SSC Blood Relation Questions with Tricks & Solutions

About This Practice Set

Blood relation questions sound complicated when you read them for the first time, but they are really just family stories told in a confusing way. Once you learn to draw the family tree instead of solving the question in your head, most of them take less than 30 seconds.

This set has 40 blood relation questions from the easy "pointing to a photograph" type to the coded relation type that has become common in recent SSC papers. Each question has four options, the correct answer and a short solution. The solution explains how the relationship is worked out, so you can copy the method.

How to use it: Keep a pencil handy. For every question, draw the family tree even if you think you can do it mentally. After 20 questions or so you will find that you no longer need to draw it for the easy ones.

Tricks That Make Blood Relation Easy

• Draw a family tree. Use a square for a male, a circle for a female, a horizontal line for marriage and a vertical line for children.
• Start from the person speaking when the question says "my mother's only son" or similar. The speaker is often the answer to the first part.
• "Only son" and "only daughter" usually point back to the speaker or to a sibling.
• Father's or mother's sister is an aunt, and father's or mother's brother is an uncle. Their children are your cousins.
• Same generation means brother, sister or cousin. One generation up means parents, aunts or uncles. Two generations up means grandparents.
• Coded relations: Write the meaning of each sign next to the expression and read it from left to right, one sign at a time.

Relationship Chart at a Glance

Practice Questions (Q1–Q40)

Q1. Pointing to a girl, Ravi says, "She is the daughter of my mother's only son." How is the girl related to Ravi?
(a) Daughter   (b) Sister   (c) Niece   (d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Daughter
Solution: Ravi's mother's only son is Ravi himself. So the girl is Ravi's daughter.

Q2. A is the sister of B. C is the mother of B. D is the father of C. How is A related to D?
(a) Daughter   (b) Granddaughter   (c) Niece   (d) Sister
Answer: (b) Granddaughter
Solution: C is the mother of both A and B. D is C's father, so D is A's grandfather and A is his granddaughter.

Q3. Pointing to a man, a woman says, "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is the woman related to the man?
(a) Sister   (b) Aunt   (c) Mother   (d) Grandmother
Answer: (c) Mother
Solution: The only daughter of the woman's mother is the woman herself. So she is the man's mother.

Q4. A is the brother of B. B is the sister of C. C is the father of D. How is D related to A?
(a) Son   (b) Nephew or niece   (c) Cousin   (d) Brother
Answer: (b) Nephew or niece
Solution: C is A's brother, so C's child D is A's nephew or niece.

Q5. Introducing a man, a woman says, "He is the only son of my mother's mother." How is the woman related to the man?
(a) Sister   (b) Daughter   (c) Mother   (d) Niece
Answer: (d) Niece
Solution: Her mother's mother is her maternal grandmother, whose only son is the woman's maternal uncle. So she is his niece.

Q6. How is your father's only brother's son related to you?
(a) Brother   (b) Cousin   (c) Uncle   (d) Nephew
Answer: (b) Cousin
Solution: The child of your uncle is your cousin.

Q7. P is the mother of Q. Q is the sister of R. R is the father of S. How is P related to S?
(a) Mother   (b) Aunt   (c) Grandmother   (d) Sister
Answer: (c) Grandmother
Solution: Q and R are P's children. S is R's child, so P is S's grandmother.

Q8. Pointing to a photograph, Amit says, "She is the wife of my father's only son." Who is she?
(a) His mother   (b) His sister   (c) His wife   (d) His daughter
Answer: (c) His wife
Solution: Amit's father's only son is Amit himself. So she is Amit's wife.

Q9. If A − B means A is the brother of B and A + B means A is the mother of B, which expression shows that P is the maternal uncle of Q?
(a) P − R + Q   (b) P + R − Q   (c) P + R + Q   (d) P − R − Q
Answer: (a) P − R + Q
Solution: P is the brother of R, and R is the mother of Q. So P is Q's mother's brother, the maternal uncle.

Q10. A is the father of B. C is the mother of A. D is the mother of C. How is D related to B?
(a) Grandmother   (b) Great-grandmother   (c) Aunt   (d) Mother
Answer: (b) Great-grandmother
Solution: C is B's grandmother, and D is C's mother, so D is B's great-grandmother.

Q11. Rita is the sister of Sunil. Sunil is the father of Mohan. Mohan is the brother of Geeta. How is Rita related to Geeta?
(a) Mother   (b) Sister   (c) Aunt   (d) Cousin
Answer: (c) Aunt
Solution: Geeta is also Sunil's child, and Rita is Sunil's sister. So Rita is Geeta's paternal aunt.

