Blood Relations — Complete Guide

Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1: Introduction to Blood Relations
2. Chapter 2: The Complete Family Relationship Chart
3. Chapter 3: Direct Relation Statements
4. Chapter 4: Chain and Multi-Clue Family Tree Puzzles
5. Chapter 5: Coded Blood Relations
6. Chapter 6: Ambiguous-Gender Puzzles and "Cannot Be Determined"
7. Chapter 7: Blood Relations Combined with Seating Arrangement and Direction Sense
8. Chapter 8: Common Traps — A Focused Review
9. Chapter 9: Exam-Speed Solving Framework and Quick-Reference Checklist
10. Chapter 10: Full-Length Practice Set

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Chapter 1: Introduction to Blood Relations

1.1 What Do Blood Relation Questions Test?

Blood relation questions form one of the most consistently asked topics in the Reasoning section of SSC and RRB examinations. They test a candidate's ability to:

• Track family relationships across multiple generations without getting confused.
• Apply gender-specific vocabulary correctly (son vs daughter, uncle vs aunt, brother-in-law vs brother).
• Decode indirect or coded statements quickly under time pressure.
• Recognise when information is insufficient to fix an exact answer (Cannot Be Determined).
• Combine relation logic with other reasoning skills such as seating arrangement and direction sense.

Unlike arithmetic-based reasoning topics, blood relations rewards a systematic diagram-based approach far more than mental calculation. A student who draws a quick family tree almost never makes an error; a student who tries to hold the relationships in their head almost always does, especially in a 6-8 clue puzzle.

1.2 Why This Topic Is High-Weightage

Across recent SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD and RRB NTPC/Group D papers, blood relations questions have appeared with high consistency — typically 1 to 3 questions per exam, sometimes packaged as a single 3-4 question 'family tree' passage worth multiple marks in one go. Because the underlying logic is finite and learnable (there are only so many relationship terms in common use), this is one of the most scoring topics in the entire Reasoning section once the method is mastered. Unlike topics such as puzzles or syllogisms, there is very little genuine 'trickiness' in the mathematics — nearly all difficulty comes from (a) tracking many clues at once, and (b) precise vocabulary. Both of these are fixed by the method taught in this book.

1.3 The Two Broad Question Formats

Format 1: Direct Relation Statements

A short one- or two-line statement gives a chain of two or three relationships and asks for a single relation. Example: "A is B's father. B is C's sister. How is A related to C?" These are meant to be solved in under 20-30 seconds each once you know the method.

Format 2: Multi-Clue "Family Tree" Puzzles

A passage gives 4 to 8 (sometimes more) clues describing an entire family across two or three generations, followed by 2 to 5 separate questions about that same family. This is the format most commonly used in SSC CGL Tier-1 and RRB NTPC papers because it lets the exam extract multiple marks from one puzzle. The efficient strategy is to build the complete family tree once, then answer all the attached questions by simply reading off the diagram — never re-deriving the tree for each question.

1.4 General Strategy: Draw as You Read

The single most important habit for this topic is: never solve a multi-clue puzzle in your head. As you read each clue left to right, add it to a running diagram using this convention:

• Represent each person as a symbol on the page — a triangle (△) for male, a circle (○) for female. If gender is unknown, use a square or write '?'.
• Place people of the same generation on the same horizontal level.
• Draw a double horizontal line ( = ) between two symbols to show marriage.
• Draw a vertical line down from a couple (or a single parent, if the spouse is not mentioned) to each of their children.
• Draw a short horizontal line connecting siblings at the same generation level.
• Label every symbol with the name/letter given in the question the moment you place it — never rely on memory for who is who.

Golden Rule

• Read the entire set of clues once WITHOUT trying to solve anything, just to get a feel for how many people and generations are involved.
• Then read again, building the diagram clue by clue.
• Only after the diagram is complete should you attempt the questions.

This chapter has introduced why this topic matters and how to approach it. Chapter 2 gives you the complete reference chart of family relationship terms — memorise this once, and every question in this book (and in the real exam) becomes a matter of diagram-reading rather than vocabulary-guessing.

Chapter 2: The Complete Family Relationship Chart

Before attempting any blood relation puzzle, you must be completely fluent in the standard English (and commonly used Hindi) relationship vocabulary. This chapter is a one-stop reference — bookmark it and revisit it before every practice session until the terms are automatic.

2.1 Master Relationship Table

Relation	Male Term	Female Term	Side / Note
Parents' parents	Grandfather	Grandmother	General
Father's parents	Dada (Grandfather)	Dadi (Grandmother)	Paternal
Mother's parents	Nana (Grandfather)	Nani (Grandmother)	Maternal
Father's elder brother	Tau	Tai (his wife)	Paternal
Father's younger brother	Chacha	Chachi (his wife)	Paternal
Father's sister	Fufa (her husband)	Bua	Paternal
Mother's brother	Mama	Mami (his wife)	Maternal
Mother's sister	Mausa (her husband)	Mausi	Maternal
Spouse's father	Father-in-law	—	In-law
Spouse's mother	—	Mother-in-law	In-law
Sibling's spouse / spouse's sibling	Brother-in-law	Sister-in-law	In-law
Sibling's son/daughter	Nephew	Niece	Blood
Uncle's/Aunt's child	Cousin (male)	Cousin (female)	Gender-neutral term: Cousin
Child's spouse	Son-in-law	Daughter-in-law	In-law
Grandchild's child	Great-grandson	Great-granddaughter	3 generations down

2.2 Paternal vs Maternal — The Most Common Confusion

A huge fraction of errors in this topic come from mixing up which side of the family a relative belongs to. Remember this simple rule:

Paternal vs Maternal Rule

• PATERNAL = related through the FATHER (Dada, Dadi, Tau, Chacha, Bua and their spouses).
• MATERNAL = related through the MOTHER (Nana, Nani, Mama, Mausi and their spouses).
• In English exam vocabulary, both sides are usually just called 'Grandfather/Grandmother' and 'Uncle/Aunt' — the paternal/maternal distinction only matters when the question explicitly asks 'which side' or when two different grandparents/uncles appear in the same puzzle and must be told apart.

2.3 In-Laws — Relations Created by Marriage

In-law Relation	Definition
Father-in-law	Father of one's spouse
Mother-in-law	Mother of one's spouse
Brother-in-law	Husband's brother, OR wife's brother, OR sister's husband
Sister-in-law	Husband's sister, OR wife's sister, OR brother's wife
Son-in-law	Husband of one's daughter
Daughter-in-law	Wife of one's son

Trap Alert

• 'Brother-in-law' and 'sister-in-law' each have THREE possible origins (see table above). When a question asks you to identify a brother-in-law/sister-in-law relation, always check which of the three patterns actually applies — do not assume it is always 'spouse's sibling'.

2.4 Nephew, Niece and Cousin

A nephew or niece is the son or daughter of one's own brother or sister (a relation one generation below, through a sibling). A cousin is the son or daughter of one's uncle or aunt (a relation in the SAME generation, through a parent's sibling). These two are commonly confused because both involve an 'uncle/aunt–sibling' chain — the key difference is direction: nephew/niece looks one generation DOWN from you through your sibling; cousin looks at someone in your OWN generation through your parent's sibling.

