BLOOD RELATION — Reasoning Notes
BLOOD RELATION — Reasoning Notes
For CUET | CLAT | IPMAT | Other Aptitude Exams
Blood Relation tests your ability to understand family hierarchy, generation gaps, and indirect relationships. Questions may be verbal, symbolic, or puzzle-based.
1. BASIC TERMINOLOGY (Must Memorize)
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Father’s father / Mother’s father | Grandfather |
| Father’s mother / Mother’s mother | Grandmother |
| Brother’s son | Nephew |
| Brother’s daughter | Niece |
| Uncle’s child / Aunt’s child | Cousin |
| Husband’s sister / Wife’s sister | Sister-in-law |
| Husband’s brother / Wife’s brother | Brother-in-law |
| Son’s wife | Daughter-in-law |
| Daughter’s husband | Son-in-law |
| Husband’s father / Wife’s father | Father-in-law |
TYPE 1: Direct Blood Relation (Simple Statements)
You are given simple statements and asked the relationship between two people.
Method
-
Move one statement at a time.
-
Build a small family tree mentally or on rough paper.
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Track generation (+1 / 0 / –1 levels).
Example Q1 (CUET-style)
A is the brother of B. B is the mother of C. How is A related to C?
Solution
A → brother of B
B → mother of C
So A is maternal uncle of C. ✔
Example Q2
P is the son of Q. Q is the sister of R. R is the father of S. How is P related to S?
Solution
Q → sister of R → same generation
R → father of S
P → son of Q → grandchild generation
Thus, P is cousin of S.
TYPE 2: Indirect / Combined Relationships
Multiple sentences combine to form extended relations.
Method
-
Identify the root person.
-
Move stepwise through the chain.
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Use symbols:
-
M/F (male/female)
-
↑ generation above, ↓ generation below
-
Example Q3 (IPMAT-type)
A is the son of B. B is the daughter of C. C is the mother of D. What is D to A?
Solution
C → mother of D → C is D’s mother.
B → daughter of C → B is D’s sister.
A → son of B → A is D’s nephew.
Example Q4
T is the father of U. U is the sister of V. V is the mother of W. How is T related to W?
Solution
V → mother of W
U → sister of V → same generation
T → father of U and V
Thus, T is maternal grandfather of W.
TYPE 3: Puzzle-Based / Mixed Statements
Given multiple clues; need to draw a mini family tree.
Method
-
Identify all generations.
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Mark gender whenever possible.
-
Connect relations stepwise.
Example Q5 (CLAT-style)
A is married to B. B is the sister of C. C is the father of D. How is A related to D?
Solution
C → father of D → male
B → sister of C
A → married to B → A is brother-in-law of C
A is uncle (specifically uncle by marriage) of D.
Example Q6
P is the grandmother of Q. S is the son of Q. R is the father of S. How is R related to P?
Solution
Q → child of P
S → child of Q
R → father of S → spouse of Q
So R is son-in-law of P.
TYPE 4: Coded / Symbolic Blood Relation
Symbols represent relations:
e.g.,
-
A @ B → A is mother of B
-
A $ B → A is brother of B
-
A # B → A is father of B
-
A % B → A is sister of B
Method
-
Decode from right to left usually.
-
Translate each symbol into a relation.
Example Q7 (CUET-type)
If A # B % C means A is father of B and B is sister of C, then how is A related to C?
Solution
A # B → A is father of B
B % C → B is sister of C
So A is father of C also.
Example Q8
If P @ Q $ R means P is mother of Q and Q is brother of R, then P is related to R as?
Solution
P @ Q → mother
Q $ R → brother
So R is also child of P.
Thus P is mother of R.
TYPE 5: Relationship Identification (Who is Who?)
You are given a statement; pick the correct relation from options.
Example Q9 (IPMAT-type)
Introducing a man, A says: “He is the husband of my wife’s sister.” How is the man related to A?
Solution
Wife’s sister → Sister-in-law
Her husband → Brother-in-law
So the man is brother-in-law of A.
Example Q10
Pointing to a woman, R says: “Her son is the father of my nephew.” Who is the woman to R?
Solution
Nephew → child of sibling
Father of nephew → R’s brother
So the woman's son = R’s brother
So the woman = R’s mother.
TYPE 6: Generation-Based Blood Relation (Vertical Questions)
Direct movement across generations.
Example Q11
X is the mother of Y. Y is the father of Z. How is X related to Z?
→ X → grandmother of Z.
Example Q12
A is the grandfather of C. C is the daughter of D. How is D related to A?
A → grandfather of C → father of D
So D is son/daughter of A (gender not specified).
TYPE 7: Family Tree (Most Difficult Type)
Useful in CLAT and IPMAT logical reasoning sets.
Example Q13 (CLAT-style Set)
R is married to S. S is the sister of T. T is the father of U. P is the mother of R. How is P related to U?
