12 years ago, the average age of a man and his wife was 25 years. Currently, their child's age is 7 years. What is the average age of the entire family (in years)?

1. A

   27

2. B

   28

3. C

   24

4. D

   23

Appeared in: CGHS SSC - 2018

Explanation

• The sum of the couple's ages 12 years ago was 25 (average) × 2 = 50 years.
• Their current combined age is the sum from 12 years ago plus the age increase for both individuals: 50 + (12 × 2) = 74 years.
• The total age of the family (including the 7-year-old child) is now 74 + 7 = 81 years.
• The average age of the three family members is the total age divided by the number of members: 81 / 3 = 27 years.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: This value likely results from a calculation error, such as incorrectly summing the total age to 84 (28 × 3) instead of 81.
• Option C: This value may arise from multiple calculation errors. For example, if one incorrectly calculated the family's total age as 72 (24 x 3).
• Option D: This is a common error that occurs when the 12-year increase is added only once, instead of for both the man and his wife. The calculation would be: (50 + 12 + 7) / 3 = 69 / 3 = 23.

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Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Calculation of Average Age as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• This question tests basic mathematical aptitude and logical reasoning, which are essential skills for nurses in various calculations, such as medication dosage, IV drip rates, and patient data interpretation.
• Accuracy in calculation is critical in nursing to ensure patient safety and effective treatment.
• What if? If the question stated the average age of the family including the child was 25 years 7 years ago, the approach would change. You would calculate the total age then (253=75) and add the age increase for all three members (75 + 37 = 96) to find the current total age, then divide by 3 to get the current average (96/3 = 32).

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the initial information: the average age of a specific group (man and wife) at a past point in time (12 years ago).
• Calculate the sum of their ages at that past time by multiplying the average age by the number of people.
• Update this sum to the present day by adding the elapsed years for each person in the group.
• Incorporate any new members by adding their current age to the updated sum.
• Finally, calculate the new average by dividing the total current sum of ages by the new total number of people in the group.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Calculation of Average Age
• Stem keywords: average age, man, wife, child, 12 years ago
• Lead-in keywords: What is
• Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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