AGES

This chapter deals with determining the ages of people from different generations. Ages
problems are algebra-based word problems, in which we have to find the relation between
the past, present and future ages of people.

Age is defined as a duration of time that a person has lived, or a thing has existed. It is
measured in months, years, decades and so on.

Problems based on ages generally consists of data of ages of two or more persons and a
relation between their ages in present or future or past. Using the data, it is asked to
calculate the ages of one or more persons in present or future or past.

Important formula for solving Age problems

1. If the present age is X, then n times the age is Xn

2. If the present age is M, then n years later the age is M+n

3. If the present age is M, then n years ago the age is M-n

4. Age in ratio A/B is AX and BX respectively.

5. If present age is A then 1/n times the age is A/n.

Examples based on ages for years ago

1. Seven years ago, the ratio of the ages of Karan and Sunil was 6:5. Five years hence,
the ratio of their ages will be 11:10. What is Sunil's age at present?

Sol: K-7/S-7 = 6/5. K+5/S+5 = 11/10.

5(K-7) = 6(S-7).

5K-6S=-7 --- (1)

11(S+5) = 10(K+5)
 10K - 11S = 5 ---- (2)

Solving 1 and 2 we get

S=19 years.

2. The present age of the father is 6 times the age of his son. Four years ago, the age of
the Father was eight times the age of his son at that time. How old is the father 2
years ago?

Sol: Let F and S be the present age of father and son respectively

F=6S

F-4=8*(S-4)

6S-4 = 8S-32

2S = 28

S= 14

F=6*14 =

84

Two years ago, Father’s age is 84-2=82 years.

Examples based on present age

1. Ravi's age after 10 years will be 4 times his age 4 years back. What is the present age
of Ravi?

Sol: Let R be Ravi’s present age, R+10 = 4(R-4)

3R = 26;

R = 8.66 years.

2. The age of mother, one-decade age was thrice the age of her daughter. 5 years
hence, mother’s age will be two times that of her daughter. The proposition of
their current ages is:

Sol: Let M and D be the present age of mother and daughter respectively

M-10 = 3(D-10)

M+5=2(D+5)

M-3D = -20

M-2D = 5

-D=-25; D=25 years

M =5+50=55 years
 D/M = 25/55 = 5/11.

Problems based on ages for years hence

1. The ratio between the present ages of P and Q is 5: 6 respectively. If the difference
between Q's present age and P's age after 6 years is 3, what is the total of P's and Q's
present ages?

Sol: P/Q = 5/6

Q-(P+6) = 3

Q-P=9, x=9

11x= 11*9=99 years.

Practice questions set 1
1. Rishabh is 10 years elder than
Ram. If 5 years ago, Rishabh was
4 times as old as Ram was, then
find Rishabh's present age?
A. 18.33 years
B. 19.2 years
C. 18.7 years
D. 19.4 years
2. Apoorva is 40 years old and
Rohan is 60 years old. How many
years ago was the ratio of their
ages 3: 5?
A. 10 years
B. 15 years
C. 20 years
D. 25 years
3. The age of mother is thrice that
of her daughter. After 12 years,
the age of the mother will be
twice that of her daughter. What
is the present age of the daughter
and mother?
A. 10, 30
B. 5, 15
C. 20, 60
D. 12, 36
4. My brother is 4 years elder to me.
My father was 26 years of age
when my sister was born while
my mother was 24 years of age
when I was born. If my sister was
6 years of age when my brother
was born, then what was the age
of my father when my brother
was born?
A. 30
B. 32
C. 34
D. 36
5. The present ages of A, B and C
are in proportions 4:6:11. Eight
years ago, the sum of their ages
was 18. What are their present
ages (in years)?
A. 8:12:23
B. 8:12:22
C. 7:12:21
D. 4:6:10
6. Leela is as much younger than
Manish as he is older than Naga.
If the sum of the ages of Manish
and Naga is 40 years, what is the
difference between Manish and
Leela ‘s age?
A. 3 yrs.
B. 2 yrs.
C. 5 yrs.
D. Cannot be determined
7. Mr. X has three sons namely P, Q
and R. P is the eldest son of Mr. X
while R is the youngest one. The
present ages of all three of them
are square numbers the sum of
their ages after 5 years is 44.
What is the age of P after three
years?
A. 15 years
B. 13 years
C. 19 years
D. 17 years
8. The present age of a son is 50%
of his father age. And the age of
his mother is 200% of his age.
The average age of three
members is 45. Find the present
age of mother.
A. 54 years
B. 22 years
C. 20 years
D. 44 years
9. Fifteen years ago, a father was
thrice as old as his son. Now the
father is only twice as old as his
son. Then the present ages of the
son and the father is:
A. 30, 60
B. 20, 40
C. 40, 80
D. None of these
 10. Two years ago, Priya was three A. 7/4
times as old as her daughter B. 8/3
Sona. 5 years hence, Priya’s age C. 7/3
will exceed her daughter’s age by D. 8/5
8 years. The ratio of the present
ages of Priya and her daughter is?

Practice questions set 2

1. One year ago, ratio of Sriram and is 1: 1. If at present, the ratio of

Sairam's ages was 3: 4 their ages is 7: 3, then find the
respectively. After 5 years, this ratio between Sushma’s age 4
ratio becomes 4: 5. How old is years hence and Rahul’s age 4
Sairam? years ago?
A. 22 years A. 28: 3
B. 21 years B. 27: 5
C. 25 years C. 29: 1
D. 16 years D. 30: 7

2. What is Jawad's age after 40 6. 15 years ago, my Uncle was 6

years, if after 20 years his age will
be 10 times his age 10 years back.
A. 52.6 years
B. 53.3 years
C. 63.4 years
D. 42.4 years
3. Age of mother 5 years ago was 5
times the age of her son. After 15
years, mother’s age will be thrice
that of her son. Find the ratio of
their present ages.
A. 33: 2
B. 31: 4
C. 11: 2
D. 21: 5
4. Sharu’s age is 1/5th of her father
age. Sharu’s father's age will be
thrice of Chirag's age after 10
years. If Chirag’s 8th birthday
was celebrated 2 years ago. Then
what is the present age of Sharu?
A. 5
B. 10
C. 15
D. 20
5. The ratio of Sushma's age 3 years
ago and Rahul’s age after 3 years
times older than me. After 10
years from today, my uncle will
be twice as old as I will be at 20
years hence. What is the ratio of
my age and my uncle ‘s age?
A. 1: 13
B. 1: 12
C. 3: 14
D. 2: 13
7. Ratio of the ages of A and B is 6:
x. A is 20 years younger to C.
After 8 years C will be 50 years
old. If the difference between the
ages of B and A is same as the
age of C, what is the value of x?
A. 13.5
B. 12.35
C. 14.5
D. 17.45
8. Sitara ‘s present age is 1(3/5)
times of her age at the time of
marriage. She married 15 yrs.
ago. Now she has a son whose
age is 1 more than 2/5th of her
age at the time of marriage. Find
the age of son?
A. 7 years
B. 9 years
 C. 11 years C. 67.54
D. 13 years D. 68.1

9. Rohit’s present age is four times
his son’s present age and he is
three-fifth of his father’s present
age. The average of the present
ages of all of them is 45 years.
What is the difference between
the Rohit’s son’s present age and
Rohit’s father’s present age?
A. 66.56
B. 65.57
10. Two years ago, Priya was three
times as old as her daughter
Sona. 5 years hence, Priya’s age
will exceed her daughter’s age by
8 years. The ratio of the present
ages of Priya and her daughter is?
A. 7: 4
B. 8: 3
C. 7: 3
D. 8: 5