Quantitative Aptitude

P R O B L E M BASED ON AGES
In "Problems based on ages" usually relationships
between the ages of two or more persons at two different time are given and we are required to find the ages
of these persons. Such problems can be solved by the
knowledge of "Linear Equations". However, in certain
cases we can find short-cut methods of deriving direct
formulae. This will save lot of precious time. Timescale is divided into three parts-past, present and
future. Problems usually state the relaUonship between ages of persons for two out of three parts of
time-scale. These relationships are either in the form
of ratio of their ages or alternatively as number of times
one's age is of the other. Sometimes, instead of stating the ratio of ages of two persons for two different
parts of time scale, only one such relationship is given. The other condition is stated in one of these formssum of their ages, difference of their ages or product of
their ages. The main point that we have to see (e.g., in
case of two persons) that there are two unknowns (ages
of two persons) to be found and hence we must have
two unique relationships to solve these problems. Although types of problems on ages can be too many, we
will try to cover here all those types of problems which
are commonly asked in competitive exams.
Ex. 1. The age of father 3 years ago was 8 times
the age of his son. Presently the father's age is 5 times
that of the son. Find their present ages.
Sol. Let the present age of son be x years.
Then, the present age of father
= 5xyears.
3 years ago,
Son's age = (x - 3) years
Father's age = ( 5 x - 3) years
But 3 years ago the father's age was 8 Umes that
of his son. Therefore, we can write
8 (x-3) = 5x- 3
or, 8 x - 24 = 5 x - 3
or, 3x = 21
or, x = 7 years
and 5x = 35 years
We get the present age of son = 7 years
and the present age of father = 35 years Ans.

Ex. 10. The sum of the ages of a mother and her

daughter is 40 years. Six years hence mother will be
thrice as old as her daughter. Find their present ages.
Sol. Let daughter's present age = x years
Then, mother's present age = 40 - xyears
6 years hence :
Daughter's age = (x + 6) years
Mother's age = (40 - x + 6) years
According to the question.
40 - x + 6 = 3 (x + 6)
or. 4 6 - 18 = 4x
or. x = 7 years

EXERCISE
1. In a family, the average age of a father and a
mother is 35 years. The average age of the father,
mother and their only son is 27 years. What is
the age of the son ?
(1) 12 years
(2) 11 years
(3) 10.5 years
(4) 10 years
2. The present average age of a family of four members is 36 years. If the present ago of the youngest member of the family be 12 years, the average
age of the family at the birth of the youngest
number was
(1)48 years
(2) 40 years
(3) 32 years
(4) 24 years
3. The present ages of A and B are in the ratio 4 : 5
and after 5 years they will be in the ratio 5 : 6.
The present age of A is
(1) 10 years
(2) 20 years
(3) 25 years
(4) 40 years
4. Four years ago, the ratio of A's age to B's age was
1 1 : 1 4 and four years later their ages will be in
the ratio 13 : 16. The present age of A is
(1)48 years
(2) 26 years
(3) 44 years
(4) 28 years
5. There were 24 students in a class. One of them,
who was 18 years old, left the class and his place
was filled up by a newcomer. If the average of the
class thereby, was lowered by one month, the age
of the newcomer is
(1)14 years

(2) 15 years
(3) 16 years
(4) 17 years
6. The sum of the ages of a father and his son is 100
years now. 5 years ago their ages were in the ratio of 2 : 1. T h e ratio of the ages of father and son
after 10 years will be
(1) 5 : 3
(2) 4 : 3
(3) 1 0 : 7
(4) 3 : 5
7. 5 years ago, the average age of A, B, C and D was
45 years. With E joining them now, the average
age of all the five is 49 years. How old is E ?
(1)25 years
(2) 40 years
(3) 45 years
(4) 64 years

8. In a family the average age of father and mother

is 38 years whereas the average age of father,
mother and their only daughter is 28 years. Then
the age of the daughter is :
( 1 ) 5 years

(2) 6 years

(3) 8 years

(4) 10 years

9. T h e average age of 30 boys in a class is 15 years.

One boy aged 20 years, left the class, but two
new boys came in his place whose ages differ by 5
years. If the average age of all the boys now in the
class still remains 15 years, the age of the younger newcomer is :
(1) 20 years
(3) 10 years

(2) 15 years
(4) 8 years

10. Harsha is 40 years old and Rita is 60 years old.

How many years ago was the ratio of their ages
3:5?
(1) 10 years
(2) 20 years
(3) 37 years

(4) 5 years

her daughter in age. If the total age of the two

then be 60 years, what is the present age of the
daughter ?
(1) 16 years
(3) 12 years

( 2 ) 2 0 years
(4) 4 years

12. The ratio of the present ages of Suresh and Anil

is 7 : 8. If 4 years ago, the ratio of their ages be
5 : 6, then find the present age of Anil.
(1) 16 years
(2) 14 years
(3) 10 years
(4) 12 years
13. Present age of Rahul is 5 years less than Ritu's
present age. If 3 years ago Ritu's age was x, which
of the following represents Rahul's present age ?
(l)x+3
(2)x-2
(3) x-3 + 8

(4) x+ 3 + 8

14. The total age of A and B is 12 years more than

that of total age of B and C. C is how many years
younger than A ?
(1) C is elder than A

(2)24

(3)12
(4) Data inadequate
15. The ratio between the present ages of M and N is
5 : 3 respectively. The ratio between Ms age 4
years ago and ATs age after 4 years is 1 : 1. What
is the ratio between iVfs age after 4 years and ATs
age 4 years ago ?
(1) 2 : 1

(2) 1 : 3

(3) 4 : 1

(4) 3 : 1

ANSWERS
1.(2)
6.(1)
11. (2)

2. (3)
7. (3)
12. (2)

3.(2)
8. (3)
13. (2)

4.(1)
9. (2)
14. 13)

5. (3)
10.(1)
15. (4)