2.5 The Generation-Numbering Trick

This is the single most powerful shortcut for solving long relation chains quickly, especially coded and multi-clue puzzles. Assign yourself (or any anchor person) Generation 0. Then:

• Every 'father', 'mother', 'uncle', or 'aunt' relation moves UP one generation (Gen 0 → Gen −1).
• Every 'son', 'daughter', 'nephew', or 'niece' relation moves DOWN one generation (Gen 0 → Gen +1).
• Every 'brother', 'sister', 'cousin', or spouse relation stays in the SAME generation (Gen 0 → Gen 0).

Once every person in a chain has a generation number, the final relation term can be read off instantly:

Generation Gap (from anchor)	Relation Term (if not sibling/spouse-level)
+1 (below)	Son / Daughter / Nephew / Niece
+2 (below)	Grandson / Granddaughter
+3 (below)	Great-grandson / Great-granddaughter
0 (same)	Brother / Sister / Cousin
−1 (above)	Father / Mother / Uncle / Aunt
−2 (above)	Grandfather / Grandmother
−3 (above)	Great-grandfather / Great-grandmother

Example: "A is B's mother. B is C's father. C is D's sister." Set A = Gen −2 (arbitrary start). B is A's child → Gen −1. C is B's child → Gen 0. D is C's sibling → also Gen 0. So A is two generations above D → A is D's grandmother. This matches drawing the full tree, but is much faster once you are fluent with the numbering.

Tip for Speed

• In coded or long-chain questions, write the generation number directly above each person's letter as you decode — e.g., A(−2) B(−1) C(0) D(0). This turns a wordy chain into a one-line arithmetic problem.

Chapter 3: Direct Relation Statements

3.1 Theory

Direct relation statement questions give one, two, or occasionally three short factual sentences and ask how one named person is related to another. These are the fastest-scoring questions in the whole topic provided you use a consistent notation instead of trying to hold the sentence in your head.

3.2 Standard Notation Convention

• Male = triangle (△) or a '+' mark next to the initial.
• Female = circle (○) or a '−' mark next to the initial.
• Marriage = an equals sign (=) drawn between two symbols.
• Parent-to-child = a vertical line drawn downward from parent(s) to child.
• Siblings = a horizontal line connecting two children hanging from the same parent(s).

3.3 Solved Example

Statement: "Rakesh is the father of Meena. Meena is the sister of Suresh. Suresh is the son of Kavita." How is Rakesh related to Kavita?

Step 1: Rakesh is Meena's father → draw Rakesh (△) above Meena (○) with a line down.

Step 2: Meena is Suresh's sister → Suresh (△) hangs from the same parents as Meena, so Suresh is also Rakesh's child.

Step 3: Suresh is Kavita's son → Kavita (○) is Suresh's mother. Since Suresh's parents are Rakesh and Kavita, Kavita and Rakesh are the married couple.

Answer: Rakesh is Kavita's husband.

3.4 Common Traps in This Format

Watch Out For

• Reversed direction: the question may ask for the relation of the LATER-named person to the EARLIER one, or vice versa — always re-read exactly who is being asked about.
• A 'sister' or 'brother' statement only tells you about the sibling's gender, not the other person's gender in the chain.
• Two-line statements sometimes introduce a person only to use them as a bridge (e.g., a mother mentioned only to link two children) — don't get confused into thinking the bridge person is being asked about.

3.5 Shortcut / Timed Tip

60-Second Shortcut

• For 2-line statements, simply write the chain as a single line: Rakesh(F) → Meena(sis: Suresh) → Kavita(mother of Suresh). Draw the tree only if there are 3+ people or the relation still isn't obvious after writing the chain.
• Practice reading 'X is Y's father/mother/brother/sister' as an instruction to draw one line — do this so often that it becomes reflexive, not something you consciously think about.

3.6 Practice MCQs — Direct Relation Statements

(15 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Q1. A is B's father. B is C's sister. How is A related to C?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother

Answer: (B). Explanation: B is A's child. C is B's sister, so C is also a child of A (same parents). Hence A is C's father.

Q2. P is Q's mother. Q is R's brother. How is P related to R?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Grandmother
• (D) Sister

Answer: (A). Explanation: Q is P's child. R is Q's sibling (Q is R's brother), so R is also P's child. Hence P is R's mother.

Q3. X is the son of Y. Y is the daughter of Z. How is X related to Z?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Grandson
• (D) Brother

Answer: (C). Explanation: Y is Z's daughter (Gen 2). X is Y's son (Gen 3). So X is two generations below Z, i.e., Z's grandson.

Q4. M is N's husband. N is O's mother. How is M related to O?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother-in-law

Answer: (B). Explanation: N is O's mother and M is N's husband, so M and N are O's parents. M is O's father.

Q5. R is S's brother. S is T's mother. How is R related to T?

• (A) Father
• (B) Maternal Uncle
• (C) Paternal Uncle
• (D) Grandfather

Answer: (B). Explanation: S is T's mother. R is S's brother, i.e., T's mother's brother — this is exactly the definition of maternal uncle (Mama).

Q6. J is K's daughter. L is J's brother. How is L related to K?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Son-in-law
• (D) Brother

Answer: (A). Explanation: J is K's daughter, so K is J's parent. L is J's brother, meaning L shares the same parent K. Since L is male, L is K's son.

Q7. D is E's father. E is F's husband. How is D related to F?

• (A) Brother-in-law
• (B) Father
• (C) Father-in-law
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (C). Explanation: E is F's husband. D is E's father, i.e., the father of F's husband — this is F's father-in-law.

Q8. G is H's sister. H is I's father. How is G related to I?

• (A) Maternal Aunt
• (B) Paternal Aunt
• (C) Mother
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: H is I's father. G is H's sister, i.e., I's father's sister — this is I's paternal aunt (Bua).

Q9. U is V's mother. V is W's husband. How is U related to W?

• (A) Sister-in-law
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Mother-in-law
• (D) Mother

Answer: (C). Explanation: V is W's husband. U is V's mother, i.e., the mother of W's husband — this is W's mother-in-law.

Q10. A is the brother of B. C is the father of B. How is A related to C?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Father
• (C) Son
• (D) Brother-in-law

Answer: (C). Explanation: C is B's father, so C is a parent of B. A is B's brother, sharing the same father C. Since A is male, A is C's son.

Q11. Neha is Karan's daughter. Karan is Suresh's son. How is Neha related to Suresh?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Niece
• (C) Granddaughter
• (D) Sister

Answer: (C). Explanation: Suresh (Gen1) -> Karan, his son (Gen2) -> Neha, Karan's daughter (Gen3). Neha is two generations below Suresh, so she is his granddaughter.

Q12. Ramesh is the son of Geeta. Geeta is the wife of Mohan. How is Ramesh related to Mohan?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Son
• (C) Son-in-law
• (D) Brother

Answer: (B). Explanation: Geeta is Mohan's wife, so Geeta and Mohan are a married couple. Ramesh is Geeta's son, hence also Mohan's son.

Q13. Priya's brother is Arjun. Arjun's wife is Kavita. How is Kavita related to Priya?

• (A) Sister-in-law
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Niece

Answer: (A). Explanation: Arjun is Priya's brother. Kavita is Arjun's wife, i.e., Priya's brother's wife — this makes Kavita Priya's sister-in-law.

Q14. Vijay is Anita's husband's father. How is Vijay related to Anita?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father-in-law
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother-in-law

Answer: (B). Explanation: Anita's husband's father is, by definition, Anita's father-in-law.

