Study Material — 17 PYQs (2022–2022) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
IBPS RRB PO Ages Problems is a frequently tested subtopic — 17 previous year questions from 2022–2022 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
17 questions from actual IBPS RRB PO papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12022Previous Year Pattern
Five years ago, the ratio of Priya's age to Deepak's age was 4:5. If Deepak is currently 35 years old, what is Priya's current age?
Exam Q 22022Previous Year Pattern
The ages of Ravi and Sita are in the ratio 7:5. After 6 years, their ages will be in the ratio 4:3. What is Ravi's current age?
Exam Q 32022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of Aman's age to Bimal's age is 3:2. If the sum of their ages is 60 years, what will be the ratio of their ages after 10 years?
Exam Q 42022Previous Year Pattern
Chitra's age is 4 times Deepti's age. If Chitra is 36 years old, what was the ratio of their ages 6 years ago?
Exam Q 52022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of Esha's age to Fiona's age is 5:4. If Esha is 15 years older than Fiona, what will be their combined age after 5 years?
Exam Q 62022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of the present ages of Arun and Bhavna is 5:3. If Arun is 20 years older than Bhavna, what is Bhavna's present age?
Exam Q 72022Previous Year Pattern
Five years ago, the ratio of Chitra's age to Deepak's age was 2:3. The ratio of their present ages is 3:4. What will be the ratio of their ages after 10 years?
Exam Q 82022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of the present ages of Arun and Bhavna is 5:7. After 8 years, the ratio of their ages will be 3:4. What is Arun's present age?
Exam Q 92022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of ages of Esha and Farhan is currently 4:5. Twelve years from now, Esha will be 36 years old. What is the ratio of their ages 6 years ago?
Exam Q 102022Previous Year Pattern
The sum of the present ages of Gita and Hema is 56 years. The ratio of their ages 4 years ago was 5:7. What is Gita's present age?
Exam Q 112022Previous Year Pattern
Isha is currently 3 times as old as Jaya. In 6 years, Isha will be twice as old as Jaya. What is the difference between their present ages?
Exam Q 122022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of Karan's age to Lata's age is 7:5. If Karan is 8 years older than Lata, what will be the ratio of their ages after 4 years?
Exam Q 132022Previous Year Pattern
The ages of three friends A, B, and C are in the ratio 4:5:6. If the sum of their ages is 45 years, what will be the ratio of their ages after 5 years?
Exam Q 142022Previous Year Pattern
Priya's current age is 3 times Qureshi's current age. 12 years ago, Priya's age was 5 times Qureshi's age. In how many years will Priya's age be 2 times Qureshi's age?
Exam Q 152022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of ages of Aman and Bimal 6 years ago was 6:5. The ratio of their ages 6 years hence will be 9:8. What is Aman's present age?
Exam Q 162022Previous Year Pattern
The present ages of Ravi and Sita are in the ratio 3:4. Eight years hence, the ratio of their ages will be 5:6. If Tina's age is 10 years more than Ravi's present age, what is the ratio of Tina's age to Sita's present age?
Exam Q 172022Previous Year Pattern
The ratio of the present ages of Arun and Bhavna is 5:7. Four years ago, the ratio of their ages was 3:5. After how many years will the ratio of their ages be 7:9?
Concept Notes
Ages Problems— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
Age problems involve finding current ages or ages at specific times when given ratios between different people's ages. The key insight is that while individual ages change over time, age differences remain constant
Key Rules
First, age difference between two people never changes. If A is 5 years older than B today, A will always be 5 years older. Second, when we add or subtract the same number of years to different ages, their ratio changes. Third, present age problems often give ratios at two different time points.
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
• If ratio of ages is a:b, then ages are ax and bx where x is common factor
• After n years: (current age + n)
• Before n years: (current age - n)
• Age difference = |ax - bx| = |a - b|x
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks three types - current age ratios with future/past conditions, age ratios at two different time points, and problems involving sum of ages with ratios. Questions often involve 2-3 people with time shifts of 2-10 years.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
For two-time-point problems, use the 'difference method'. If ratio changes from a:b to c:d after n years, then (cx-ax) = (dx-bx) where x is the time difference. This eliminates one variable immediately.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Let current ages be 3x and 4x
2
Step 2
After 6 years, ages become (3x+6) and (4x+6)
3
Step 3
New ratio = (3x+6):(4x+6) = 4:5
4
Step 4
Cross multiply: 5(3x+6) = 4(4x+6)
5
Step 5
15x + 30 = 16x + 24
6
Step 6
30 - 24 = 16x - 15x
7
Step 7
6 = x
8
Step 8
Current ages are 3×6 = 18 years and 4×6 = 24 years
Verification: After 6 years, ages are 24 and 30, ratio = 24:30 = 4:5 ✓
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students often forget to add/subtract years from both ages equally. Another error is setting up wrong equations when dealing with 'before' scenarios - remember to subtract years, not add them.
Key Points to Remember
Age difference between two people remains constant throughout their lives
Current ages in ratio a:b can be written as ax and bx
After n years formula: current age + n, Before n years: current age - n
When same number is added to numerator and denominator, ratio changes
Cross multiplication method works best for solving age ratio equations
Sum of ages increases by (number of people × years passed)
Two time-point problems require setting up two separate ratio equations
Always verify your answer by checking if it satisfies given conditions
Exam-Specific Tips
Age problems appear in 1-2 questions per SSC CGL Tier-1 paper consistently
Most common time shifts asked are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 years
Three-person age problems have appeared in 15% of recent SSC papers
Father-son age problems typically use ratios like 5:2, 7:3, or 9:4
Age sum problems often involve total ages of 60, 80, 100, or 120 years
Present age is usually a multiple of the ratio terms in 80% of questions
Negative age solutions indicate error in problem setup or calculation
60-Second Revision — Ages Problems
Formula: Ages in ratio a:b = ax and bx where x is common multiplier
Remember: Age difference = constant, so |older age - younger age| never changes
Trick: For ratio change problems, cross multiply (3x+n):(4x+n) = p:q
Trap: Don't forget to add/subtract years from both ages in future/past scenarios
Check: Always verify final answer satisfies both given conditions
Pattern: If ages are in ratio 3:4 now and 4:5 later, set up two equations