Money, Measurement and Time
This page brings together the formulas and word-problem techniques for money (rupees-paise), units of measurement (length, weight, capacity), and time calculations that you need for REET. The Arithmetic section brings a unitary-method-based question from this topic almost every year.
- 1 question in REET 2024
- Class 3–5 level
- 7 min read
How REET asks this topic
REET 2024 carried a unitary-method word problem on money (rupees-paise) from this topic, where getting the decimal places exactly right mattered — the distractor option was built by reversing the order of the digits. Questions on converting between measurement units also come up regularly.
Standard Units of Money and Measurement
- Money
- 1 rupee = 100 paise
- Length
- 1 km = 1000 metres; 1 metre = 100 cm; 1 cm = 10 mm
- Weight
- 1 kg = 1000 grams; 1 gram = 1000 milligrams; 1 quintal = 100 kg; 1 tonne = 1000 kg = 10 quintals[Source 1]
- Capacity/Volume
- 1 litre = 1000 millilitres
- Time
- 1 hour = 60 minutes; 1 minute = 60 seconds; 1 day = 24 hours; 1 week = 7 days
Larger Units of Time
- 1 month (average)
- About 30 days (varies from 28 to 31 days depending on the month)
- 1 year
- 12 months = 365 days (common year) or 366 days (leap year)
- 1 decade / 1 century
- 10 years / 100 years
The Leap Year Rule
A common year has 365 days and a leap year has 366 days. A year is a leap year if it's exactly divisible by 4, but for a century year (like 1900, 2000) you also need to check whether it's exactly divisible by 400 — for instance, 2000 is a leap year (divisible by 400) but 1900 is not (not divisible by 400). In a leap year, February has 29 days, while in a common year it has 28 — this extra day is exactly what accounts for the difference between 365 and 366.
Solved Examples
Example 1 (PYQ-style): If 12 packets of pencils cost ₹362.76, find the cost of one packet. Solution: ₹362.76 = 36276 paise. One packet = 36276 ÷ 12 = 3023 paise = ₹30.23.
Example 2: Convert 3.5 kilometres to metres. Solution: 3.5 × 1000 = 3500 metres.
Example 3: A trader buys 25 quintals of wheat. How many kilograms is this? Solution: 25 × 100 = 2500 kilograms.
Using the Unitary Method
Most word problems involving money, measurement and time are solved using the unitary method — first find the value/quantity of one unit (like 1 item, 1 kg, 1 hour), then multiply by the required quantity.
Example: If 5 litres of milk costs ₹275, what will 8 litres cost? Solution: Cost of 1 litre = 275÷5 = ₹55. Cost of 8 litres = 55×8 = ₹440.
The same method solves unit-conversion problems too — for example, if an object weighs 3 kg 250 g, converting it entirely to grams means first converting the kg to grams (3×1000=3000 grams), then adding the remaining 250 grams, giving a total of 3250 grams. Mixed units (like kg-grams, hours-minutes) should always be converted into the smallest unit before adding or subtracting.
The same principle applies when calculating time — to find the interval between two clock times, it's simplest to convert both times to minutes (or seconds) first and then subtract, especially when the interval crosses the noon boundary (from am to pm).
How to Teach This to Children
Classroom activity
Run a pretend 'market' in class using play money, having students calculate the bill for buying and selling, so that adding and subtracting rupees-paise feels practical. Bringing in a real weighing scale and a measuring tape/jar for direct measurement is also effective.
Teaching aids
Play currency notes-coins, a weighing scale, a measuring tape, measuring jars, and a clock model (with moving hands) are useful. Using a real calendar to practise calculating days, weeks and months is also worthwhile.
Common misconception
Students often forget to convert the entire rupees-paise amount into paise before multiplying or dividing, leading to place-value errors — this exact trap was tested in the REET 2024 question (30.23 versus 23.30).
Assessment idea
Having students prepare a real market bill and work out the total cost as well as the cost per item is a good assessment task. Getting students to calculate durations from the class timetable is also a simple way to check their understanding of time measurement.
Memory trick / exam tip
In rupees-paise questions, first convert the entire amount into paise (multiply the ₹ amount by 100 and add the paise), then do the division/multiplication, and finally convert back to rupees-paise — this avoids decimal-place mistakes. The exam repeatedly tests exactly this trap (like 23.30 versus 30.23).