Q15. Meena is the daughter of Rakesh's mother. How is Meena related to Rakesh?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Sister
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: Rakesh's mother's daughter shares the same mother as Rakesh. Since Meena is a distinct person (not Rakesh) and female, she is Rakesh's sister.

Chapter 4: Chain and Multi-Clue Family Tree Puzzles

4.1 Theory

This is the format most frequently seen in SSC CGL Tier-1, CHSL and RRB NTPC papers: a passage of 4 to 8 clues describes an entire family, followed by several independent questions on the same family. The efficient method is to build ONE complete diagram from all the clues first, and then answer every attached question by simply reading the diagram — never redo the logic per question.

4.2 Step-by-Step Method

• Step 1: Skim all clues once to count how many people and roughly how many generations are involved.
• Step 2: Re-read clue by clue, placing each person on your diagram as soon as they are introduced, at the correct generation level.
• Step 3: When a clue cannot yet be placed (e.g., it refers to a person not yet introduced), leave a placeholder and return to it after reading further — multi-clue puzzles are sometimes given out of family order on purpose.
• Step 4: Once every clue is placed, double-check the diagram is internally consistent (e.g., total male/female count, number of couples) before answering.
• Step 5: Answer each attached question purely by reading the finished diagram.

4.3 Solved Example

Clues: (1) P and Q are a married couple. (2) R is the son of P. (3) S is the daughter of Q. (4) R and S are siblings. (5) T is the brother of P. (6) U is the son of T. Question: How is U related to R?

Step 1: P (male, from clue 5 'brother of P' implying P has a brother, so P is male) and Q are married — Gen −1.

Step 2: R and S are children of P and Q (clues 2, 3, 4 confirm they are siblings) — Gen 0.

Step 3: T is P's brother — also Gen −1, on the same level as P and Q.

Step 4: U is T's son — Gen 0, the same generation as R and S.

Step 5: R and U are both Gen 0, and their parents (P and T) are siblings. This is the exact definition of cousins.

Answer: U is R's cousin.

4.4 Common Traps in This Format

Watch Out For

• Clues are frequently NOT given in family-tree order — a child may be introduced before their parent, forcing you to backtrack.
• A single clue like 'X has two children' does not tell you their genders or names until a later clue specifies — do not guess ahead.
• Some passages include a person who turns out to be irrelevant to the specific question asked — don't waste time worrying if every person doesn't appear in every question.
• When two clues appear to describe the same relationship from different people's viewpoints, check they are actually consistent before proceeding (contradictions signal you have mis-assigned a gender or generation).

4.5 Shortcut / Timed Tip

Timed Strategy

• Spend the first 45-60 seconds ONLY building the diagram, not answering. Trying to answer the first question while still building the tree is the single biggest cause of silly mistakes in this format.
• Once built, each attached question should take under 15 seconds — if it's taking longer, your diagram is incomplete or wrong; recheck it rather than guessing.

4.6 Practice MCQs — Chain / Multi-Clue Puzzles

(15 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Passage: P and Q are a married couple. R is the son of P. S is the daughter of Q. R and S are siblings. T is the brother of P. U is the son of T.

Q16. How is Q related to R?

• (A) Aunt
• (B) Mother
• (C) Sister
• (D) Grandmother

Answer: (B). Explanation: P and Q are married and are the parents of R and S (siblings). So Q, being female, is R's mother.

Q17. How is T related to S?

• (A) Father
• (B) Maternal Uncle
• (C) Paternal Uncle
• (D) Brother

Answer: (C). Explanation: T is P's brother. P is the father of S. So T is S's father's brother — her paternal uncle.

Q18. How is U related to R?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Brother
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (B). Explanation: U is the son of T, who is P's brother. R is P's son. So U and R are children of two siblings (P and T) — they are cousins.

Passage: Mohan has two children — Rakesh and Sunita. Rakesh is married to Kavita, who has a son named Arjun. Sunita is married to Deepak, and Sunita has a daughter named Priya.

Q19. How is Arjun related to Mohan?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Grandson
• (D) Son-in-law

Answer: (C). Explanation: Mohan -> Rakesh (son) -> Arjun (Rakesh's son). Arjun is two generations below Mohan — his grandson.

Q20. How is Priya related to Rakesh?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Niece
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: Priya is Sunita's daughter. Sunita is Rakesh's sister. A sister's daughter is one's niece.

Q21. How is Kavita related to Sunita?

• (A) Sister-in-law
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Mother-in-law
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (A). Explanation: Kavita is married to Rakesh, who is Sunita's brother. A brother's wife is one's sister-in-law.

Q22. How is Deepak related to Mohan?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Son-in-law
• (D) Brother-in-law

Answer: (C). Explanation: Deepak is married to Sunita, Mohan's daughter. A daughter's husband is one's son-in-law.

Q23. A is B's brother. C is B's mother. D is C's husband. E is D's sister. How is E related to A?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Paternal Aunt
• (C) Maternal Aunt
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: C and D are married and are the parents of A and B. E is D's (the father's) sister, so E is A's paternal aunt.

Q24. P is the son of Q. Q is the mother of R, who is P's sister. S is the father of Q. How is S related to P?

• (A) Father
• (B) Maternal Grandfather
• (C) Paternal Grandfather
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (B). Explanation: Q is P's mother. S is Q's father, i.e., P's mother's father — P's maternal grandfather.

Q25. X's father Y is the only son of Z. Z has a daughter W. How is W related to X?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Maternal Aunt
• (C) Paternal Aunt
• (D) Mother

Answer: (C). Explanation: Z's children are Y (only son) and W (daughter), so W is Y's sister. Y is X's father, so W is X's father's sister — X's paternal aunt.

Q26. A is the husband of B. B is the mother of C. C is the sister of D, who is A's son. How is B related to D?

• (A) Aunt
• (B) Mother
• (C) Grandmother
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: C and D are siblings and both are children of A and B. So B, being female, is D's mother.

Q27. L is the son of M. M is the sister of N. N is the father of O. How is L related to O?

• (A) Cousin
• (B) Brother
• (C) Nephew
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (A). Explanation: M is N's sister, so M is O's paternal aunt (N being O's father). L is M's son — the child of an aunt, i.e., O's cousin.

Q28. P has three children — Q, R and S. Q is married to T, and T has a son U. How is U related to R?

• (A) Son
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Nephew
• (D) Grandson

Answer: (C). Explanation: Q and R are siblings (children of P). U is Q's son, so U is the child of R's sibling — U is R's nephew.

Q29. Grandfather G has a son F. F has a son S. S has a daughter D. How is D related to G?

• (A) Granddaughter
• (B) Great-granddaughter
• (C) Niece
• (D) Daughter

Answer: (B). Explanation: Using the generation trick: G (Gen0) -> F (Gen1) -> S (Gen2) -> D (Gen3). D is three generations below G, making her his great-granddaughter.

Q30. A is the brother of B's husband. C is B's daughter. How is A related to C?

• (A) Maternal Uncle
• (B) Paternal Uncle
• (C) Father
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (B). Explanation: A is the brother of B's husband, i.e., C's father's brother — C's paternal uncle.

Chapter 5: Coded Blood Relations

5.1 Theory

In coded blood relation questions, relationships are expressed using symbols or artificial code words instead of plain English — for example, "A + B" might mean "A is the mother of B". Before any reasoning can begin, you must first decode every symbol in the given expression into a plain-English relationship, and only then apply the usual family-tree method.

