Blood Relation Questions for Bank Exams: The Short Answer
Blood relation questions describe how people in a family are linked and ask for the relation between two of them. Bank exams set them in three forms: coded relations (A + B means A is the mother of B), pointing or conversation statements ("Pointing to a photo, Riya said …") and family puzzles with 6–10 members across three generations. The one trick that solves all three is to draw a family tree with fixed symbols: generations as rows, a square or "+" for male, a circle or "−" for female, a double line for a couple and a single line for siblings.
Key takeaway for bank exams: IBPS PO, SBI PO and RRB PO prelims usually ask blood relation as part of a small set (often coded relations or a family puzzle) or as one or two single questions; IBPS and SBI Clerk prelims ask it more often as single questions. Never assume a gender from a name. Every answer in this note is checked against the tree it comes from.
If you are also preparing for SSC, see the blood relation questions for SSC CGL note, which covers the shorter one-line SSC style.
Blood Relation Chart: Relations You Must Know
| Relation from your side | Who it is |
|---|---|
| Father's or mother's father | Grandfather |
| Father's or mother's mother | Grandmother |
| Father's brother | Uncle (paternal) |
| Father's sister | Aunt (paternal) |
| Mother's brother | Uncle (maternal) |
| Mother's sister | Aunt (maternal) |
| Uncle's or aunt's child | Cousin |
| Brother's or sister's son | Nephew |
| Brother's or sister's daughter | Niece |
| Son's wife | Daughter-in-law |
| Daughter's husband | Son-in-law |
| Husband's or wife's father | Father-in-law |
| Husband's or wife's brother; sister's husband | Brother-in-law |
| Husband's or wife's sister; brother's wife | Sister-in-law |
| Son's or daughter's child | Grandson or granddaughter |
Two short forms worth memorising: "Only son of my paternal grandfather" = my father (there is no paternal uncle). "Only daughter of my mother" = me, if the speaker is a woman.
Family Tree Symbols for Blood Relation Questions
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| + or □ | Male |
| − or ○ | Female |
| = or ⇔ | Married couple |
| — (horizontal line) | Siblings (same generation) |
| │ (vertical line) | Parent to child (one generation down) |
| ? | Gender not known |
Generation rule: keep each generation on one row. Grandparents on top, parents in the middle, children at the bottom. Then any relation can be read off by counting rows and checking gender.
How to Solve Blood Relation Questions Quickly (Step-by-Step Trick)
- Start from the person asked about and the person the answer is "related to". Write both names first.
- Draw one statement at a time. Add each new person to the right generation row.
- Mark gender only when the question tells you. "A is the brother of B" tells you A's gender, not B's.
- Count generations. Same row: sibling, cousin or spouse. One row up: parent, uncle, aunt. Two rows up: grandparent.
- Read the answer from the second person's point of view. "How is A related to B?" asks what A is to B.
- If gender is missing, choose "cannot be determined". Bank exams often hide this as the right option.
Coded Blood Relation Questions (Bank Exam Style)
Directions: Read the codes and answer.
- A + B means A is the mother of B
- A − B means A is the brother of B
- A × B means A is the husband of B
- A ÷ B means A is the daughter of B
Q1. If P + Q − R, how is P related to R? P is the mother of Q, and Q is the brother of R, so Q and R are siblings with the same mother. P is the mother of R.
Q2. If M × N + O, how is M related to O? M is the husband of N, and N is the mother of O. M is the father of O.
Q3. If J ÷ K × L, how is J related to L? J is the daughter of K; K is the husband of L. So L is J's mother. J is the daughter of L.
Q4. If S − T ÷ U, how is S related to U? S is the brother of T; T is the daughter of U. S is male and a child of U. S is the son of U.
Q5. Which expression shows that X is the grandmother of Z? (a) X + Y − Z (b) X + Y + Z (c) X × Y + Z (d) X ÷ Y + Z (b) X is the mother of Y and Y is the mother of Z, so X is the grandmother of Z. In (a) X is the mother of Z. In (c) X is the father of Z. In (d) X is the daughter of Y, so X and Z are siblings. Answer: (b).
Trap: In Q1 we know Q is male, but R's gender is unknown, so "P is the mother of R" is right while "R is the daughter of P" cannot be determined.
Pointing to a Photo: Blood Relation Questions with Answers
Q1. Pointing to a man, Riya said, "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is Riya related to the man? "Only daughter of my mother" is Riya herself (Riya is female). So Riya is the man's mother. Answer: mother.
Q2. Pointing to a girl in a photo, Arun said, "She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son." How is the girl related to Arun? Arun's grandfather's only son is Arun's father. The girl is his father's daughter. Answer: sister.
Q3. Introducing a woman, Kabir said, "She is the wife of the only son of my father's father." How is the woman related to Kabir? Father's father's only son = Kabir's father. His wife = Kabir's mother. Answer: mother.
Q4. Pointing to a boy, Neha said, "He is the son of my mother's only brother." How is the boy related to Neha? Mother's brother = maternal uncle. His son is Neha's cousin.
