Blood relation reasoning involves in reaching the conclusion by applying the rules of relationships within a family structure, often through direct or coded questions, and mastering it requires understanding familial connections and practicing logical deductions.
A blood relation test, also known as a "Blood Relation Problem" is a type of puzzle that tests a person's ability to understand and reason about the relationships between different members of a family. Reasoning questions on blood relations are asked in many competitive exams like SBI PO, Railway Recruitment Board (NTPC), Railway Recruitment Board Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP), IBPS Regional Rural Banks (RRB) and many others
In this article, We have covered the Concepts for Blood relation reasoning, types of blood relations, and tips for solving good relation reasoning questions. Practice questions and many more.
Let's dive into the concepts of blood relation reasoning.
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Understanding Blood Relation Concepts
In reasoning , Blood relation is one of the most asked questions in competitive exams. To Understand the blood relation concepts, We must have the full grasp over the relationships and connections within a family which is given as the following:
- Parental Relations:
- Siblings:
- Grandparents:
- Grandfather (GF), Grandmother (GM)
- Marital Relations:
- Children:
While solving reasoning question on Blood Relation , Visualizing relationships through family trees is a common method to understand the questions better.

Common Types of Blood Relation Questions
1. Pointing or Introducing
In these questions, individuals are introduced or described using their relationships to others. The goal is to identify the relationship between the individuals mentioned.
Example: A woman introduces a man as her "father's brother's son." How is the man related to the woman's father?
2. Family Tree
These questions provide a diagram of a family tree, and you're asked to determine relationships based on the given information.
Example: In a family tree, A is the father of B, B is the sister of C, and C is the mother of D. What is the relationship between A and D?
3. Coded Relations
In these questions, relationships are represented by codes, and you're given a set of rules or equations to decipher the codes.
Example: In a coded blood relation system, M represents Mother, F represents Father, S represents Son, and D represents Daughter. Translate the code MFS: FMSD.
4. Mixed Blood Relations
These questions involve a combination of the above types, often mixing pointing, family tree, and coded relations.
Example: A man points to a woman in a photograph and says, "Her mother's brother is my mother's father's only son." How is the girl's mother related to the man?
5. Puzzle-Based Blood Relation
These questions present a puzzle or scenario involving blood relations and require you to solve the puzzle using logical reasoning.
Example: In a family of six, there are three generations. The grandfather has two sons and one daughter. Each son has two children, and the daughter has one child. How many grandchildren does the grandfather have?
6. Single-Person Blood Relation
These questions focus on determining the relationship between a single individual and another person based on the given information.
Example: A woman says, "My brother's son's sister is my niece." What is the relationship between the woman and her niece?
Tips for Blood Relation Reasoning Questions
The following are the tips and tricks for solving Questions on Blood relations.
Tip No 1. Considering "Me" as the Introducing Person
This is a crucial tip, especially for questions where individuals are introduced relative to the speaker. By assuming the role of the speaker, you can easily determine the relationships between the mentioned individuals.
Tip No 2. Checking All Options Carefully in Coded Relations
In coded blood relation problems, it's essential to consider all options, including gender possibilities. Eliminate options that contradict the given information to narrow down the correct answer.
Tip No 3. Avoiding Gender Assumptions
Unless explicitly stated, never assume a person's gender based on their name. Stick to the provided information to avoid erroneous conclusions.
Tip No 4. Interpreting "Only Son" or "Only Daughter"
"Only son" or "only daughter" doesn't necessarily mean an individual has no other siblings. They could have one or more siblings of the opposite gender.
Tip No 5. Identifying the Two Persons of Interest
Determine the two individuals whose relationship needs to be established. Then, analyze the relationships between other family members to identify the connection between the two.
Tip No 6. Correlating Given Relations with Personal Relations
Connect the relationships mentioned in the question with personal relationships you're familiar with. This enhances understanding and simplifies the problem-solving process.
Tip No 7. Utilizing Pictorial Representation
Visualizing relationships through diagrams or family trees is an effective strategy. It helps organize the information and facilitates a systematic approach to solving the problem.
Remember, consistent practice and exposure to diverse blood relation problems will significantly improve your problem-solving skills.