5.2 Method

• Step 1: Write out the code key clearly, one line per symbol, in plain English (e.g., '+' = mother of).
• Step 2: Translate the entire coded expression term by term, left to right, into a chain of plain relationships.
• Step 3: Apply the generation-numbering trick (Chapter 2.5) to the translated chain exactly as you would for an uncoded question.
• Step 4: Read off the final answer from the generation gap and sibling/spouse links.

5.3 Solved Example

Code: 'A+B' = A is mother of B; 'B–C' = B is father of C. Given: A+B–C. How is A related to C?

Step 1: Decode — A is B's mother; B is C's father.

Step 2: Generation numbers — let C = Gen 0. B (C's father) = Gen −1. A (B's mother) = Gen −2.

Step 3: A is two generations above C → grandmother.

Answer: A is C's (paternal) grandmother, since the link to C runs through C's father B.

5.4 Common Traps in This Format

Watch Out For

• Do not mix up which side of the expression is the 'giver' and which is the 'receiver' of the relation — 'A+B' meaning 'A is mother of B' is different from it meaning 'B is mother of A'; always fix this from the key before solving.
• A code for 'father'/'mother' fixes the PARENT's gender but never tells you the CHILD's gender — do not assume the child's gender unless a separate part of the code confirms it (e.g., through a 'son of'/'daughter of' code).
• Long coded chains (4+ symbols) are best solved by writing generation numbers under each letter as you decode, rather than trying to hold the whole chain in your head.

5.5 Shortcut / Timed Tip

Timed Strategy

• Memorise the given code key by writing it once on your rough sheet at the very start of the question set — coded questions on the same page/set usually reuse the same key, so this is a one-time cost.
• Translate the ENTIRE coded string before starting to solve — do not solve as you translate, since a later symbol occasionally changes how an earlier relation should be read (e.g., reveals a spouse link that merges two branches of the tree).

5.6 Practice MCQs — Coded Blood Relations

(15 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Code Key for This Section

• Code Key: 'A+B' = A is the mother of B; 'A–B' = A is the father of B; 'A×B' = A is the brother of B; 'A÷B' = A is the sister of B; 'A=B' = A is the husband of B; 'A%B' = A is the son of B.

Q31. If A+B, how is A related to B?

• (A) Father
• (B) Mother
• (C) Sister
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: By the code key, '+' directly means 'is the mother of'. So A is B's mother.

Q32. If P–Q, how is Q related to P?

• (A) Son
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Wife

Answer: (C). Explanation: P–Q means P is Q's father, so Q is P's child. But Q's own gender is not given anywhere in the code, so we cannot say whether Q is a son or a daughter.

Q33. If A×B÷C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Father
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (A). Explanation: A×B means A is B's brother; B÷C means B is C's sister. So A, B and C are siblings. A is male, so A is C's brother.

Q34. If A+B–C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Grandfather

Answer: (B). Explanation: A+B: A is B's mother. B–C: B is C's father. So A is the mother of C's father — C's (paternal) grandmother.

Q35. If A–B+C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Father
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (C). Explanation: A–B: A is B's father. B+C: B is C's mother. So A is the father of C's mother — C's (maternal) grandfather.

Q36. If A÷B×C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Mother
• (D) Niece

Answer: (A). Explanation: A÷B: A is B's sister. B×C: B is C's brother. So A, B, C are siblings. A is female, so A is C's sister.

Q37. If A=B+C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother

Answer: (B). Explanation: A=B: A is B's husband. B+C: B is C's mother. Since A and B are married and B is C's mother, A is C's father.

Q38. If A%B–C, how is A related to C?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Uncle
• (C) Father
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (A). Explanation: A%B: A is B's son. B–C: B is C's father. So A and C are both children of B, i.e., siblings. A is male (son), so A is C's brother.

Q39. If A+B×C÷D, how is A related to D?

• (A) Grandmother
• (B) Mother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: B×C: B is C's brother; C÷D: C is D's sister — so B, C, D are siblings. A+B: A is B's mother, hence also the mother of the whole sibling set, including D.

Q40. If A–B÷C=D, how is A related to D?

• (A) Father-in-law
• (B) Grandfather
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Father

Answer: (A). Explanation: A–B: A is B's father. B÷C: B is C's sister, so B and C are A's children. C=D: C is D's husband. So A is the father of D's husband — D's father-in-law.

Q41. If A+B, B–C, C÷D, how is A related to D?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Grandfather

Answer: (B). Explanation: A+B: A is B's mother. B–C: B is C's father. C÷D: C is D's sister, so C and D are siblings, both children of B. Since A is B's mother, A is the grandmother of B's children — including D.

Q42. If A=B, B+C, C×D, how is A related to D?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother

Answer: (B). Explanation: A=B: A is B's husband. B+C: B is C's mother, so A and B are C's parents. C×D: C is D's brother, so C and D are siblings, also children of A and B. Hence A is D's father.

Q43. If A÷B, B–C, C×D, how is A related to D?

• (A) Aunt
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Mother
• (D) Grandmother

Answer: (A). Explanation: A÷B: A is B's sister. B–C: B is C's father, so A is C's paternal aunt. C×D: C is D's brother, so C and D are siblings. A, being the aunt of C, is also the aunt of D.

Q44. If A–B, C+B, how is A related to C?

• (A) Father
• (B) Husband
• (C) Brother
• (D) Son

Answer: (B). Explanation: A–B: A is B's father. C+B: C is B's mother. So A and C are both parents of B, i.e., a married couple. Hence A is C's husband.

Q45. If A%B, C÷B, how is A related to C?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Son
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Brother

Answer: (A). Explanation: A%B: A is B's son. C÷B: C is B's sister, so C is female and is B's sibling — B's aunt/uncle relation aside, C is a sibling of B, hence C is A's aunt. A (a son, so male) is therefore C's nephew.

Chapter 6: Ambiguous-Gender Puzzles and "Cannot Be Determined"

6.1 Theory

Many real exam questions are deliberately built so that the gender of one or more people in the chain is never stated. In such cases, the honest and correct response is often 'Cannot be determined' — and SSC/RRB papers do test whether candidates recognise this rather than guessing. At the same time, many questions that LOOK ambiguous are actually resolvable using a keyword like 'only son', 'only daughter', or 'only child', which pins down a gender or uniqueness that removes the ambiguity. Learning to tell these two situations apart is the core skill of this chapter.

6.2 When Is a Relation Genuinely Ambiguous?

• The final person's own gender is never stated anywhere in the passage, AND the relation term needed has different words for male/female (e.g., son/daughter, uncle/aunt, nephew/niece) — genuinely ambiguous, unless a gender-neutral term like 'cousin' or 'sibling' fits.
• A relation depends on the gender of an intermediate, unnamed person (e.g., 'my father's only sibling's spouse') whose gender is never fixed — genuinely ambiguous.
• The speaker's OWN name is gender-neutral (e.g., Kiran, Anil used loosely, Amar) and the answer depends on the speaker's gender — check carefully; some names are reliably one gender in standard Indian usage and some are not.

6.3 When Does 'Only' Resolve the Ambiguity?

The words 'only son', 'only daughter', or 'only child' are exam-code for 'there is exactly one person matching this description, and you, the solver, are expected to identify who that unique person is from context' — very often that person turns out to be the speaker themself, or a person already named in the passage. Once you identify who the 'only X' refers to, the ambiguity usually disappears.

