As old as you at your birth — Aptitude Question
As old as you at your birth: A father tells his son, 'I was as old as you are now at the time of your birth.' If… Answer and worked solution on CodeKairo.
- Topic: Problems on Ages
- Section: Quantitative Aptitude
- Difficulty: Medium
- Time target: 90 seconds
Question
A father tells his son, 'I was as old as you are now at the time of your birth.' If the father is 38 now, what was the son's age five years back?
Options
- 14
- 19
- 24
- 33
Show the answer and the worked solution
Correct answer: A. 14
Worked solution
- The father's age when the son was born is the difference between their ages, 38 − s.
- The statement says that equals the son's present age: 38 − s = s → s = 19.
- Five years back the son was 19 − 5 = 14.
Answer: 14.
The idea
Turn the sentence into an equation about the age difference, then answer the question actually asked — 19 is the present age and is offered as the trap.
Shortcut. If the father was the son's present age when the son was born, the father is now exactly twice the son: 38 ÷ 2 = 19, and five years back 14.
Common trap. 19 is the son's present age; a hurried candidate halves 38 and stops before taking off the five years the question asks about.