Different Blood Relation Terms
The following are the different terms used in blood relations reasoning question:

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) | Paternal Uncle |
Father's sister (younger/elder) | Maternal Aunt |
Mother's sister (younger/elder) | Paternal Aunt |
Son's wife | Daughter-in-law |
Daughter's husband | Son-in-law |
Sister's husband | Brother-in-law |
Brother's wife | Sister-in-law |
Husband's brother/Wife's brother | Brother-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 | Paternal Grandfather |
Mother's father | Maternal Grandfather |
Father's mother | Paternal Grandmother |
Mother's mother | Maternal Grandmother |
Father of grandfather /father of grandmother | Great grandfather |
Mother of grandfather/Mother of grandmother | Great grandmother |
Sample Blood Relation Reasoning Questions
You can also used different symbols for conveniency while solving blood relation reasoning Problems.
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Question 1. A woman introduces a man as the son of the brother of her mother. How is the man related to the woman?
(a) Brother
(b) Uncle
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (d) Cousin
Explanation:
Woman's mother's brother is her maternal uncle.
The man is the son of her maternal uncle => Cousin .
Question 2. If A is the brother of B, C is the sister of B, and B is the father of D, how is D related to A?
(a) Nephew/Niece
(b) Niece
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Nephew/Niece
Explanation:
A is the brother of B => A and B are siblings.
C is the sister of B => A,B,C are siblings.
B is the father of D => D is nephew / niece for both A and B
Question 3. If A is the mother of B, B is the son of C, and C is the brother of D, how is D related to A?
(a) Brother-in-law
(b) Uncle
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Brother-in-law
Explanation:
A is the mother of B => A is a female.
B is the son of C => C is a parent (Mother/Father) of B.
C is the brother of D => C is a male and C is B's Father => D is B's Uncle/Aunt and A's Brother-in-law/Sister-in-law
Question 4. If A is the sister of B, B is the daughter of C, and C is the wife of D, how is D related to A?
(a) Father
(b) Uncle
(c) Grand Father
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Father
Explanation:
A is the sister of B => A and B are siblings.
B is the daughter of C => C is the mother of A and B .
C is the wife of D => D is husband to C => D is A's and B's Father.
Question 5. If A is the husband of B, B is the mother of C, and C is the wife of D, how is A related to D?
(a) Father-in-law
(b) Grandfather
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Father-in-law
Explanation:
A is husband of B.
B is mother of C => A is father of C.
C is wife of D => D is son-in-law of A / A is father-in-law of D.
Question 6. If A is the brother of B, B is the son of C, and C is the daughter of D, how is D related to A?
(a) Uncle
(b) Grandfather
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (b) Grandfather
Explanation:
A is brother of B => A and B are siblings.
B is the son of C => C is a parent(Mother/Father) of A and B .
C is the daughter of D => C is mother of A and B => D is grandparent (Grandfather/Grandmother) to A.
Question 7. If A is the sister of B, B is the daughter of C, C is the wife of D, and D is the brother of E, how is E related to A?
(a) Uncle
(b) Grandfather
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Uncle
Explanation:
A is sister of B => A and B are siblings.
B is the daughter of C => C is a Parent(Mother/Father) of A and B.
C is the wife of D => C is the mother and D is the father of A and B.
D is the brother of E => E is Paternal Uncle/Aunt for A and B.
Question 8. If A is the brother of B, B is the son of C, C is the daughter of D, and D is the wife of E, how is E related to B?
(a) Uncle
(b) Grandfather
(c) Mother
(d) Grandmother
Answer: (b) Grandfather
Explanation:
A is brother of B => A and B are siblings.
B is the son of C => C is a Parent of A and B.
C is the daughter of D => C is mother of A and B => D is Maternal Grandparent for A and B.
D is the wife of E => D is the Maternal Grandmother and E is the Maternal Grandfather for A and B.
Question 9. If A is the sister of B, B is the daughter of C, C is the wife of D, and D is the brother of E, how is E related to C?
(a) Brother-in-law
(b) Grandfather
(c) Nephew
(d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Brother-in-law
Explanation:
A is sister of B => A and B are siblings.
B is daughter of C => C is parent for A and B.
C is wife of D => C is mother and D is father for A and B.
D is brother of E => E is Brother-in-law/Sister - in -law for C.
Question 10. Introducing a boy, a girl said, “He is the only son of my mother’s mother. How is the girl related to the boy?
(a) Mother
(b) Aunt
(c) Niece
(d) Cousin
Answer: (c) Niece
Explanation:
Son of my Mother's Mother => Son of my Grandmother => The boy is her Maternal Uncle / She is the boy's niece.
Related Resources:
Conclusion
Blood relation test is very important verbal reasoning topic, and many questions are asked in aptitude section of competitive examinations.
To improve the your understanding on blood relation puzzles, you should practice more questions on blood relations. Blood relation test can get you crucial marks in exams and should not in ignored.
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