6.4 Solved Example

"Anil says, 'Her father is the only son of my father.'" How is she related to Anil?

Step 1: 'My father' = Anil's father. 'The only son of my father' = the only son that Anil's father has.

Step 2: Since Anil is speaking and (in the absence of any other brother being mentioned) is a son of his own father, and the sentence specifies there is only ONE son, that only son must be Anil himself.

Step 3: So 'her father' = Anil. Therefore 'she' is Anil's daughter.

Answer: Daughter.

6.5 Common Traps in This Format

Watch Out For

• Don't default to 'Cannot be determined' out of caution when a gender-neutral term (like 'cousin') is actually available and correct.
• Don't default to guessing a gender when the passage truly never states it — many students guess 'uncle' when 'aunt' is equally possible, losing marks that a confident 'Cannot be determined' would have earned.
• Watch for names that don't reveal gender (Kiran, Anil-as-a-surname-context, etc.) — these are used deliberately by exam-setters to test this exact skill.

6.6 Shortcut / Timed Tip

Timed Strategy

• As soon as you see 'only son', 'only daughter', or 'only child' in a statement, immediately ask: 'Who is the ONE person this could be, given everyone already named?' This single question resolves most apparently-hard ambiguous puzzles in seconds.
• If, after building the full diagram, the final answer genuinely depends on an unknown gender with no gender-neutral term available, mark 'Cannot be determined' with confidence rather than spending further time guessing.

6.7 Practice MCQs — Ambiguous-Gender Puzzles

(15 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Q46. X introduces Y saying, 'Y is the child of my father's sister.' How is Y related to X?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Niece
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Cannot be determined

Answer: (C). Explanation: Father's sister is X's paternal aunt. Her child, regardless of the child's own gender, is X's cousin — this gender-neutral term is the safe and correct answer, so there is no real ambiguity here.

Q47. P says, 'Q is my mother's only child's child.' How is Q related to P?

• (A) Son
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Nephew

Answer: (C). Explanation: Mother's only child = P (since P has no siblings). So Q is the child of P — P's own son or daughter. As Q's gender is never stated, the relation cannot be determined precisely.

Q48. R introduces S as 'the spouse of my father's only sibling.' How is S related to R?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (C). Explanation: Father's only sibling is R's uncle or aunt — but the sibling's own gender is not stated. S, being that person's spouse, would be an aunt (if the sibling is male) or an uncle (if the sibling is female). Since we cannot fix the sibling's gender, S's relation to R cannot be determined.

Q49. Kiran says, 'That girl's mother is the only daughter of my mother.' How is Kiran related to the girl?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Maternal Uncle
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Grandmother

Answer: (C). Explanation: The 'only daughter of my mother' is Kiran herself if Kiran is female, or Kiran's only sister if Kiran is male. Since 'Kiran' does not reveal gender, the girl's mother is either Kiran (making Kiran her Mother) or Kiran's sister (making Kiran her Maternal Uncle). The relation cannot be determined.

Q50. Sharma introduces a boy as 'the son of the only daughter of my father.' How is the boy related to Sharma?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Grandson

Answer: (C). Explanation: 'The only daughter of my father' is Sharma herself (if Sharma is female) or Sharma's only sister (if Sharma is male). Her son is Sharma's own Son in the first case, or Sharma's Nephew in the second. Since Sharma's gender is not given, this cannot be determined.

Q51. Priya says, 'He is the only son of my grandmother's only daughter.' How is he related to Priya?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Cannot be determined

Answer: (A). Explanation: Priya's grandmother's only daughter is Priya's mother (Priya, being female, is herself a possible daughter of the grandmother's son, but here we take the direct line: the grandmother's only daughter is Priya's mother, since the puzzle is told from Priya's side). Her only son is therefore Priya's own brother.

Q52. Karan points to a photo and says, 'She is the only daughter of my father's only brother.' How is she related to Karan?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Niece
• (D) Maternal Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: Father's only brother is Karan's paternal uncle. That uncle's only daughter is Karan's cousin (female). This is unambiguous since her gender is directly stated.

Q53. Neha says, 'His mother is the only daughter-in-law of my grandmother.' How is he related to Neha?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Nephew

Answer: (A). Explanation: Grandmother's only daughter-in-law is the wife of grandmother's only son, i.e., Neha's own mother. So 'he', being this mother's son, is Neha's brother.

Q54. A is B's husband. C is the mother of D, who is B's brother. How is C related to A?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Mother-in-law
• (C) Sister
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: D is B's brother, so C (D's mother) is also B's mother, since siblings share the same mother. A is B's husband, so C is A's mother-in-law.

Q55. P is the father of Q. R is Q's mother, and S is R's mother. How is S related to P?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Mother-in-law
• (C) Sister
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: P and R are Q's parents (a married couple). S is R's mother, i.e., the mother of P's wife — P's mother-in-law.

Q56. Vikas says, 'The lady is my mother's mother's only granddaughter.' How is she related to Vikas?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Niece

Answer: (C). Explanation: Vikas's maternal grandmother's granddaughters could be daughters of any of her children. Without knowing through which child (Vikas's mother or her sibling) the lady descends, we cannot fix whether she is Vikas's sister or his cousin.

Q57. Anil says, 'Her father is the only son of my father.' How is she related to Anil?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Sister
• (C) Niece
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (A). Explanation: The only son of Anil's father is Anil himself (assuming Anil is male, which the phrasing 'my father...only son' with Anil as speaker implies). So 'her father' is Anil, making her Anil's daughter.

Q58. Ramesh says, 'This girl is my son's only sister.' How is she related to Ramesh?

• (A) Niece
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: The son's only sister shares the same parents as the son. Since Ramesh is the son's father, this girl is also Ramesh's child — his daughter.

Q59. Meena says, 'He is my only brother's wife's brother.' How is he related to Meena?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Brother-in-law
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (B). Explanation: Meena's only brother's wife is Meena's sister-in-law. This sister-in-law's brother is not blood-related to Meena but is her brother-in-law by marriage.

Q60. Sunil says, 'She is the daughter of my wife's only sister.' How is she related to Sunil?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Niece
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Sister-in-law

Answer: (B). Explanation: Sunil's wife's only sister is Sunil's sister-in-law. Her daughter is Sunil's niece (by marriage).

Chapter 7: Blood Relations Combined with Seating Arrangement and Direction Sense

7.1 Theory

Some exam questions blend blood relations with a seating arrangement (row/circle/square) or a direction-sense (walking distances and turns) scenario. In almost all such 'combined' questions, the seating or direction details are only used to identify WHICH position a particular family member occupies — the actual relation logic underneath is solved exactly as in a normal blood relation puzzle. The key skill is not getting distracted by the seating/direction details when the question is really only asking for a relationship.

7.2 Method

• First, separate the clues into two categories: (a) clues that describe family relationships, and (b) clues that describe seating positions or directions/distances.
• Build the family tree from category (a) exactly as in Chapter 4, ignoring the seating/direction details for now.
• Only refer back to the seating/direction details if the specific question being asked requires identifying a person's physical position (e.g., 'who sits second to the left of X?') — most 'how is X related to Y' questions in combined puzzles do not need the seating information at all.

7.3 Solved Example

"Six people P, Q, R, S, T and U sit in a row facing North. Q is the mother of T. S is the father of Q. R is the brother of T. U is the wife of S." How is U related to R?

