Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2301:30 AM EDT
-02:30 AM EDT
Struggling with GMAT Verbal as a non-native speaker? Harsh improved his score from 595 to 695 in just 45 days—and scored a 99 %ile in Verbal (V88)! Learn how smart strategy, clarity, and guided prep helped him gain 100 points.
Apr 2308:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Video explanations + diagnosis of 10 weakest areas + 150+ short videos + study plan!
Apr 2512:30 AM EDT
-01:30 AM EDT
At one point, she believed GMAT wasn’t for her. After scoring 595, self-doubt crept in and she questioned her potential. But instead of quitting, she made the right strategic changes. The result? A remarkable comeback to 695. Check out how Saakshi did it.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
B
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
79% (02:24) correct
21%
(03:01)
wrong
based on 70
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Two trains are traveling in the same direction. The 160-meter-long train travels at 48 km/h, and the 240-meter-long train travels at 72 km/h. How long will it take for the faster train to overtake the slower one, from the moment the front of the faster train reaches the back of the slower train to the moment the last carriage of the faster train clears the front of the slower one?
A. 50 seconds
B. 60 seconds
C. 70 seconds
D. 80 seconds
E. 90 seconds
A. 50 seconds
B. 60 seconds
C. 70 seconds
D. 80 seconds
E. 90 seconds
Experience GMAT Club Test Questions
Yes, you've landed on a GMAT Club Tests question
Craving more? Unlock our full suite of GMAT Club Tests here
Want to experience more? Get a taste of our tests with our free trial today
Rise to the challenge with GMAT Club Tests. Happy practicing!
M47-34
14 Feb 2026, 13:30
Kudos
Bookmarks
Bunuel
GMAT Club Official Solution:
During the overtake, the faster train must gain 160 + 240 = 400 meters relative to the slower train.
Relative speed = 72 - 48 = 24 km/h = 24 * 1000/3600 = 20/3 m/s.
Time = 400/(20/3) = 400 * 3/20 = 60 seconds.
Answer: B.
General Discussion
06 Feb 2026, 11:43
Kudos
Bookmarks
This is a relative speed problem involving train lengths, and the trick is figuring out exactly what distance the faster train needs to cover relative to the slower one.
Step 1: Understand what "overtake" means here.
The problem says: from the moment the front of the faster train reaches the back of the slower train, to the moment the last carriage of the faster train clears the front of the slower one. That means the faster train needs to travel the entire length of the slower train PLUS its own entire length, relative to the slower train.
Step 2: Calculate the total relative distance.
Total distance = length of slower train + length of faster train = 160 + 240 = 400 meters.
Step 3: Calculate relative speed.
Since both trains move in the same direction:
Relative speed = 72 - 48 = 24 km/h.
Convert to m/s: 24 × 1000/3600 = 20/3 m/s ≈ 6.67 m/s.
Step 4: Calculate time.
Time = Distance ÷ Speed = 400 ÷ (20/3) = 400 × 3/20 = 60 seconds.
Answer: B (60 seconds)
Common trap: The biggest mistake is only adding one train's length instead of both. Students think "the faster train just needs to pass the slower one," so they use only 160 meters (the slower train's length). But re-read the problem: it asks until the LAST carriage of the faster train clears the FRONT of the slower one — so the faster train's full 240 meters also need to clear.
Takeaway: On train-passing problems, always sketch a quick diagram and ask: what is the starting position and ending position of the reference point? The total relative distance is always the sum of both objects' lengths when one fully passes the other.
Step 1: Understand what "overtake" means here.
The problem says: from the moment the front of the faster train reaches the back of the slower train, to the moment the last carriage of the faster train clears the front of the slower one. That means the faster train needs to travel the entire length of the slower train PLUS its own entire length, relative to the slower train.
Step 2: Calculate the total relative distance.
Total distance = length of slower train + length of faster train = 160 + 240 = 400 meters.
Step 3: Calculate relative speed.
Since both trains move in the same direction:
Relative speed = 72 - 48 = 24 km/h.
Convert to m/s: 24 × 1000/3600 = 20/3 m/s ≈ 6.67 m/s.
Step 4: Calculate time.
Time = Distance ÷ Speed = 400 ÷ (20/3) = 400 × 3/20 = 60 seconds.
Answer: B (60 seconds)
Common trap: The biggest mistake is only adding one train's length instead of both. Students think "the faster train just needs to pass the slower one," so they use only 160 meters (the slower train's length). But re-read the problem: it asks until the LAST carriage of the faster train clears the FRONT of the slower one — so the faster train's full 240 meters also need to clear.
Takeaway: On train-passing problems, always sketch a quick diagram and ask: what is the starting position and ending position of the reference point? The total relative distance is always the sum of both objects' lengths when one fully passes the other.
