diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/timedout_test.yml b/changelogs/fragments/timedout_test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7784b691da5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/timedout_test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - timedout test for checking if a task result represents a 'timed out' task.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
index fa09611578f..932a33cfec0 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/task_executor.py
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ class TaskExecutor:
                 return dict(unreachable=True, msg=to_text(e))
             except TaskTimeoutError as e:
                 msg = 'The %s action failed to execute in the expected time frame (%d) and was terminated' % (self._task.action, self._task.timeout)
-                return dict(failed=True, msg=msg, timedout=e.frame)
+                return dict(failed=True, msg=msg, timedout={'frame': e.frame, 'period': self._task.timeout})
             finally:
                 if self._task.timeout:
                     signal.alarm(0)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
index a01e0d9950d..ed357a4bbaf 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/core.py
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ except ImportError:
 display = Display()
 
 
+def timedout(result):
+    ''' Test if task result yields a time out'''
+    if not isinstance(result, MutableMapping):
+        raise errors.AnsibleFilterError("The 'timedout' test expects a dictionary")
+    return result.get('timedout', False) and result['timedout'].get('period', False)
+
+
 def failed(result):
     ''' Test if task result yields failed '''
     if not isinstance(result, MutableMapping):
@@ -263,6 +270,7 @@ class TestModule(object):
             'successful': success,
             'reachable': reachable,
             'unreachable': unreachable,
+            'timedout': timedout,
 
             # changed testing
             'changed': changed,
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/test/timedout.yml b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/timedout.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..735a8161db8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/test/timedout.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+DOCUMENTATION:
+  name: timedout
+  author: Ansible Core
+  version_added: "2.18"
+  short_description: did the task time out
+  description:
+    - Tests if task finished ended due to a time out
+  options:
+    _input:
+      description: registered result from an Ansible task
+      type: dictionary
+      required: True
+EXAMPLES: |
+  # test 'status' to know how to respond
+  {{ taskresults is timedout }}
+
+RETURN:
+  _value:
+    description: A dictionary with 2 keys 'frame' showing the 'frame of code' in which the timeout occurred and 'period' with the time limit that was enforced.
+    type: dict
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
index 7c4ed65e48b..0e173ac5c0a 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/test_core/tasks/main.yml
@@ -368,3 +368,18 @@
       - "'files/notvault' is not vaulted_file"
       - "'files/vault1' is vaulted_file"
       - "'files/vault2' is vaulted_file"
+
+
+- name: test timeout test
+  tags:
+  - timeout
+  block:
+  - command: sleep 5
+    timeout: 3
+    register: timed
+    ignore_errors: true
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - timed is timedout
+        - timed['timedout'].get('period', 0) == 3