16

Stop	Departure time
The Common	12:39
Hill Top	12:49
Riverside	13:06
Oak Lane	13:31
Market Square	13:50
Station Road	14:13

Stop	Departure time
Hill Top	08:07
The Common	08:25
Market Square	08:40
Station Road	08:57
Oak Lane	09:08

Stop	Departure time
Longstone	07:02
Cliff Road	07:16
Sandbank	07:38
Harbour	07:55
Fern Bay	08:19

Stop	Departure time
Riverside	15:09
Station Road	15:25
Oak Lane	15:43
Market Square	16:05
Hill Top	16:29
The Common	16:43

Stop	Departure time
Oak Lane	12:18
Hill Top	12:41
The Common	12:59
Station Road	13:22

Stop	Departure time
Harbour	09:43
Westgate	10:06
Longstone	10:19
Cliff Road	10:43
Sandbank	11:05

Stop	Departure time
The Common	13:31
Oak Lane	13:53
Riverside	14:13
Station Road	14:38
Market Square	14:52
Hill Top	15:01

Stop	Departure time
Hill Top	09:09
The Common	09:26
Oak Lane	09:38
Riverside	09:58
Market Square	10:14
Station Road	10:38

Stop	Departure time
Market Square	10:54
Riverside	11:19
Hill Top	11:40
Station Road	11:56
Oak Lane	12:15
The Common	12:26

Practise it now

The football match starts 1h 20m after 08:05. Wind the clock forward to find out when.

It covers most of this skill rather than all of it.

Loading the interactive exercise. Nothing you do here is saved or scored.

A worked example

One question of the kind this skill is tested with, worked all the way through: the reasoning, and what the wrong answers are there to catch.

Counting minutes between two clock times

How many minutes are there between the Start time and the Finish time for Football?

Sessions at the half-term holiday club.

Football

Start time: 13:54
Finish time: 14:14

Baking

Start time: 15:45
Finish time: 16:32

Swimming

Start time: 09:46
Finish time: 10:30

Session	Start time	Finish time
Football	13:54	14:14
Baking	15:45	16:32
Swimming	09:46	10:30

60 minutes
40 minutes
80 minutes
20 minutes

Answer: 20 minutes

How you get there

The clock passes 14:00 on the way, so counting on from 13:54 to 14:00 and then on to 14:14 is what keeps the hour honest: 13:54 to 14:14 is 20 minutes, so Football takes 20 minutes. Taking one clock reading away from the other as if they were ordinary numbers gives a different answer, because an hour is 60 minutes and not 100.

Why the other answers tempt

An hour is 60 minutes, so the digits on a clock cannot be subtracted the way ordinary numbers are.

If they are stuck, say this

Count on from the earlier time to the next whole hour, then on to the later time, and add the two counts together.

Now do it live in Clock & Coins

Kitchen-table script for parents

Try this together

A friendly mini script for the breakfast table, school run or a quiet two minutes. Read it aloud as written, or make it your own.

Ready? Let's try Calculate a duration together. Take a look at the picture. Here is what matters: Rows: Session Football, Start time 13:54, Finish time 14:14; Session Baking, Start time 15:45, Finish time 16:32; Session Swimming, Start time 09:46, Finish time 10:30. Here comes the question: How many minutes are there between the Start time and the Finish time for Football? A handy clue is: Count on from the earlier time to the next whole hour, then on to the later time, and add the two counts together. Nice work. Here is the thinking: Taking one clock reading away from the other as if they were ordinary numbers gives a different answer, because an hour is 60 minutes and not 100. So our answer is: 20 minutes. One sneaky trap is: An hour is 60 minutes, so the digits on a clock cannot be subtracted the way ordinary numbers are. Can you show me the first move in your own words? No rush; one calm step is enough.

What this exercise is doing

Clock & Coins

The football match starts 1h 20m after 08:05. Wind the clock forward to find out when.

Winding forward 1h 20m from 08:05 lands on 09:25 - the hour hand moves too, one twelfth as fast as the minute hand, which is why it sits between the numbers. Then 30p takes at least 3 coins from this tray: there is no 10p in it, so you have to build the amount from what is actually there.

Step 1. Wind the clock. Wind the minute hand forward 1h 20m from 08:05.
Step 2. Count the coins. A programme costs 30p. Drag coins into the purse to pay it exactly.

What to say if they get stuck

Grab the long minute hand and wind it forwards. Watch the little hour hand creep round with it.
One whole lap of the minute hand is one hour. You need 1h 20m.
For the coins, start with the biggest coin that fits inside 30p and keep going.

Open Clock & Coins on its own page to share it

How calculate a duration differs from the skills beside it

The same exercise practises several skills, and telling them apart is often the difficulty rather than the exercise itself. On this page the skill is: find elapsed time between two clock or timetable entries, and it stops where one continuous interval.

Convert units
Convert one measure between compatible metric or time units. The quantity type and units are stated.
Solve a one-step number problem
Choose and perform one operation in a short context. Exactly one operation is required.

Related maths skills

Calculate areaCalculate the area of a rectangle or decomposable rectilinear shape.
Calculate perimeterCalculate the boundary length of a labelled rectilinear or polygonal shape.

All maths 11+ skills

Questions parents ask about calculate a duration

What this skill involves, common mistakes and ways to practise it at home.

: Find elapsed time between two clock or timetable entries. It is one of 55 named maths skills in the 11+, in the measure strand, and this page carries 1 interactive exercise that practises it.
: An hour is 60 minutes, so the digits on a clock cannot be subtracted the way ordinary numbers are. The wrong answers on this skill are built out of that, not out of random numbers, so it is worth naming out loud before your child meets it under time pressure.
: Point at the next move rather than explaining the whole rule. Count on from the earlier time to the next whole hour, then on to the later time, and add the two counts together.
: The skill map draws the line here: One continuous interval. A question past that line is testing a different named maths skill, which is worth knowing before you spend a week practising the wrong one.
: The measure strand holds 4 skills that are tested together, and the pages next to calculate a duration are calculate perimeter, convert units and calculate area. Each has its own exercise and its own link, and none of them needs an account.
: Use Clock & Coins, embedded on this page. It is the exercise the skill map attaches to calculate a duration, it runs in the browser with no account to make, these exercises are not scored and do not save learner records. The separate quiz sends answers for marking and shows a score, without saving an assessment record. It also has its own link, so you can send it to a child without sending them anywhere else first.

Knowing which maths topic to practise is most of the work

A free diagnostic covers arithmetic, fractions, geometry, measure and data handling, and comes back with the topics to spend the next few weeks on.