Blood Relations Questions for Placement Exams

Last Updated: March 2026

Introduction to Blood Relations

Blood Relations is a logical reasoning topic that tests your ability to understand and analyze family relationships. This topic is crucial for placement exams at companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Deloitte, Amazon, and Microsoft, as well as sarkari exams including SSC CGL, Bank PO, Railway NTPC, and UPSC CSAT.

Why Blood Relations is Important:

Tests logical thinking and relationship mapping skills
Evaluates your ability to process multi-level information
No complex calculations required - pure logical reasoning
Frequently appears in reasoning sections (3-5 questions typically)
Foundation for understanding family trees in data interpretation

Important Concepts and Shortcuts

Basic Relationship Terms

Relationship	Term Used
Father's/Mother's son	Brother (or self)
Father's/Mother's daughter	Sister (or self)
Father's/Mother's father	Grandfather
Father's/Mother's mother	Grandmother
Son's/Daughter's son	Grandson
Son's/Daughter's daughter	Granddaughter
Brother's/Sister's son	Nephew
Brother's/Sister's daughter	Niece
Father's brother	Uncle
Mother's brother	Maternal Uncle
Father's sister	Aunt
Mother's sister	Maternal Aunt
Spouse's father	Father-in-law
Spouse's mother	Mother-in-law
Son's wife	Daughter-in-law
Daughter's husband	Son-in-law

Generation Mapping

Generation +2: Grandparents (GF, GM, MGF, MGM)
Generation +1: Parents, Aunts, Uncles, In-laws
Generation 0: Self, Siblings, Cousins, Spouse
Generation -1: Children, Nephews, Nieces
Generation -2: Grandchildren

Shortcut Rules

Gender Determination:
- "Brother", "Father", "Uncle", "Son", "Nephew" = Male
- "Sister", "Mother", "Aunt", "Daughter", "Niece" = Female
- "Child", "Sibling", "Parent", "Cousin" = Gender neutral
Direction Method:
- Use '+' for moving up generations (towards ancestors)
- Use '-' for moving down generations (towards descendants)
- Same generation = horizontal relationship
Quick Reference Chart:
- Father of father = Grandfather
- Mother of mother = Grandmother
- Son of brother = Nephew
- Daughter of sister = Niece
- Wife of son = Daughter-in-law
- Husband of daughter = Son-in-law
Symbol Convention (for solving):
- M = Male, F = Female
- '→' or '<' = married to
- '|' or downward arrow = parent-child

Practice Questions

Level 1: Easy

Question 1: Direct Relationship Pointing to a photograph, Priya said, "She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son." How is Priya related to the girl in the photograph?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

Priya's grandfather's only son = Priya's father (since "only son" implies no other sons)
Daughter of Priya's father = Priya's sister (or could be Priya herself)

Since Priya is pointing to "she" (another person), it's Priya's sister.

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Question 2: Simple Family Tree If A is the brother of B, B is the sister of C, and C is the father of D, how is A related to D?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

A is brother of B (A and B are siblings, same generation)
B is sister of C (B and C are siblings)
Therefore, A and C are also siblings (brothers)
C is father of D, so A is uncle of D

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Question 3: Mother's Side Introducing a man, a woman said, "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is the woman related to the man?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"Only daughter of my mother" = the woman herself (she is the only daughter)
So the man's mother = the woman
Therefore, the woman is the man's mother

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Question 4: Father's Side Pointing to a man, Suresh said, "His only brother is the father of my daughter's father." How is the man related to Suresh?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"My daughter's father" = Suresh himself
"Father of Suresh" = Suresh's father
"Only brother of Suresh's father" = Suresh's uncle (father's brother)
The man is that person

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Question 5: Spouse Relations A is B's sister. C is B's mother. D is C's father. E is D's mother. How is A related to D?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

D is C's father
C is B's mother, so D is B's grandfather
A is B's sister, so D is also A's grandfather

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Question 6: In-Law Relations If P is the husband of Q, and R is the mother of Q and S, then how is R related to P?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P is married to Q
R is Q's mother
Therefore, R is P's mother-in-law

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Question 7: Cousin Identification A and B are brothers. C and D are sisters. A's son is D's brother. How is B related to C?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

A's son is D's brother → D is A's daughter
C and D are sisters → C is also A's daughter
A and B are brothers → B is C's uncle

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Question 8: Nephew/Niece Pointing to a photograph, Arun said, "She is the mother of my son's wife's daughter." How is Arun related to the lady?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"My son's wife" = Arun's daughter-in-law
"Daughter of daughter-in-law" = Arun's granddaughter
"Mother of granddaughter" = Arun's daughter-in-law or could be the son's wife's mother

Wait, let's re-read: Mother of (my son's wife's daughter)

My son's wife's daughter = Arun's granddaughter
Mother of that granddaughter = Arun's daughter-in-law

So the lady is Arun's daughter-in-law.

