The worked question on this page is original educational practice. It is not represented as a question from an official previous-year examination paper.
01 / UNDERSTANDING
Review the question
Build original two-leg journeys and ask for total time before average speed. Include a waiting period in a later version to test whether elapsed time is read accurately.
02 / UNDERSTANDING
The concept in context
For equal distances, the slower leg takes longer and pulls average speed below the simple mean. For equal times, the arithmetic mean of the speeds does work. Start from actual distance and time totals whenever uncertain; this method remains valid across waiting periods and journeys with more than two stages.
03 / UNDERSTANDING
A worked learning case
Original educational case. A trainee travels 60 km at 30 km/h and returns the same 60 km at 60 km/h. The legs take two hours and one hour. Total distance is 120 km and total time three hours, giving 40 km/h average speed. The simple mean of 45 km/h ignores the longer duration spent at the slower speed.
ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE
Try it before you check.
Original practice: A vehicle covers 90 km in 1.5 hours. What is its average speed?
Show the answer and reasoning
60 km/h.
Divide total distance by total time: 90 ÷ 1.5 = 60 km/h. The time is already in hours, so no further conversion is needed. If it had been given as ninety minutes, conversion to 1.5 hours would come first. Keeping the units visible prevents an answer that mixes minutes with kilometres per hour.
Two traps to watch for.
- Averaging speeds directly for equal-distance journeys.
- Using minutes with a speed quoted per hour.
YOUR TOPIC-SPECIFIC LEARNING MAP
Learn from the attempt
Label each leg’s distance and time.
Convert all times to one unit.
Divide total distance by total elapsed time.
Explain the idea, apply it to a new situation, then check what changed in your reasoning.
BANKERS TUTORIAL · SOURCE NOTES
Keep the source alongside your notes.
Official links provide subject context and authoritative reference material. This guide’s explanation, scenario and question are original Bankers Tutorial learning content.
- sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/web/careers/current-openings
- sbi.bank.in https://sbi.bank.in/webfiles/uploads/files_2627/09/SBI_JA-Customer_Support_Sales-IH_Pre-2026-27_Eng.pdf
For SBI preparation, check the current official notice before relying on changing dates, rules or examination requirements.