Q5. Pointing to an old man, Vikram said, "His son is my son's uncle." How is the old man related to Vikram? My son's uncle is my brother (or my wife's brother). If the old man's son is Vikram's brother, the old man is Vikram's father; if the son is Vikram's wife's brother, the old man is his father-in-law. If the question adds "Vikram has no brother-in-law", only one reading is left: father. Without that line the answer is "cannot be determined", so read every option before choosing.
Family Puzzle Blood Relation Questions (IBPS PO and SBI PO)
Directions: There are six members in a family: A, B, C, D, E and F. A is married to D. B is the only son of A. C is the sister of B. E is the daughter-in-law of D. F is a child of E.
Building the tree:
- Row 1: A = D (a couple; genders not yet known)
- Row 2: B (male, only son) = E (female, D's daughter-in-law, so B's wife); C (female) is B's sister
- Row 3: F (gender unknown), child of B and E
Q1. How is C related to F? C is the sister of F's father. Paternal aunt. Q2. How is E related to C? E is C's brother's wife. Sister-in-law. Q3. If D is female, how is A related to F? A is then D's husband and F's father's father. Grandfather. Q4. How many female members are definitely in the family? C and E are definitely female; A, D and F are not fixed. Two. Q5. Is F the grandson of D? F's gender is not given. Cannot be determined.
Blood Relation Tricks and Tips for Bank Exams
- Gender from relation words only. Brother, son, husband, father, uncle, nephew = male. Sister, daughter, wife, mother, aunt, niece = female. Child, sibling, spouse, cousin = unknown.
- "Only" is a strong clue. "Only son", "only daughter" and "only child" remove other people from that position.
- Daughter-in-law of X is the wife of X's son. Son-in-law of X is the husband of X's daughter.
- The brother of X's son is also X's son. Siblings share the same parents in exam logic unless the question says otherwise.
- For long codes, work from the left. Translate each symbol, add the person to the tree, then move on.
- When two genders are possible, look for "cannot be determined" in the options before forcing an answer.
Common Mistakes in Blood Relation Questions
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Assuming Riya, Neha or Priya is female from the name | Use only relation words; names can be unisex in exam logic |
| Answering B's relation to A instead of A's to B | Re-read "How is A related to B?" before choosing |
| Treating "cousin" as a known gender | Cousin has no gender |
| Forgetting a sister-in-law has two meanings | Brother's wife or spouse's sister |
| Putting a spouse on a different row | Spouses always share a generation row |
Blood Relation Practice Questions (with Answers)
Use the codes above (+ mother, − brother, × husband, ÷ daughter) for 1–4.
1. If A − B + C, how is A related to C? A is the brother of B and B is the mother of C. A is the maternal uncle of C.
2. If D × E ÷ F, how is D related to F? D is the husband of E; E is the daughter of F. D is the son-in-law of F.
3. If G + H × I, how is G related to I? G is the mother of H; H is the husband of I. G is the mother-in-law of I.
4. If K ÷ L − M, how is K related to M? K is the daughter of L; L is the brother of M. K is the niece of M.
5. Pointing to a woman, Rohan said, "Her father is the only son of my father." How is the woman related to Rohan? The only son of Rohan's father is Rohan himself. Daughter.
6. Introducing a man, Sana said, "His wife is the only daughter of my father." How is the man related to Sana? The only daughter of Sana's father is Sana (female). Husband.
7. P is the sister of Q. Q is the father of R. R is the sister of S. How is P related to S? P is the sister of S's father. Paternal aunt.
8. X is the son of Y. Y is the daughter of Z. W is the husband of Z. How is W related to X? Z and W are X's mother's parents; W is male. Maternal grandfather.
9. In the six-member family puzzle above, how is D related to C? D is one of C's parents, but D's gender is not given. Parent (mother or father cannot be determined).
10. M is the brother of N. N is the son of O. How is O related to M? M and N are siblings and both are O's children, but O's gender is not given. Parent; father or mother cannot be determined.
Blood Relation Questions for Bank Exams FAQs
What are blood relation questions in reasoning?
They are reasoning questions that describe family links between people and ask how two of them are related. Bank exams use coded, pointing and family-puzzle forms.
What is the best trick for blood relation questions?
Draw a family tree with generations as rows, mark gender only from relation words, and read the answer from the second person's point of view.
How do you solve coded blood relation questions?
Translate each symbol into words, add each person to the tree one step at a time from left to right, and check gender before choosing an option such as "son" or "daughter".
Are blood relation questions asked in IBPS PO and SBI PO?
Yes. They appear as single questions or small sets in prelims and sometimes inside a mixed puzzle in mains. Clerk exams ask them as single questions more often.
When is the answer "cannot be determined"?
When the relation needs a gender (for example son or daughter, father or mother) that the statements never give, or when two family trees fit the statements.
Is blood relation asked in SSC CGL too?
Yes. SSC CGL and CHSL ask shorter one-line and coded questions; the method is the same.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: IBPS Clerk Reasoning Ability Sectional Mock Test 01, SBI PO Reasoning Ability Sectional Mock Test 01, IBPS RRB Clerk Reasoning Ability Sectional Mock Test 01 and SSC CGL Blood Relation Mock Test 01.
- Coded blood relation topic tests: SBI Clerk Blood Relation Mock Test 01 and SBI PO Blood Relation Mock Test 01.
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