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Question 9: Multiple Siblings M is the sister of K. D is the brother of K. F is the mother of K. H is the husband of F. How is D related to H?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

H is husband of F, so H is the father of K (and siblings)
D is brother of K, so D is H's son

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Question 10: Family Chain P is the father of Q. Q is the brother of R. R is the mother of S. How is P related to S?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

R is mother of S
Q is brother of R
P is father of Q, so P is also father of R
Therefore, P is S's grandfather

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Level 2: Medium

Question 11: Complex Introduction Introducing Reeta, Mohan said, "Her father is the only son of my father." How is Mohan related to Reeta?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"Only son of my father" = Mohan himself (assuming Mohan is male)
So Reeta's father = Mohan
Therefore, Mohan is Reeta's father

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Question 12: Gender Neutral Puzzle A is the brother of B. C is the father of D. E is the mother of B. A and D are siblings. How is E related to D?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

A and B are siblings; E is mother of B, so E is mother of A
A and D are siblings
Therefore, E is also mother of D

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Question 13: Multi-Generation Pointing to a man, Akshay said, "His only daughter is my daughter's mother." How is the man related to Akshay?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"My daughter's mother" = Akshay's wife
So the man's only daughter = Akshay's wife
Therefore, the man is Akshay's father-in-law

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Question 14: Cousin Relations P is the mother of Q. R is the brother of S. S is the daughter of Q. T is the brother of Q. How is T related to S?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P is mother of Q, T is brother of Q → T is P's son
S is daughter of Q
T is brother of Q, so T is S's maternal uncle

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Question 15: Complex Chain A is the son of B. C is B's sister and has a son D and daughter E. F is the maternal uncle of D. How is A related to F?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

C is B's sister
D is C's son
F is maternal uncle of D → F is C's brother
Since C and B are siblings, and F is C's brother
F is also B's brother, making F A's uncle

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Question 16: Combined Relations P is the brother of Q. R is the sister of Q. S is the father of P. T is the mother of R. How is Q related to S?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P, Q, R are siblings (P brother, R sister of Q)
S is father of P, so S is father of all three
Therefore, Q is S's son/daughter

Since no gender specified for Q: Answer: Son or Daughter (Child)

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Question 17: Photograph Puzzle Looking at a portrait, Harsh said, "His father is the husband of my father's only daughter." How is the person in the portrait related to Harsh?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"My father's only daughter" = Harsh's sister (or Harsh if female)
"Husband of Harsh's sister" = Harsh's brother-in-law
"Father of the person in portrait" = Harsh's brother-in-law
Therefore, the person is Harsh's nephew/niece

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Question 18: Inverted Relations If A + B means A is the mother of B, A - B means A is the brother of B, and A × B means A is the son of B, then how is P related to R in P - Q + R?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P - Q: P is brother of Q
Q + R: Q is mother of R
So P is brother of R's mother
Therefore, P is R's maternal uncle

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Question 19: Symbol Decoding If A $ B means A is the father of B, A # B means A is the sister of B, and A @ B means A is the daughter of B, then what does P $ Q @ R # S mean for P and S?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P $ Q: P is father of Q
Q @ R: Q is daughter of R
So P is husband of R (or was), making R Q's mother
R # S: R is sister of S
So S is P's brother-in-law or sister-in-law
P is S's brother-in-law (if S is male) or P is brother of S's husband

Since Q is daughter of both P and R, and R is sister of S: P is married to R, so P is brother-in-law of S

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Question 20: Family Tree Reconstruction There are six members in a family: A, B, C, D, E, and F. A and B are a married couple. D is the only son of C. C is the brother of A. E is the sister of D. B is the daughter-in-law of F, whose husband has died. How is F related to C?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

A and B are married
B is daughter-in-law of F → F is mother/father of A
C is brother of A
So F is also parent of C
Therefore, F is mother of C (assuming F is female from "husband has died")

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Level 3: Hard

Question 21: Complex Symbol System If P + Q means P is the father of Q, P - Q means P is the wife of Q, P × Q means P is the brother of Q, and P ÷ Q means P is the sister of Q, then which of the following means A is the uncle of B?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

We need: A is brother of B's parent (or brother of B's mother/father)

Let's check: A × C + B

A × C: A is brother of C
C + B: C is father of B
So A is brother of B's father = uncle ✓

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Question 22: Multi-Statement Puzzle Read the following statements:

A is the father of B
C is the sister of B
D is the mother of A
E is the brother of C
F is the husband of D

How is F related to E?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

D is mother of A, F is husband of D → F is father of A
A is father of B, C is sister of B → A is father of C too
E is brother of C → E is also child of A
So F is A's father, and A is E's father
Therefore, F is E's grandfather

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Question 23: Gender Determination Challenge Pointing to a photograph, a lady tells Pramod, "I am the only daughter of this lady and her son is your maternal uncle." How is the speaker related to Pramod's father?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

"Her son is your maternal uncle" → son of the lady in photo is Pramod's mother's brother
"I am the only daughter of this lady" → speaker is daughter of the lady in photo
So the speaker is sister of Pramod's maternal uncle
Therefore, speaker is Pramod's mother
So she is wife of Pramod's father

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Question 24: Extended Family P, Q, R, S, T, and U are six family members. P is the father of Q and grandfather of R. S is the daughter-in-law of P and mother of T, who is the sister of R. U is the brother of Q. How is U related to S?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

P is father of Q and grandfather of R
S is daughter-in-law of P → S is married to Q or U
T is daughter of S and sister of R
U is brother of Q
Since P is father of both Q and U, and S is daughter-in-law
S is wife of Q or U
T and R are children of S

If S is wife of Q, then U is S's brother-in-law

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Question 25: Three-Generation Puzzle A family has three generations. There are two married couples. The total number of family members is seven. There are two housewives, one teacher, one engineer, and two students. No one has a profession other than these. The teacher is a lady and is not married to the engineer. What is the profession of the engineer's spouse?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

Let's deduce:

7 members across 3 generations, 2 married couples
Professions: 2 housewives, 1 teacher, 1 engineer, 2 students
Teacher is female, not married to engineer

Structure likely: Grandparents, Parents, Children

2 housewives (likely the women)
Teacher (female, not married to engineer) could be grandmother or mother
If teacher is grandmother, engineer is grandfather
Engineer married to a housewife

Since teacher is not married to engineer, and teacher is female:

If engineer is male: married to a housewife
If engineer is female: married to someone

Most logical: Engineer (grandfather or father) is married to a housewife.

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Question 26: Matrix Format Read the following information carefully:

A # B means A is the father of B A $ B means A is the sister of B A * B means A is the daughter of B A @ B means A is the brother of B

Which of the following indicates that M is the wife of Q?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

For M to be wife of Q:

M is female
M is married to Q

Checking options: If Q # N $ M: Q is father of N, N is sister of M Then Q is father of M too → M is Q's daughter, not wife

If Q @ N * M: Q is brother of N, N is daughter of M → Q is also child of M

If M * N # Q: M is daughter of N, N is father of Q Then M is sister of Q

Try: M # N @ Q: M is father of N, N is brother of Q Not showing wife relationship

For M to be Q's wife: M should be mother of Q's children N * M @ Q: N is daughter of M, M is brother of Q? No, M would need to be female

Try: Q # N * M: Q is father of N, N is daughter of M Then M is Q's wife (mother of his child)

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Question 27: Direction-Based Puzzle A family has eight members: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. A is the father of C. F is the brother of C. D is the mother of G. H is the father of F. E is the brother of A. B is the wife of H. How many male members are in the family?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

Identifying males:

A (father) - Male
C - Gender not specified directly
F (brother of C) - Male
D (mother) - Female
G - Gender not specified
H (father) - Male
E (brother of A) - Male
B (wife of H) - Female

Confirmed males: A, F, H, E = 4 If C is male: 5 males If G is male: could be 5 or 6

From "F is brother of C", C could be male or female From "H is father of F", and A is father of C, E is brother of A If A and E are brothers, and H is father of F (brother of C), and A is father of C... Actually, H is father of F, and A is father of C, and F is brother of C So A = H (same person), meaning H is father of both C and F

So H/A is father of C, F, and possibly others

Males confirmed: A/H, E, F = 3 (wait, A and H are the same!)

Re-reading: H is father of F, A is father of C, F is brother of C So A = H (same person)

Males: A/H, E, F = 3 confirmed C could be male or female G is child of D, gender unknown

Minimum males: 3 (if C, G are female) Maximum males: 5

But usually in such puzzles: C is sibling of F, and if no indication, assume male Answer: 4 or 5 males (typically 5)

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Question 28: Complex Generation Puzzle Read the following statements about a family of seven members distributed across three generations:

B is the son of C, who is not the mother of B
E is the daughter of A
F is the spouse of A
G is the father of C
D is the brother of E

How is D related to G?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

B is son of C, C is not mother → C is father of B
E is daughter of A, D is brother of E → D is son of A
F is spouse of A
G is father of C

So: G → C → B (G is grandfather of B) And: A and F are parents of E and D

Are A and C related? Not directly stated... Wait, need to check if C and A are spouses.