Q12. What is the relation of your father's mother's only son to you?
(a) Uncle   (b) Father   (c) Brother   (d) Grandfather
Answer: (b) Father
Solution: Your father's mother's only son is your father himself.

Q13. A is the brother of B. C is the mother of B. D is the father of C. E is the son of D. How is E related to A?
(a) Paternal uncle   (b) Maternal uncle   (c) Brother   (d) Grandfather
Answer: (b) Maternal uncle
Solution: E and C are D's children, so E is the brother of A's mother, the maternal uncle.

Q14. Pointing to a man, a woman says, "He is the son of my father's only son." How is the man related to the woman?
(a) Brother   (b) Nephew   (c) Son   (d) Cousin
Answer: (b) Nephew
Solution: The woman's father's only son is her brother. His son is her nephew.

Q15. Rahul is the son of Meena. Meena is the daughter of Ashok. Ashok is the father of Suresh. How is Suresh related to Rahul?
(a) Paternal uncle   (b) Brother   (c) Maternal uncle   (d) Cousin
Answer: (c) Maternal uncle
Solution: Suresh is Meena's brother, so he is Rahul's maternal uncle.

Q16. A and B are brothers. C is A's daughter. D is C's brother. How is D related to B?
(a) Son   (b) Nephew   (c) Brother   (d) Cousin
Answer: (b) Nephew
Solution: D is A's son. B is A's brother, so D is B's nephew.

Q17. Sonia's mother is the sister of Ravi's father. How is Sonia related to Ravi?
(a) Sister   (b) Aunt   (c) Cousin   (d) Niece
Answer: (c) Cousin
Solution: Ravi's father's sister's daughter is his cousin.

Q18. Mohan says, "Sunil's mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is Sunil related to Mohan?
(a) Brother   (b) Nephew   (c) Son   (d) Cousin
Answer: (b) Nephew
Solution: The only daughter of Mohan's mother is his sister. Sunil is his sister's son, so Sunil is his nephew.

Q19. A is the sister of B. C is B's father. D is C's brother. E is D's son. How is E related to A?
(a) Brother   (b) Cousin   (c) Uncle   (d) Nephew
Answer: (b) Cousin
Solution: D is A's uncle, and D's son E is A's cousin.

Q20. X is the son of Y. Y is the brother of Z. Z is the father of W. How is X related to W?
(a) Brother   (b) Uncle   (c) Cousin   (d) Nephew
Answer: (c) Cousin
Solution: X and W are the children of two brothers, so they are cousins.

Q21. A is the mother of B. B is the father of C. C is the sister of D. How is A related to D?
(a) Mother   (b) Aunt   (c) Grandmother   (d) Sister
Answer: (c) Grandmother
Solution: D is B's child, and A is B's mother, so A is D's grandmother.

Q22. Pooja is the daughter of Ravi. Ravi is the brother of Suman. Suman's husband is Kamal. How is Kamal related to Pooja?
(a) Uncle   (b) Father   (c) Brother   (d) Grandfather
Answer: (a) Uncle
Solution: Suman is Pooja's paternal aunt, so her husband Kamal is Pooja's uncle.

Q23. The father of A is the brother of B. B's sister is C. How is C related to A?
(a) Mother   (b) Sister   (c) Paternal aunt   (d) Grandmother
Answer: (c) Paternal aunt
Solution: B is A's paternal uncle. B's sister C is also the sister of A's father, so she is A's paternal aunt.

Q24. The mother of A is the sister of B. B's daughter is C. How is C related to A?
(a) Sister   (b) Cousin   (c) Niece   (d) Aunt
Answer: (b) Cousin
Solution: C is the daughter of A's maternal uncle or aunt (B), so C is A's cousin.

Q25. A is the wife of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. How is A related to D?
(a) Mother   (b) Sister   (c) Grandmother   (d) Aunt
Answer: (d) Aunt
Solution: B is D's uncle, so B's wife A is D's aunt.

Q26. Pointing to a woman, Ram says, "She is the mother of the daughter of my wife's only sister." How is the woman related to Ram?
(a) Wife   (b) Sister-in-law   (c) Sister   (d) Mother-in-law
Answer: (b) Sister-in-law
Solution: The mother of the daughter of his wife's only sister is that sister herself. She is his sister-in-law.