Step 1: Ignore the row/seating information — the question only asks for a relationship.

Step 2: S and U are a married couple (S's wife is U); S is Q's father, so U is Q's mother.

Step 3: R is T's brother, and T is Q's child, so R is also Q's child.

Step 4: U is Q's mother, and R is Q's child, so U is R's grandmother.

Answer: Grandmother.

7.4 Common Traps in This Format

Watch Out For

• Do not assume seating order implies any family relationship (e.g., sitting next to someone does not mean any blood relation) unless explicitly stated.
• When a direction-sense clue is given ('walks 5 km North'), it almost never affects the relationship answer — it is usually flavour text or is relevant only to a different, separate question in the same set.
• Watch for questions that DO require the seating position (e.g., 'who is sitting exactly between the father and the son?') — read the question carefully to know which kind you're dealing with.

7.5 Shortcut / Timed Tip

Timed Strategy

• When you see a mixed passage, do a 10-second scan of the question(s) asked FIRST. If every question is a pure 'How is X related to Y' type, you can often skip drawing the seating diagram entirely and just build the family tree — saving significant time.

7.6 Practice MCQs — Blood Relations with Seating/Direction

(13 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Q61. Six people P, Q, R, S, T and U sit in a row facing North. Q is the mother of T. S is the father of Q. R is the brother of T, and U is the wife of S. How is U related to R?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: S and U are a married couple, and S is Q's father, so U is Q's mother. R is T's brother, and T is Q's child, so R is also Q's child. Since U is Q's mother, U is R's grandmother.

Q62. Suresh walks 4 km East and meets his mother. From there they walk 3 km North to reach home, where his father is waiting. If Suresh's sister also lives there, how is Suresh's sister related to his father?

• (A) Wife
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Niece
• (D) Sister

Answer: (B). Explanation: Suresh's father and mother are a married couple, and Suresh's sister is their child. Being female, she is her father's daughter.

Q63. A is B's husband; both are facing a park. A sits to the immediate left of his son C, and B sits to the immediate right of her daughter D. How is D related to C?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Daughter

Answer: (A). Explanation: A and B are C's and D's parents, making C and D siblings. Since D is female, D is C's sister (regardless of C's own gender).

Q64. Rakesh's house is at point Y and his uncle's house is at point X, 5 km East of Y. His uncle is his mother's brother. How is Rakesh related to his uncle's children?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Brother
• (D) Son

Answer: (B). Explanation: Rakesh's maternal uncle's children are the children of Rakesh's mother's sibling — by definition, Rakesh's cousins.

Q65. Four members M, N, O, P sit around a square table facing the centre. M is the father of N, N sits opposite O (M's wife), and P, to M's right, is O's daughter. How is P related to N?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Cousin

Answer: (A). Explanation: M and O are N's and P's parents, so N and P are siblings. P is female, so P is N's sister, regardless of N's own gender.

Q66. Anita walks 6 km South to her grandmother's house (her mother's mother), then 4 km West to her uncle's house (her mother's brother). How is Anita's grandmother related to her uncle?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Wife
• (C) Mother
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (C). Explanation: Anita's grandmother is the mother of Anita's mother. Anita's uncle is her mother's brother — also a child of the grandmother. Hence the grandmother is the uncle's mother.

Q67. Five people sit in a circle facing the centre: A, B, C, D and E. B is the son of A, C is the sister of B, D is the father of E, and A is the wife of D. How is C related to E?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Niece

Answer: (A). Explanation: A and D are a married couple and the parents of B and C (siblings). Since D is also E's father and A is D's wife, E too is A and D's child, making E a sibling of B and C. C, being female, is E's sister.

Q68. In a row of seven students facing North, Manoj is fourth from the left and his sister Rina is fourth from the right; their father Deepak sits exactly between them. How is Deepak related to Rina?

• (A) Father
• (B) Uncle
• (C) Brother
• (D) Grandfather

Answer: (A). Explanation: Deepak is directly stated to be the father of both Manoj and Rina.

Q69. Ajay walks 10 km North to his father's house, then 6 km East to his uncle's (father's brother) house. His uncle has a son, Bittu. How is Bittu related to Ajay?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Brother
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (B). Explanation: Ajay's paternal uncle's son is the child of Ajay's father's sibling — Ajay's cousin.

Q70. In a row, P is the grandfather of S, Q is the father of S, and R is Q's wife. How is R related to P?

• (A) Wife
• (B) Daughter-in-law
• (C) Sister
• (D) Daughter

Answer: (B). Explanation: P is Q's father (since P is S's grandfather and Q is S's father). R is Q's wife, i.e., the wife of P's son — P's daughter-in-law.

Q71. Around a round table: A is B's mother, C is A's father, and D is B's daughter. How is C related to D?

• (A) Grandfather
• (B) Great-grandfather
• (C) Father
• (D) Uncle

Answer: (B). Explanation: C (Gen0) -> A, his daughter (Gen1) -> B, A's child (Gen2) -> D, B's daughter (Gen3). D is three generations below C, making C her great-grandfather.

Q72. Meena tells Radha, 'Your brother is the son of my husband's sister.' How is Radha's brother related to Meena's husband?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Son
• (D) Brother

Answer: (A). Explanation: Meena's husband's sister's son is, by definition, the nephew of Meena's husband.

Q73. Five friends sit in a row. B is the sister of D. D is the son of F. F is the husband of E. How is E related to B?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Sister
• (D) Grandmother

Answer: (A). Explanation: D and B are siblings, children of F. E is F's wife, so E is also B's and D's mother.

Chapter 8: Common Traps — A Focused Review

8.1 Why a Dedicated Trap Chapter?

Having covered every question format, this chapter consolidates the recurring error patterns that cost marks even for students who otherwise understand the topic well. Read through each trap category once, then attempt the MCQs, which are deliberately designed so that the 'obvious' answer is wrong.

8.2 Trap Category 1: Confusing Paternal and Maternal Sides

This happens whenever a puzzle contains BOTH a paternal-side and a maternal-side relative and the question asks specifically about one of them, or asks you to identify which side a relation belongs to. Always trace the exact chain (father's side vs mother's side) rather than answering from a vague overall impression.

8.3 Trap Category 2: Forgetting That 'Cousin' Is Gender-Neutral

Many students instinctively reach for 'nephew' or 'niece' whenever an uncle or aunt's child is mentioned. Remember: an uncle's or aunt's child is always a COUSIN (same generation), never a nephew/niece (which is one generation down, through a SIBLING, not a parent's sibling).

8.4 Trap Category 3: Solving From the Wrong End of the Question

When a question asks 'How is X related to Y', always do your final generation/relation computation FROM Y's perspective looking towards X (or be very careful about which direction you compute in) — reversing the direction midway is one of the most common silent errors, especially in longer chains.

8.5 Trap Category 4: Over-Assuming a Nuclear Family

By default, when a puzzle does not mention a second marriage, step-family, or half-sibling, you SHOULD assume a standard nuclear family (i.e., two people who share a parent share BOTH parents). However, the moment a puzzle explicitly says something like 'is not the biological mother' or otherwise signals a blended family, that default must be dropped immediately — do not force a nuclear-family assumption onto a puzzle that contradicts it.