Actually, from "B is son of C" and need to place all 7 members:

Generation 1: G (father of C)
Generation 2: C and possibly A (married couple?), F
Generation 3: B, E, D

If C and A are married: C is father, A is mother of B, E, D Then G is father of C D is son of A (and C) So G is D's grandfather

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Question 29: Profession and Relationship Mix A, B, C, D, E, and F are members of a family consisting of three generations. There are two married couples in the family. The family members are: one engineer, one doctor, one teacher, one shopkeeper, one architect, and one lawyer.

The teacher is married to the engineer
The lawyer is the grandfather of F, who is an architect
The doctor is the mother of C, who is a teacher
D is married to the lawyer
B is the mother of E

How is E related to the doctor?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

Lawyer is grandfather of F (architect)
Doctor is mother of C (teacher)
Teacher is married to engineer
D is married to lawyer

Generations:

Grandparents: Lawyer and D
Parents: Doctor and ? (engineer, since married to teacher? No, C is teacher) Actually, C is teacher, married to engineer

So: Doctor is mother of C (teacher) C (teacher) is married to engineer They have child F (architect)

Lawyer is grandfather of F So lawyer is father of C or the engineer Since doctor is mother of C, lawyer (married to D) could be father of C

So: Lawyer + D are parents of Doctor? Wait, lawyer is grandfather of F, and doctor is grandmother of F (mother of C) So: Lawyer and D are parents of the engineer or doctor?

Actually: Lawyer and his spouse are grandparents of F If lawyer is married to D, and doctor is mother of C (who is mother of F) Then doctor is child of lawyer

B is mother of E

E is likely child of C (teacher) and engineer, sibling of F Or E is child of another sibling

So E is grandchild of doctor Answer: Grandson or Granddaughter (Grandchild)

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Question 30: Circular Seating Family In a circular arrangement representing family relationships, six people are sitting: P, Q, R, S, T, and U. P sits opposite to his son. Q sits opposite to her mother-in-law. R is the father of S and sits opposite to his wife. T is the sister of U and sits between P and U. How is S related to T?

<details> <summary>Solution</summary>

R is father of S, sits opposite to his wife
P sits opposite to his son
Q sits opposite to her mother-in-law
T sits between P and U, and T is sister of U

From T between P and U, and T sister of U: If positions are circular: ...P-T-U... or ...U-T-P...

R sits opposite wife. Let's say R at position 1, wife at position 4. P sits opposite his son. If P is at 2, son at 5.

R is father of S. If R at 1, S could be at 2, 3, 5, or 6. Q sits opposite mother-in-law. Q is at some position, her mother-in-law opposite.

T is sister of U, between P and U. If P at 2, T between P and U means ...P-T-U or U-T-P So if P at 2, T at 3, U at 4 (or T at 1, U at 6 - but R at 1)

So: Position 1=R, 2=P, 3=T, 4=U Then 4=U is also R's wife (opposite to R at 1)? No, R's wife should be opposite (position 4). So U is R's wife? But T is sister of U, so T is sister-in-law of R? Or T is also R's daughter?

If U is R's wife, and T is sister of U, then T is sister-in-law of R. P sits opposite his son. P at 2, so son at 5. S could be at 5 (son of R, but P is at 2, not necessarily S's father)

Actually: P at 2, son at 5. S is child of R. If S at 5, and P is father of S, then P=R? No.

Alternative: S at 3 or 6. T at 3. If S=T, then S is female (sister of U, who is wife of R). So S=T, and S is sister of U (who is R's wife), making S sister-in-law of R. S is also child of R? No, R is father of S, but S=T and U are sisters, so U is also R's child. But U is R's wife? That can't be.

Let me reconsider: U at position 4 is opposite R at 1, so U is R's wife. T is sister of U, so T is R's sister-in-law. T at position 3 (between P at 2 and U at 4). P at 2, son opposite at 5. S is child of R, so S at 3, 5, or 6. If S at 5, S is son of P. But S is child of R. Contradiction unless P=R.

So S at 3 or 6. T at 3. If S=T, S is sister of U (R's wife), so S is R's sister-in-law, not child. So S at 6. Q at 6 (opposite mother-in-law at some position)? Or Q elsewhere.

Positions: 1=R, 2=P, 3=T, 4=U, and 5, 6 left for Q, S. P's son at 5. So 5 is son of P. S at 6. S is child of R. So R and his wife U have children: let's say T and S? But T is sister of U, not child.

