Blood Relations Guide & Practice
Master family tree diagrams, pointing/introducing type, coded blood relations, and multi-generation chain problems with solved examples. Explore dynamic solver blueprints, master fundamental equations, examine step-by-step solved examples, and practice with real exam-grade mock test sets.
Practice Question Papers
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1. Fundamentals & Definitions
Blood Relation is defined as a relation between two or more individuals by virtue of their birth or marriage. Questions in this section involve analyzing a chain of relationships to determine the connection between two specific members of a family. This requires knowledge of the family structure, typically spanning three generations above and below the current one.
| Relationship | Terms Used |
|---|---|
| Father's son/Mother's son | Brother |
| Father's daughter/Mother's daughter | Sister |
| Mother's brother (younger/elder) | Maternal Uncle |
| Father's brother (younger/elder) | Uncle (Paternal) |
| Father's sister (younger/elder) | Aunt |
| Mother's sister (younger/elder) | Aunt |
| Son's wife | Daughter-in-law |
| Daughter's husband | Son-in-law |
| Sister's husband | Brother-in-law |
| Husband's brother/Wife's brother | Brother-in-law |
| Brother's wife | Sister-in-law |
| Husband's sister/Wife's sister | Sister-in-law |
| Husband's father/Wife's father | Father-in-law |
| Husband's mother/Wife's mother | Mother-in-law |
| Brother's son/Sister's son | Nephew |
| Brother's daughter/Sister's daughter | Niece |
| Uncle's daughter/Aunt's daughter | Cousin |
| Uncle's son/Aunt's son | Cousin |
| Father's father/Mother's father | Grandfather |
| Father's mother/Mother's mother | Grandmother |
| Father of grandfather or father of grandmother | Great grandfather |
| Mother of grandfather/Mother of grandmother | Great grandmother |
2. Core Concepts & Formulas
There are three main types of blood relation questions:
1. Pointing or Introducing: A person points to or introduces another person (in a photograph or physically present), and a relationship is described. The candidate must decipher this relationship.
2. Family Tree: The relationships between multiple family members are described. The candidate needs to create a family tree diagram to map out the connections and answer the specific question asked.
3. Coded Relation: Family relationships are represented by specific codes or symbols (e.g., A + B means A is the father of B). An expression of these codes is given, and the candidate must decode it to find the relationship between two members.
Tips and Tricks for Solving Problems:
- Tip 1: When a person in the question says "me" or "my", imagine yourself as that person to better understand the relationships.
- Tip 2: Never assume the gender of a person based on their name unless explicitly stated.
- Tip 3: "Only son" does not mean "only child." A person can have an only son and multiple daughters.
- Tip 4: Use pictorial representations (family trees) to systematically arrange the data. This makes it easier to track complex relationships. Use symbols like
+for male,-for female, and=for marriage.
Typical Exam Weightage
| Exam | Typical Questions |
|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | 1–2 questions |
| Banking (IBPS / SBI) | 1–2 questions |
| Railways (RRB) | 1 question |
A family-tree diagram, drawn immediately, resolves almost every question here faster than tracking relationships mentally.
Figures are typical ranges based on recent-year patterns, not a guarantee for any specific upcoming paper — always cross-check against the latest official syllabus and previous-year papers for Blood Relations.
Solved Examples
Question: Pointing to a lady, Rahul said, "She is the wife of my mother's father's only grandchild". How is the lady related to Rahul?
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
- "My mother's father" is Rahul's maternal grandfather.
- "My mother's father's only grandchild" refers to Rahul himself, as he is the only grandchild.
- The lady is the wife of that grandchild.
- Therefore, the lady is Rahul's wife.
Question: Introducing a lady at the party, Goldy told her friend, “She is the sister-in-law of my only brother, who is the father of Ganesh. Ganesh is the grandson of Navya's husband, who is my father and has only two children.” How is Ganesh related to that lady?
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
- "My father" is Goldy's father. He is also Navya's husband. Goldy's parents are Navya and the father.
- The father has "only two children," one being Goldy and the other being Goldy's "only brother."
- "My only brother, who is the father of Ganesh" means Ganesh is the son of Goldy's brother.
- The lady is the "sister-in-law of my only brother." Since Goldy's brother is married (he is a father), his sister-in-law would be his wife's sister, OR his own sister. Since the problem states the father has only two children (Goldy and her brother), the lady being introduced must be Goldy.
- The question asks for the relationship between Ganesh and the lady (Goldy).
- Ganesh is Goldy's brother's son.
- Therefore, Ganesh is the lady's (Goldy's) nephew.
Question: The relationship between family members is coded as follows:
- P $ Q implies P is the sister of Q
- P % Q implies P is the brother of Q
- P & R implies P is the mother of R
- P @ S implies P is the son of S
Find the relationship between F and D from the expression: D % C @ G F
View Detailed Solution & ExplanationHide Explanation
First, let's decode the meaning of the symbols:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| $ | Sister |
| % | Brother |
| & | Mother |
| @ | Son |
Now, let's break down the expression D % C @ G F step-by-step:
- D % C: D is the brother of C. (D is male)
- C @ G: C is the son of G. (C is male)
- G $ H: G is the sister of H. (G is female)
- H $ F: H is the sister of F. (H is female)
From this, we can deduce:
- D and C are brothers, and their parent is G (the mother, since C is her son).
- G, H, and F are all siblings.
- This makes G, H, and F the aunts or uncles of D.
- Since G and H are female (sister), they are D's aunts.
- The gender of F is not specified in the expression. F could be male or female.
Therefore, F is either an uncle or an aunt of D.