8.6 Shortcut / Timed Tip

Final Trap-Avoidance Checklist

• Before finalising any answer, ask: 'Have I mixed up paternal and maternal anywhere?'
• Ask: 'Is there a gender-neutral term (cousin, sibling, spouse, in-law) that fits better than the gendered term I'm about to choose?'
• Ask: 'Am I answering in the direction the question actually asked, or the reverse?'
• Ask: 'Does the puzzle contain any explicit step-family/second-marriage signal that should override my nuclear-family default?'

8.7 Practice MCQs — Common Traps

(12 questions — each with a full step-by-step explanation.)

Q74. P is Q's brother. R is Q's mother. How is Q related to R?

• (A) Son
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Sister

Answer: (C). Explanation: TRAP: Many assume Q is male just because P is described as Q's 'brother'. But P being male tells us nothing about Q's own gender — Q could be P's brother or sister. So Q's relation to R (son or daughter) cannot be determined.

Q75. A's father's sister's husband is B. How is B related to A?

• (A) Maternal Uncle
• (B) Uncle (paternal side)
• (C) Father
• (D) Grandfather

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: Do not label every 'uncle by marriage' as 'maternal'. Here B is the husband of A's father's sister (a paternal-side aunt), so B is A's uncle through the paternal side, commonly called Fufa — not a maternal uncle.

Q76. A is the son of B's uncle. How is A related to B?

• (A) Nephew
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Brother
• (D) Son

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: An uncle's son is not automatically called 'nephew'. A is the child of B's uncle, making A and B first cousins — not a nephew relation (nephew would apply if A were B's own sibling's son).

Q77. Rahul's father's only two sons are Rahul and Rohit. Rohit's mother has a daughter, Priya. How is Priya related to Rahul?

• (A) Cousin
• (B) Sister
• (C) Niece
• (D) Cannot be determined

Answer: (B). Explanation: Since the puzzle gives no second marriage or step-family clue, the default (nuclear-family) assumption applies: Rohit's mother is the same as Rahul's mother. Priya, her daughter, is therefore Rahul's sister. Do not over-complicate with unstated step-family possibilities when none are indicated.

Q78. Which of the following can NEVER make a man X the brother-in-law of a person Y?

• (A) X is Y's husband's brother
• (B) X is Y's sister's husband
• (C) X is Y's wife's brother
• (D) X is Y's mother's brother

Answer: (D). Explanation: TRAP: 'Brother-in-law' arises only through marriage — husband's brother, sister's husband, or wife's brother. The mother's brother is a maternal uncle (Mama), a blood relation, never a brother-in-law.

Q79. Q's mother's husband's sister is P's mother. How is P related to Q?

• (A) Niece
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Sister

Answer: (C). Explanation: TRAP: Don't jump to 'niece/nephew' whenever 'sister' appears. Q's mother's husband is Q's father; his sister is Q's paternal aunt. This aunt is P's mother — so P is the child of Q's aunt, i.e., Q's cousin, not niece/nephew.

Q80. X's mother's brother's son is Y. Which side of the family does this cousin relation come from?

• (A) Paternal side
• (B) Maternal side
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Both sides

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: Mother's brother is the maternal uncle, so his son Y is X's cousin through the maternal side — not the paternal side as is sometimes wrongly assumed by habit.

Q81. A is B's son. C is B's brother's daughter. How is C related to A?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Niece
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: C is not automatically A's 'sister' just because both are young family members. B's brother is A's paternal uncle; C, the uncle's daughter, is A's cousin — a different generation-mate, not a sibling.

Q82. A calls D 'Chacha' (father's younger brother). D's wife is E. How is E related to A?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Aunt (Chachi)
• (C) Sister
• (D) Grandmother

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: In an extended/joint family, do not collapse every older female relative into 'mother'. E, the wife of A's Chacha, is A's aunt (Chachi) — a distinct relation from A's own mother.

Q83. Ravi says, 'Kiran is the daughter of the only son of my grandfather.' How is Kiran related to Ravi?

• (A) Cousin
• (B) Sister
• (C) Niece
• (D) Aunt

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: Don't default to 'cousin' whenever a grandparent is mentioned. Since it is the grandfather's ONLY son, that son must be Ravi's own father (Ravi is a descendant of this grandfather). The son's daughter is therefore Ravi's sister, not a cousin.

Q84. A is B's father-in-law. C is A's daughter. How is C related to B?

• (A) Wife
• (B) Sister-in-law
• (C) Cannot be determined
• (D) Daughter

Answer: (C). Explanation: TRAP: A father-in-law can have more than one daughter. C could be B's wife, or C could be a different daughter of A (making her B's sister-in-law). Without knowing if A has only one daughter, C's relation to B cannot be fixed.

Q85. Sonu is the son of Radha's husband, but Radha is not Sonu's biological mother. How is Sonu related to Radha?

• (A) Son
• (B) Stepson
• (C) Nephew
• (D) Grandson

Answer: (B). Explanation: TRAP: Do not assume every 'husband's son' is automatically one's own biological son. Since Radha is explicitly not his mother, Sonu is Radha's stepson.

Chapter 9: Exam-Speed Solving Framework and Quick-Reference Checklist

9.1 The Complete Step-by-Step Framework

• Step 1 — Read once, fully, without solving: get a sense of how many people and generations are involved.
• Step 2 — Identify the format: direct statement, multi-clue family tree, coded, ambiguous-gender, or combined with seating/direction.
• Step 3 — Set your notation: male = △/+, female = ○/−, marriage = =, parent-child = vertical line, siblings = horizontal line.
• Step 4 — Build the diagram clue by clue, placing each new person at the correct generation level and labelling immediately.
• Step 5 — For coded questions, decode the ENTIRE expression into plain relationships before drawing anything.
• Step 6 — Apply the generation-numbering trick to double-check any relation that still feels uncertain after drawing.
• Step 7 — Before answering, run the trap-avoidance checklist from Chapter 8.6.
• Step 8 — Answer every attached question by reading the finished diagram — do not redo the logic from scratch per question.
• Step 9 — If, after building the diagram, an intermediate gender is genuinely never given and no gender-neutral term applies, answer 'Cannot be determined' with confidence.

9.2 Quick-Reference: Generation Table (recap)

Generation Gap	Term
+3	Great-grandson / Great-granddaughter
+2	Grandson / Granddaughter
+1	Son / Daughter / Nephew / Niece
0	Brother / Sister / Cousin / Spouse
−1	Father / Mother / Uncle / Aunt
−2	Grandfather / Grandmother
−3	Great-grandfather / Great-grandmother

9.3 Quick-Reference: Family Chart (recap)

Relation	Male Term	Female Term	Side / Note
Parents' parents	Grandfather	Grandmother	General
Father's parents	Dada (Grandfather)	Dadi (Grandmother)	Paternal
Mother's parents	Nana (Grandfather)	Nani (Grandmother)	Maternal
Father's elder brother	Tau	Tai (his wife)	Paternal
Father's younger brother	Chacha	Chachi (his wife)	Paternal
Father's sister	Fufa (her husband)	Bua	Paternal
Mother's brother	Mama	Mami (his wife)	Maternal
Mother's sister	Mausa (her husband)	Mausi	Maternal
Spouse's father	Father-in-law	—	In-law
Spouse's mother	—	Mother-in-law	In-law
Sibling's spouse / spouse's sibling	Brother-in-law	Sister-in-law	In-law
Sibling's son/daughter	Nephew	Niece	Blood
Uncle's/Aunt's child	Cousin (male)	Cousin (female)	Gender-neutral term: Cousin
Child's spouse	Son-in-law	Daughter-in-law	In-law
Grandchild's child	Great-grandson	Great-granddaughter	3 generations down

9.4 Final Word

Blood relations rewards method over memory-strain. Every question in this book — and every question you will see in the actual exam — reduces to correctly placing people on a generation-and-gender diagram and reading off the answer. Master the notation in this chapter, practise until it is automatic, and this topic will become one of your fastest, most reliable sources of marks in the Reasoning section.