Children of R: S at 6, and possibly P? If P is child of R, P at 2. Then P's son at 5 is grandson of R. T is sister of U. U is wife of R. T is sister-in-law of R. Q sits opposite mother-in-law. If Q at 5, mother-in-law at 2=P. So P is mother-in-law of Q, meaning Q is married to P's child. P's son is at 5... wait, Q at 5 is son of P?

Let me try: P's son at 5 is Q. Q is male, sits opposite P. Q sits opposite mother-in-law = P? But P is male. Contradiction.

Try Q at 6. Then mother-in-law at 3=T. T is female (sister of U), could be mother-in-law. If T is mother-in-law of Q, Q is married to T's child. S at 5 is P's son.

S at 5 is son of P and also son of R? So P is child of R, and S is grandchild of R. S is brother of Q? Q at 6, S at 5, both children of P. Then Q is married to T's child? Q at 6, T at 3 (opposite).

Actually: Q sits opposite her mother-in-law. Q at 6, mother-in-law at 3 (T). So T is Q's mother-in-law. Q is married to T's child. T is sister of U (R's wife). T's children are R's nieces/nephews. So Q is married to R's niece/nephew.

How is S related to T? S at 5 is son of P (child of R), so S is grandchild of R. T is sister of U (R's wife), so T is sister-in-law of R. S is grandchild of R. T is sister-in-law of R's husband. So S is grand-nephew/grand-niece of T? Or S is child of P, P is nephew of T (if T is aunt of P). Actually, P is child of R. R's wife is U. T is sister of U, so T is aunt of P. Therefore, T is grand-aunt of S.

S is related to T as: T is S's grand-aunt, or S is T's grand-nephew.

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Companies & Exams Asking Blood Relations

Top Companies

TCS, Infosys, Wipro, CTS - 2-3 questions, moderate difficulty
Deloitte, KPMG, EY - Logical reasoning focus, medium-hard
Amazon, Microsoft - Sometimes included in logical assessment
Tech Mahindra, HCL - Regular occurrence in reasoning section

Government Exams

SSC CGL/CHSL - 2-4 questions, medium difficulty
Bank PO/Clerk (SBI, IBPS) - Frequent, 3-5 questions
Railway NTPC/Group D - Basic level, 1-2 questions
UPSC CSAT - Complex puzzles occasionally
State PSCs - Regular feature in reasoning

Preparation Tips

Draw Family Trees: Always sketch a quick diagram with symbols (↑ parents, ↓ children, = siblings) to visualize relationships.
Determine Gender First: Before solving, identify the gender of each person mentioned. This eliminates half the wrong options instantly.
Use Standard Symbols: Develop a consistent notation (M for male, F for female, lines for relationships) for quick sketching.
Work Backwards: For "how is X related to Y" questions, start from Y and trace back to X.
Beware of Traps: Watch for self-references ("my father's only daughter" could be the speaker herself).
Practice Coded Relations: Many exams now use symbols. Practice decoding statements with +, -, ×, ÷, $, #, @, etc.
Time Management: Don't spend more than 1-2 minutes per question. If stuck, mark and move on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How can I quickly determine gender in blood relation problems?

Look for explicit gender indicators: father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, son, daughter, nephew, niece, husband, wife. Terms like "child," "parent," "sibling," "cousin" are gender-neutral.

Q2: What is the best approach for coded blood relation questions?

First, decode all the symbols to understand what each relationship means. Then break down the given expression step by step, building the family tree as you go. Always verify by working backwards.

Q3: How do I handle "only son" or "only daughter" statements?

"Only son of my father" = the speaker (if male) or his brother. "Only daughter of my mother" = the speaker (if female) or her sister. Be careful - these phrases often refer to the speaker themselves.

Q4: Are blood relation questions time-consuming?

With practice, basic questions take 30-60 seconds. Complex coded questions might take 1-2 minutes. Drawing a quick tree diagram actually saves time by preventing confusion.

Q5: What is the most common mistake in blood relation problems?

Assuming gender without evidence is the most common error. Another frequent mistake is confusing maternal (mother's side) and paternal (father's side) relationships.

Master blood relations with consistent practice and systematic diagramming!

Blood Relations Questions Placement

Blood Relations Questions for Placement Exams

Introduction to Blood Relations

Important Concepts and Shortcuts

Basic Relationship Terms

Generation Mapping

Shortcut Rules

Practice Questions

Level 1: Easy

Level 2: Medium

Level 3: Hard

Companies & Exams Asking Blood Relations

Top Companies

Government Exams

Preparation Tips

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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