Solution
T → father of U
S → sister of T
R → husband of S → uncle by marriage
P → mother of R → grandmother-in-law
Thus, P is grandmother of U.
10 PRACTICE + PREVIOUS YEAR STYLE QUESTIONS (CUET | CLAT | IPMAT)
Q1. (CUET 2023-type)
P is the father of Q. Q is the sister of R. R is the mother of S. How is P related to S?
Solution
R → mother of S
Q → sister of R
P → father of Q and R
So P is maternal grandfather of S.
Q2. (IPMAT-type)
A says, “He is the son of my father’s sister.” How is A related to that person?
→ Father’s sister → Aunt
Her son → Cousin
Answer: Cousin
Q3. (CLAT-type)
Pointing to a man, Mira says: “His mother is the only daughter of my father.” How is the man related to Mira?
→ Only daughter of my father = Mira herself
So that man’s mother = Mira
Thus, the man is son of Mira.
Q4.
Introducing a woman, A says: “She is the daughter of my grandfather’s only son.” How is A related to her?
Grandfather’s only son → A’s father
Daughter of father → Sister
She is sister of A.
Q5.
If A + B means A is brother of B, A – B means A is mother of B, A × B means A is father of B, then in P – Q + R, how is P related to R?
Decode right to left:
Q + R → Q is brother of R
P – Q → P is mother of Q
Thus, P is mother of R also.
Q6.
A’s mother is B’s sister. B is married to C. C is the father of D. How is D related to A?
A’s mother = sister of B
B married to C → C is uncle-in-law
C is father of D → B & C are parents
Thus D = A’s cousin.
Q7.
P is the brother of Q. Q is the father of R. R is the mother of S. How is P related to S?
Q → father of R
R → mother of S
P → brother of Q → uncle of R
Thus P → great-uncle of S.
Q8.
If A @ B means A is sister of B, A # B means A is father of B, then in X # Y @ Z, how is X related to Z?
Y @ Z → Y is sister of Z
X # Y → X is father of Y
Thus X is father of Z.
Q9.
R is the daughter of S. S is the sister of T. T is the father of U. How is R related to U?
T → father of U
S → sister of T
R → daughter of S → same generation as U
Thus R is cousin of U.
Q10.
A’s son’s wife is B. C is the father of B. How is C related to A?
A’s son’s wife = daughter-in-law
B = daughter-in-law
C = father of daughter-in-law
Thus C is co-father-in-law of A.
Q1. (CUET-type)
A is the father of B. B is the sister of C. C is the mother of D. How is A related to D?
Solution:
C → mother of D
B → sister of C
A → father of C
So A is the maternal grandfather of D.
Family Tree
Q2. (IPMAT-type)
P is the brother of Q. Q is the mother of R. R is the sister of S. How is P related to S?
Solution:
Q → mother of R and S
P → brother of Q → maternal uncle
So P is the maternal uncle of S.
Family Tree
Q3. (CLAT-type)
Introducing a girl, A says: “She is the daughter of my brother’s wife.” How is the girl related to A?
Solution:
Brother’s wife → sister-in-law
Her daughter → niece
So the girl is A’s niece.
Family Tree
Q4. (CUET-type)
R is the son of P. P is the daughter of Q. Q is the father of S. How is S related to R?
Solution:
Q → parent of P
P → parent of R
S → child of Q → sibling of P
So S is uncle/aunt of R (gender not specified).
Family Tree
Q5. (IPMAT)
T is the mother of U. U is the brother of V. V is the father of W. How is T related to W?
Solution:
V → father of W
U → brother of V
T → mother of both U and V
So T is grandmother of W.
Family Tree
Q6. (CLAT-type)
A is married to B. B is the sister of C. C is the father of D. How is A related to D?
Solution:
B → sister of C
A → husband of B
C → father of D
A is uncle (by marriage) of D.
Family Tree
Q7. (CUET-type)
P is the mother of Q. Q is married to R. R is the father of S. How is P related to S?
Solution:
Q & R → parents of S
P → mother of Q
So P is maternal grandmother of S.
Family Tree
Q8. (IPMAT)
A’s son B is married to C. C is the daughter of D. How is D related to A?
Solution:
A → parent of B
C → B’s wife = daughter-in-law
D → father of daughter-in-law
So D is co-father-in-law of A.
Family Tree
Q9. (CLAT)
Pointing to a man, X says: “He is the father of my mother’s only granddaughter.”
How is the man related to X?
Solution:
Mother’s only granddaughter = X’s daughter (if X is female) or sister’s daughter
Case always resolves as:
Father of X’s mother’s granddaughter → Father of X’s daughter → X’s husband.
So the man is X’s husband.
Family Tree
Q10. (CUET)
M is the brother of N. N is the father of O. O is the father of P. How is M related to P?
Solution:
N → father of O
O → father of P
M → brother of N
So M is great-uncle of P.
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