Chapter 10: Full-Length Practice Set

This final practice set mixes all question formats covered in this book, including four multi-question family-tree passages — exactly as they appear in the real SSC/RRB exam. Attempt the entire set under timed conditions (aim for under 25 minutes for all 25 questions), then check your answers against the consolidated answer key with brief reasoning at the end of the chapter.

Passage 1

Read the following information and answer the questions below it:

• In a family of six members — A, B, C, D, E and F — there are two married couples.
• A is the father of C and the grandfather of E.
• B is the mother-in-law of D.
• D is the wife of C.
• E is the daughter of D.
• F is the brother of E.
• B has only one son.

Q1. How is A related to D?

• (A) Father
• (B) Father-in-law
• (C) Husband
• (D) Uncle

Q2. How is B related to E?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Aunt
• (C) Grandmother
• (D) Sister

Q3. How is F related to C?

• (A) Son
• (B) Nephew
• (C) Brother
• (D) Father

Q4. How many male members are there in the family?

• (A) 2
• (B) 3
• (C) 4
• (D) 5

Passage 2

Read the following information and answer the questions below it:

• P and Q are a married couple; P is male.
• R is the son of P and Q.
• S is married to R (S is P's daughter-in-law).
• T and U are the children of R and S; T is male and U is female.
• V is the brother of Q.

Q5. How is S related to Q?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Daughter-in-law
• (C) Sister-in-law
• (D) Niece

Q6. How is V related to R?

• (A) Paternal Uncle
• (B) Maternal Uncle
• (C) Father
• (D) Brother

Q7. How is T related to P?

• (A) Son
• (B) Grandson
• (C) Nephew
• (D) Grandfather

Q8. How is U related to S?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Niece
• (C) Sister
• (D) Granddaughter

Passage 3

Read the following information and answer the questions below it:

• X and Y are sisters.
• X is married to M; Y is married to N.
• X has a son, O. Y has a daughter, P.
• M's father is Z.

Q9. How is O related to P?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Nephew
• (D) Uncle

Q10. How is Z related to O?

• (A) Father
• (B) Grandfather
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Great-grandfather

Q11. How is N related to X?

• (A) Brother-in-law
• (B) Uncle
• (C) Cousin
• (D) Father-in-law

Passage 4

Read the following information and answer the questions below it:

• Anil says, 'My father is the only son of my grandfather.'
• Bina says, 'My mother is Anil's father's sister.'
• Chetan says, 'I am Bina's brother.'

Q12. How is Anil related to Bina?

• (A) Cousin
• (B) Brother
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Nephew

Q13. How is Chetan related to Anil?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Nephew

Q14. How is Anil's grandfather related to Bina?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Great-grandfather

Standalone Questions

Q15. A is B's daughter. B is C's father. How is A related to C?

• (A) Daughter
• (B) Granddaughter
• (C) Niece
• (D) Sister

Q16. In a code, 'P@Q' means P is Q's husband and 'P#Q' means P is Q's mother. If R@S#T, how is R related to T?

• (A) Uncle
• (B) Father
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother

Q17. M is the son of N. N is the wife of O. O is the father of P. How is M related to P?

• (A) Brother
• (B) Cousin
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Father

Q18. Code: 'A$B' = A is father of B; 'A#B' = A is sister of B. If P$Q#R, how is P related to R?

• (A) Father
• (B) Grandfather
• (C) Uncle
• (D) Brother

Q19. 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) Mother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Grandmother

Q20. A is the brother of B. C is the father of A. D is the sister of C. How is D related to B?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Paternal Aunt
• (C) Maternal Aunt
• (D) Sister

Q21. P is Q's husband's mother. R is Q's daughter. How is P related to R?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Mother-in-law

Q22. A couple has two married sons, and each son has exactly one child. What is the minimum number of grandchildren the couple has?

• (A) 1
• (B) 2
• (C) 3
• (D) 4

Q23. A's father is B. B's only sister is C. C's husband is D. How is D related to A?

• (A) Maternal Uncle
• (B) Uncle (paternal side)
• (C) Grandfather
• (D) Brother-in-law

Q24. X is Y's son. Z is Y's father, and W is Z's wife. How is W related to X?

• (A) Mother
• (B) Grandmother
• (C) Aunt
• (D) Mother-in-law

Q25. M, who is male, introduces N as 'the daughter of my father's only son.' How is N related to M?

• (A) Sister
• (B) Daughter
• (C) Niece
• (D) Cousin

Consolidated Answer Key with Brief Reasoning

Q. No.	Answer	Brief Reasoning
Q1	B	D is C's wife and A is C's father, so A is D's father-in-law.
Q2	C	B is A's wife and A is E's grandfather, so B is E's grandmother.
Q3	A	E and F are siblings, children of C and D, so F is C's son.
Q4	B	A, C and F are male (B, D are female) — 3 males in total.
Q5	B	S is R's wife, and R is Q's son, so S is Q's daughter-in-law.
Q6	B	V is Q's brother; Q is R's mother — so V is R's maternal uncle.
Q7	B	P -> R (son) -> T (R's son): T is two generations below P, his grandson.
Q8	A	U is a child of R and S, so U is S's daughter.
Q9	B	O and P are children of sisters X and Y, so they are cousins.
Q10	B	Z is M's father, and M is O's father, so Z is O's grandfather.
Q11	A	N is the husband of X's sister Y, so N is X's brother-in-law.
Q12	A	Bina's mother is Anil's father's sister (Anil's paternal aunt), so Bina is Anil's cousin.
Q13	B	Chetan is Bina's brother, sharing the same parents as Bina, so Chetan is also Anil's cousin.
Q14	C	Bina's mother and Anil's father are siblings, both children of Anil's grandfather — so he is also Bina's (maternal) grandfather.
Q15	B	C -> B (child) -> A (B's daughter): A is C's granddaughter.
Q16	B	R is S's husband; S is T's mother — so R and S are T's parents, making R the father.
Q17	A	N and O are M's and P's parents, so M and P are siblings; M is male, hence M is P's brother.
Q18	A	P is Q's father; Q is R's sister, so Q and R are siblings, both P's children. Hence P is R's father.
Q19	B	The only daughter of the woman's mother is the woman herself, so the man's mother is the woman — she is his mother.
Q20	B	C is the father of A and B (siblings). D, C's sister, is therefore B's paternal aunt.
Q21	B	P is Q's husband's mother, i.e., R's father's mother — R's grandmother.
Q22	B	Each of the two sons contributes one child, giving a minimum of 2 grandchildren from the sons alone.
Q23	B	C is B's sister, i.e., A's paternal aunt. D, her husband, is A's uncle through the paternal side.
Q24	B	Z is Y's father and W is Z's wife, so W is Y's mother. Y is X's parent, so W is X's grandmother.
Q25	B	Since M is male, 'my father's only son' refers to M himself. So N, that son's daughter, is M's own daughter.