Blood Relations Aptitude: Tricks, Family Tree Diagrams, and Placement Questions

Introduction

In company placements and competitive exams like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Accenture, and SSC, Blood Relations Aptitude questions are very common. These test your logical reasoning, analytical ability, and quick thinking.

At first, these questions may look confusing because of multiple generations and genders. But with the right tricks and diagrams, you can solve them in seconds.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

Types of blood relation problems
Tricks and shortcut methods
Family tree diagram rules (symbols)
Placement-level examples with answers
Practice questions for you

Tricks to Solve Blood Relation Problems

Use Symbols for Family Tree

The best way to solve quickly is by drawing diagrams. Use these symbols:

□ (Box) → Male
○ (Circle) → Female
═ Double Arrow (═) → Marriage relation (husband-wife)
→ (Single Arrow) → Child (downward link)
↔ → Brother-Sister link

Example:
A is the father of B, and B is the mother of C.

□ A (Father) 
   │
   ○ B (Mother) ═ □ (Husband unknown) 
       │
       C

So, A → Grandfather of C.

Think in Generations

Same Generation → Brother, Sister, Cousin, Spouse.
One Generation Up → Parents, Uncle, Aunt.
Two Generations Up → Grandparents.
One Generation Down → Children, Nephew, Niece.
Two Generations Down → Grandchildren.

Replace “My” with the Person’s Name

Example:
Ravi says, “He is my father’s brother’s son.”

Step 1 → Replace “my” with “Ravi.”
→ Ravi’s father’s brother = Uncle.
→ Uncle’s son = Cousin.

Answer: He is Ravi’s cousin.

Decode from Right to Left (Coded Problems)

When symbols are given:

Decode the rightmost relation first.
Move step by step.

Example:
A + B means A is father of B.
B – C means B is sister of C.
So A + B – C = ?

B – C → B is sister of C.
A + B → A is father of B.
So A is father of C.

Elimination in MCQs

If options are given, remove wrong genders or wrong generation levels first. Saves time!

Shortcut Phrases

Father’s father → Grandfather.
Father’s mother → Grandmother.
Mother’s brother → Maternal Uncle.
Mother’s sister → Aunt.
Father’s sister’s son → Cousin.
Brother’s son → Nephew.
Sister’s daughter → Niece.

Types of Blood Relation Questions

Direct Type

These are simple verbal problems.

Example:
Ramesh is the brother of Suresh. Suresh is the father of Neha. How is Ramesh related to Neha?

Solution:

Ramesh → Brother of Suresh
Suresh → Father of Neha
So, Ramesh → Uncle of Neha

Answer: Uncle

Family Tree Type

These involve multiple generations.

Example:
A is father of B. B is mother of C. D is father of C. How is A related to D?

Solution (draw symbols):

□ A (Father of B) 
   │
   ○ B (Mother) ═ □ D (Father) 
       │
       C

So, A is Father-in-law of D.

Answer: Father-in-law

Coded Type

Here, relationships are given in symbolic form.

Example:
If A % B means A is mother of B,
A $ B means A is brother of B,
A # B means A is father of B,
Then M # N % O = ?

Solution:

N % O → N is mother of O.
M # N → M is father of N.
So M is Grandfather of O.

Answer: Grandfather

Placement-Level Questions with Solutions

Q1 (Infosys):
Introducing a man, a woman said: “His mother is the only daughter of my father.” How is the woman related to the man?

Solution:

“Only daughter of my father” → Woman herself.
So the man’s mother = Woman.
Answer → Woman is the Mother.

Q2 (TCS):
Pointing to a boy, Ramesh said, “He is the son of my grandfather’s only son.” How is the boy related to Ramesh?

Solution:

Grandfather’s only son = Ramesh’s father.
Boy is son of father = Brother.
Answer → Brother

Q3 (Accenture – Coded):
If P % Q means P is mother of Q,
P $ Q means P is brother of Q,
P # Q means P is father of Q,
Then M # N % O = ?

Solution:

N % O → N is mother of O.
M # N → M is father of N.
Answer → M is Grandfather of O

Tips for Placements

Always draw family trees using symbols.
Decode coded relations from right to left.
Don’t forget gender clues.
If stuck, use elimination method.

Practice Questions for You

Try these!

Q1. Pointing to a lady, Raj said, “She is my mother’s father’s only daughter.” Who is she?
a) Mother
b) Aunt
c) Sister
d) Cousin

Q2. A is sister of B. C is husband of B. D is son of C. How is A related to D?
a) Mother
b) Sister
c) Aunt
d) Cousin

Q3 (Coded). If A @ B means A is father of B, and A % B means A is wife of B, then P % Q @ R = ?
a) P is grandmother of R
b) P is wife of R
c) P is mother of R
d) P is aunt of R

Q4. Ramesh said: “She is the daughter of my grandfather’s only son.” Who is the girl to Ramesh?
a) Sister
b) Cousin
c) Daughter
d) Mother

Q5 (Tough). A is father of B. C is mother of A. D is father of C. How is B related to D?
a) Great grandson
b) Granddaughter
c) Nephew
d) Uncle

Answers:
Q1 → (a) Mother
Q2 → (c) Aunt
Q3 → (a) Grandmother
Q4 → (a) Sister
Q5 → (a) Great grandson

Conclusion

Blood Relations Aptitude is a scoring topic in placements if you use the right tricks:

Use □ for male, ○ for female.
Connect husband-wife with double arrow (═).
Connect parent-child with single arrow (↓).
Decode coded questions right to left.

With practice, you can solve even the toughest questions in 10–20 seconds.

Resources for Practice

Understanding Blood Relation Concepts — GeeksforGeeks GeeksforGeeks

Blood Relation – Solved Questions and Answers — GeeksforGeeks GeeksforGeeks

Placement | Reasoning | Blood Relationship — GeeksforGeeks GeeksforGe

My Handwritten Notes

Aptitude Blood Relation Problems Download