Q27. A is the son of B. C is the sister of B. D is the mother of C. E is the father of D. How is E related to A?
(a) Grandfather   (b) Great-grandfather   (c) Uncle   (d) Father
Answer: (b) Great-grandfather
Solution: D is B's mother too, so E is B's grandfather, and therefore A's great-grandfather.

Q28. Pointing to a boy, Anita says, "He is the brother of the daughter of my mother's only son." How is the boy related to Anita?
(a) Brother   (b) Cousin   (c) Nephew   (d) Son
Answer: (c) Nephew
Solution: Anita's mother's only son is her brother. His daughter's brother is his son, who is Anita's nephew.

Q29. 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 mother of B, which shows that A is the aunt of C?
(a) A ÷ B + C   (b) A × B + C   (c) A + B ÷ C   (d) A ÷ B × C
Answer: (c) A + B ÷ C
Solution: A + B ÷ C means A is the sister of B, and B is the mother of C. So A is C's aunt.

Q30. If A + B means A is the brother of B, A − B means A is the sister of B and A × B means A is the father of B, which shows that M is the paternal uncle of N?
(a) M − O × N   (b) M × O + N   (c) M + O × N   (d) M × O − N
Answer: (c) M + O × N
Solution: M + O × N means M is the brother of O and O is the father of N. So M is N's paternal uncle.

Q31. X is the brother of Y. Z is the mother of Y. W is the father of Z. How is X related to W?
(a) Son   (b) Grandson   (c) Nephew   (d) Brother
Answer: (b) Grandson
Solution: Z is also X's mother. W is Z's father, so X is W's grandson.

Q32. Deepak says, "That boy playing football is the younger of the two brothers of the daughter of my father's wife." How is the boy related to Deepak?
(a) Son   (b) Cousin   (c) Brother   (d) Nephew
Answer: (c) Brother
Solution: The daughter of his father's wife is his sister. Her two brothers are Deepak and the boy, and the boy is the younger. So the boy is Deepak's younger brother.

Q33. How is your mother's brother's wife's daughter related to you?
(a) Sister   (b) Cousin   (c) Niece   (d) Aunt
Answer: (b) Cousin
Solution: Your maternal uncle's daughter is your cousin.

Q34. Naresh's only son is the father of Rakesh. How is Rakesh related to Naresh's wife?
(a) Son   (b) Nephew   (c) Grandson   (d) Brother
Answer: (c) Grandson
Solution: Rakesh is the son of Naresh's son, so he is the grandson of Naresh and his wife.

Q35. A family has a father, a mother, two sons with their wives, and one child of each son. How many members are there in the family?
(a) 6   (b) 7   (c) 8   (d) 9
Answer: (c) 8
Solution: 2 parents + 2 sons + 2 daughters-in-law + 2 grandchildren = 8.

Q36. What is the relationship of Shyam's sister's husband to Shyam?
(a) Brother   (b) Brother-in-law   (c) Cousin   (d) Uncle
Answer: (b) Brother-in-law
Solution: The husband of one's sister is a brother-in-law.

Q37. A is the father of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. How is A related to D?
(a) Father   (b) Uncle   (c) Grandfather   (d) Brother
Answer: (c) Grandfather
Solution: C is also A's son, and D is C's child, so A is D's grandfather.

Q38. P is the sister of Q. Q is the son of S. R is the brother of S. How is R related to P?
(a) Father   (b) Uncle   (c) Brother   (d) Cousin
Answer: (b) Uncle
Solution: P and Q are children of S. R is S's brother, so R is P's uncle.

Q39. A woman introduces a man as "the son of the brother of my mother." How is the man related to the woman?
(a) Brother   (b) Uncle   (c) Nephew   (d) Cousin
Answer: (d) Cousin
Solution: Her mother's brother is her maternal uncle, and his son is her cousin.

Q40. If A $ B means A is the daughter of B, A @ B means A is the son of B and A # B means A is the wife of B, how is P related to R in P # Q @ R?
(a) Daughter   (b) Daughter-in-law   (c) Sister-in-law   (d) Mother-in-law
Answer: (b) Daughter-in-law
Solution: P is the wife of Q, and Q is the son of R. So P is R's daughter-in-law.

What to Do After the Practice

If you got fewer than 30 correct, look at the questions you missed and check whether you made a mistake in the direction of the relation (for example, confusing "son of my brother" with "brother of my son"). That single mix-up causes most wrong answers. Redraw those trees carefully and try the questions again after two days.

If you scored above 35, try to finish all 40 questions within 20 minutes, and then move on to the coded relation questions from previous year papers.