REET 2024 Questions (with Solutions)
Question 102
If 12 packets of the pencil are priced at 362 rupees 76 paise, then the price of a packet of pencil is
- A30 रुपये 23 पैसे
- B33 रुपये 30 पैसे
- C23 रुपये 30 पैसे
- D13 रुपये 23 पैसे
Explanation
362 रुपये 76 पैसे = 36276 पैसे। एक पैकेट का मूल्य = 36276 ÷ 12 = 3023 पैसे = 30 रुपये 23 पैसे। विकल्प (C) 23 रुपये 30 पैसे में अंकों का क्रम उलटा है, इसलिए गलत है।
Practice Questions
Question 1
How many metres are there in 1 kilometre?
- A1000
- B100
- C10000
- D10
Explanation
1 kilometre = 1000 metres.
Question 2
How many kilograms are there in 1 quintal?
- A100
- B1000
- C10
- D10000
Explanation
1 quintal = 100 kilograms.
Question 3
How many grams are there in 4.250 kilograms?
- A4250
- B425
- C42500
- D4025
Explanation
1 kg = 1000 grams, so 4.250 × 1000 = 4250 grams.
Question 4
If the total price of 8 items is ₹196, what is the price of one item?
- A₹24.50
- B₹25.50
- C₹20.50
- D₹24.00
Explanation
196 ÷ 8 = 24.50, so one item costs ₹24.50.
Question 5
Convert 5 hours 45 minutes into minutes only.
- A345 मिनट
- B300 मिनट
- C350 मिनट
- D400 मिनट
Explanation
5 hours = 5×60 = 300 minutes; 300+45 = 345 minutes.
Question 6
Which of the following is a leap year?
- A2024
- B2023
- C1900
- D2025
Explanation
2024 is exactly divisible by 4 (2024÷4=506), so it's a leap year. 1900 is a century year but is not divisible by 400, so it's not a leap year.
Question 7
How many quintals are there in 1 tonne?
- A10
- B100
- C1
- D1000
Explanation
1 tonne = 1000 kg, and 1 quintal = 100 kg. So 1000÷100 = 10 quintals.
Question 8
If the total price of 15 packets is ₹543.75, find the price of one packet.
- A₹36.25
- B₹35.25
- C₹37.25
- D₹25.36
Explanation
₹543.75 = 54375 paise. 54375 ÷ 15 = 3625 paise = ₹36.25. Option D has the digits reversed, which is why it's incorrect.
Question 9
Which is the most suitable activity to teach children addition-subtraction of money in the classroom?
- Aखेल-खेल में नकली नोट-सिक्कों से बाज़ार खेल खिलाना
- Bकेवल किताब से सवाल हल कराना
- Cसीधे बड़ी राशि के सवाल देना
- Dमात्रक याद कराना
Explanation
Setting up a pretend market game lets children practise adding and subtracting rupees-paise in a natural, hands-on way.
Question 10
How much time will pass from 2:45 pm to 9:15 pm?
- A6 घंटे 30 मिनट
- B6 घंटे
- C7 घंटे
- D5 घंटे 30 मिनट
Explanation
From 2:45 pm to 9:15 pm: from 2:45 to 9:45 is 7 hours, then going back 30 minutes to 9:15 gives a total time of 7 hours − 30 minutes = 6 hours 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions come from money-measurement-time in REET?+
Usually 1 question from this topic appears, often as a unitary-method word problem; REET 2024 also had 1 question.
How many kilograms are there in 1 quintal?+
1 quintal = 100 kilograms, and 1 tonne = 1000 kilograms = 10 quintals.
How do you check whether a year is a leap year?+
If the year is divisible by 4, it's a leap year, but for a century year (like 1900, 2000), it must also be divisible by 400 — for example, 2000 is a leap year, but 1900 is not.
How do you convert metres to kilometres?+
Divide the number of metres by 1000 to get kilometres (1 km = 1000 metres).
How do you avoid decimal errors when calculating with rupees-paise?+
Convert the amount entirely into paise first, do the calculation, then convert the final answer back into rupees-paise.
What's the most common method for solving money-measurement word problems?+
Most word problems are solved using the unitary method — first find the value/quantity for one unit, then multiply by the required quantity.
How many years are there in 1 century?+
1 century has 100 years, and 1 decade has 10 years.
How many millilitres are there in 1 litre?+
1 litre = 1000 millilitres (ml) — this is the standard unit used to measure liquids like medicine doses, milk and oil.
How many millimetres are there in 1 centimetre?+
1 centimetre (cm) = 10 millimetres (mm) — one of the smallest common standard units of length, used in both geometry and measurement.
How many milligrams are there in 1 gram?+
1 gram (g) = 1000 milligrams (mg) — this unit is used mainly for measuring medicine doses and extremely light objects.
How many days are there in 1 week, and where is it useful in calculations?+
1 week has 7 days; this unit is useful for solving calendar-based word problems (like finding what day of the week falls a given number of days after a date).
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Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked