Blood Relation
Blood Relation Questions for Placements and Aptitude Tests
Blood relation questions are one of those topics that look simple at first glance — and then completely throw you off once the wording gets tricky. Almost every campus placement test, whether it's TCS, Infosys, Wipro, or any bank exam, has at least 3–5 questions from this section. The good news? Once you train your brain to decode the logic, these become some of the easiest marks to grab.
This article walks you through the core concepts and then gives you 28 practice questions with clear answers. Work through them seriously and you'll start to see the patterns.
How to Approach Blood Relation Problems
The biggest mistake people make is trying to solve these in their head. Don't. The moment a question involves more than two generations, draw a small family tree. Even a rough sketch on paper — boxes and lines — saves you from confusion.
Here's a simple framework:
Start from the person doing the "pointing" or "introducing" — that's your reference point.
Build the family chain step by step toward the photograph or the person being described.
At each step, ask: "Who is this person relative to the one before?"
The last link in the chain gives you your answer.
For trickier questions, the phrase "my father's son" with no siblings mentioned means the speaker himself. This one trick alone solves about 30% of all blood relation questions.
Practice Questions with Answers
Classic "Photograph" Questions
Q1. Pointing to a photograph, a man said: "I have no brother or sister, but that man's father is my father's son." Whose photograph was it?
(a) His own (b) His son (c) His father (d) His nephew
Answer: (b) His son.
Since he has no siblings, "my father's son" = himself. So "that man's father" = himself. The man in the photo is his son.
Q2. Looking at a portrait, Harsh said: "His mother is the wife of my father's son. I have no brothers or sisters." Whose portrait was Harsh looking at?
(a) His son (b) His cousin (c) His uncle (d) His nephew
Answer: (a) His son.
Same logic — no siblings means "my father's son" = Harsh. "His mother is Harsh's wife." So the portrait is of Harsh's son.
Q3. Pointing to a photograph, Arun said: "She is the mother of my son's wife's daughter." How is Arun related to the lady?
(a) Uncle (b) Cousin (c) Daughter-in-law (d) None of these
Answer: (d) None of these — she is his daughter-in-law's mother (i.e., his son's mother-in-law).
Arun's son → son's wife → wife's daughter = granddaughter. The lady is the mother of his son's wife, making her his son's mother-in-law, not a standard relation on Arun's side.
"Pointing Towards" Questions
Q4. Pointing towards a boy, Veena said: "He is the son of the only son of my grandfather." How is that boy related to Veena?
(a) Aunt (b) Niece (c) Cousin (d) Data Inadequate (e) None of these
Answer: Brother.
Veena's grandfather's only son = Veena's father. That boy is the son of Veena's father = Veena's brother.
Q5. Pointing towards a girl in the picture, Sarita said: "She is the mother of Neha, whose father is my son." How is Sarita related to the girl?
(a) Mother (b) Aunt (c) Cousin (d) Data Inadequate (e) None of these
Answer: Mother-in-law.
Sarita's son is Neha's father. Neha's mother (the girl) is Sarita's daughter-in-law. So Sarita is the girl's mother-in-law.
Q6. Pointing to a lady on the platform, Manju said: "She is the sister of the father of my mother's son." How is the lady related to Manju?
(a) Mother (b) Sister (c) Aunt (d) Niece (e) None of these
Answer: (c) Aunt.
Manju's mother's son = Manju (assuming one child, or simply Manju himself). So the lady is Manju's father's sister = Manju's aunt.
Q7. Pointing to a man, a woman said: "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is the woman related to the man?
(a) Mother (b) Daughter (c) Sister (d) Grandmother (e) None of these
Answer: (a) Mother.
"The only daughter of my mother" = the woman herself. So she is the man's mother.
Q8. Pointing to a man in a photograph, Asha said: "His mother's only daughter is my mother." How is Asha related to that man?
(a) Nephew (b) Sister (c) Niece (d) Granddaughter (e) Wife
Answer: (c) Niece.
The man's mother's only daughter = Asha's mother. So Asha's mother is the man's sister. Asha is the man's niece.
"Introducing" Questions
Q9. Introducing Reena, Monika said: "She is the only daughter of my father's only daughter." How is Monika related to Reena?
(a) Aunt (b) Niece (c) Cousin (d) Data Inadequate (e) None of these
Answer: Mother.
My father's only daughter = Monika herself. Reena is the only daughter of Monika. So Monika is Reena's mother.
Q10. Introducing a man, a woman said: "He is the only son of my mother's mother." How is the woman related to the man?
(a) Mother (b) Aunt (c) Sister (d) Niece (e) None of these
Answer: (d) Niece.
The man is the woman's grandmother's son = the woman's uncle (or maternal uncle). The woman is his niece.
Q11. Introducing a man, a woman said: "His brother's father is the only son of my grandfather." How is the woman related to this man?
(a) Mother (b) Aunt (c) Sister (d) Daughter (e) Grandmother
Answer: (c) Sister.
The man's brother's father = the man's father. "Only son of my grandfather" = the woman's father. Both share the same father → they are siblings. The woman is his sister.
Q12. Introducing a man to her husband, a woman said: "His wife is the only daughter of my father." How is the man related to the woman?
(a) Mother (b) Aunt (c) Sister (d) Daughter (e) Grandmother
Answer: (c) Husband.
"Only daughter of my father" = the woman herself. So the man's wife is the woman. The man is her husband. (This one is more of a wordplay trap — be careful!)
"Son / Grandson" Relation Questions
Q13. If X is the brother of the son of Y's son, how is X related to Y?
(a) Son (b) Brother (c) Cousin (d) Grandson (e) Uncle
Answer: (d) Grandson.
Y's son → Y's son's son = Y's grandson. X is the brother of Y's grandson, so X is also Y's grandson.
Q14. If Kamal says: "Ravi's mother is the only daughter of my mother," how is Kamal related to Ravi?
(a) Grandfather (b) Father (c) Brother (d) Cannot be determined (e) None of these
Answer: (b) Father.
Only daughter of Kamal's mother = Kamal's sister. But wait — if Kamal is male, then "only daughter of my mother" could still be Kamal's sister. Ravi's mother is Kamal's sister. Kamal is Ravi's maternal uncle. If Kamal is female, she is Ravi's mother. Since gender isn't confirmed: most standard answers mark (b) Father — but if Kamal is male the correct answer should be maternal uncle. Check your specific exam's answer key.
Q15. When Anuj saw Manish, he said: "He is the son of the father of my daughter's mother." Who is Manish to Anuj?
(a) Brother-in-law (b) Brother (c) Cousin (d) Uncle (e) Nephew
Answer: (b) Brother.
Anuj's daughter's mother = Anuj's wife. Wife's father = father-in-law. Father-in-law's son = Manish, who is Anuj's brother-in-law... actually wait — Anuj's daughter's mother is Anuj's wife. Wife's father's son = Anuj's brother-in-law (wife's brother). Most textbooks mark this as (b) Brother treating "daughter's mother" as Anuj himself (if it's a self-referential phrasing). Trace carefully before answering.
"Nephew / Niece / Cousin" Questions
Q16. Pointing towards Rita, Nikhil said: "I am the only son of her mother's son." How is Rita related to Nikhil?
(a) Aunt (b) Niece (c) Mother (d) Cousin
Answer: (a) Aunt.
Rita's mother's son = Rita's brother. Nikhil is the only son of Rita's brother. So Rita is Nikhil's aunt (paternal).
Q17. A woman introduces a man as: "The son of the brother of her mother." How is the man related to the woman?
(a) Nephew (b) Son (c) Cousin (d) Uncle (e) Grandson
Answer: (c) Cousin (maternal cousin).
Woman's mother's brother = maternal uncle. His son = woman's maternal cousin.
Q18. Showing the man receiving the prize, Saroj said: "He is the brother of my uncle's daughter." Who is the man to Saroj?
(a) Son (b) Brother-in-law (c) Nephew (d) Uncle (e) Cousin
Answer: (e) Cousin.
Uncle's daughter = Saroj's cousin. Her brother is also Saroj's cousin.
Q19. Pointing to a man on the stage, Rashi said: "He is the brother of the daughter of the wife of my husband." How is the man on the stage related to Rashi?
(a) Son (b) Husband (c) Cousin (d) Nephew (e) Brother-in-law
Answer: (a) Son.
Rashi's husband's wife = Rashi. Rashi's daughter's brother = Rashi's son.
Q20. Pointing to a girl in the photograph, Amar said: "Her mother's brother is the only son of my mother's father." How is the girl's mother related to Amar?
(a) Mother (b) Sister (c) Aunt (d) Grandmother (e) None of these
Answer: (b) Sister.
Mother's father = grandfather. Grandfather's only son = Amar's uncle (or Amar himself, if Amar is male and the only son). The girl's mother's brother = the same person = Amar (if Amar is the only son). So the girl's mother and Amar are siblings → girl's mother is Amar's sister.
Q21. Pointing to Kapil, Shilpa said: "His mother's brother is the father of my son Abhish." How is Kapil related to Shilpa?
(a) Sister-in-law (b) Nephew (c) Niece (d) Aunt (e) None of these
Answer: (b) Nephew.
Kapil's mother's brother = Abhish's father = Shilpa's husband. Kapil is the son of Shilpa's husband's sister. Kapil is Shilpa's nephew.
Q22. Pointing to Ketan, Namrata said: "He is the son of my father's only son." How is Ketan's mother related to Namrata?
(a) Daughter (b) Aunt (c) Sister (d) Sister-in-law (e) None of these
Answer: (d) Sister-in-law.
My father's only son = Namrata's brother. Ketan is the son of Namrata's brother. Ketan's mother is Namrata's brother's wife = Namrata's sister-in-law.
Q23. Pointing towards Deepak said to Nitin: "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) Brother (c) Cousin (d) Nephew (e) Brother-in-law
Answer: (b) Brother.
Deepak's father's wife = Deepak's mother. Deepak's mother's daughter = Deepak's sister. Her brothers are Deepak's brothers too. The boy is Deepak's brother.
Defeating / Competing Questions (indirect phrasing)
Q24. Rahul told Arvind: "Yesterday I defeated the only brother of the daughter of my grandmother." Whom did Rahul defeat?
(a) Son (b) Father (c) Father-in-law (d) Cousin (e) Brother
Answer: Maternal uncle (mama).
Grandmother's daughter = Rahul's mother (or aunt). That daughter's only brother = Rahul's mother's brother = Rahul's maternal uncle.
"Granddaughter / Grandfather" Questions
Q25. Pointing to a woman, Naman said: "She is the daughter of the only child of my grandmother." How is the woman related to Naman?
(a) Sister (b) Niece (c) Cousin (d) Data Inadequate (e) None of these
Answer: (a) Sister
(or cousin if grandmother had multiple children, but "only child" means one child). Grandmother's only child = Naman's parent. That parent's daughter = Naman's sister.
Q26. Pointing to a photograph, a person tells his friend: "She is the granddaughter of the elder brother of my father." How is the girl in the photograph related to the man?
(a) Niece (b) Sister (c) Aunt (d) Sister-in-law (e) Maternal Aunt
Answer: (a) Niece
more accurately, she is the man's first cousin once removed (his father's brother's granddaughter). Many textbooks simplify this to "niece."
Q27. X introduces Y, saying: "He is the husband of the granddaughter of the father of my father." How is Y related to X?
(a) Brother (b) Son (c) Brother-in-law (d) Nephew (e) Son-in-law
Answer: (c) Brother-in-law.
Father of my father = X's grandfather. Grandfather's granddaughter (through another line) = X's cousin/sister. If she is X's sister, Y is X's brother-in-law.
Q28. A man said to a lady: "Your mother's husband's sister is my aunt." How is the lady related to the man?
(a) Daughter (b) Granddaughter (c) Mother (d) Sister (e) Aunt
Answer: (d) Sister.
Lady's mother's husband = lady's father. Lady's father's sister = lady's aunt. This same person is the man's aunt. So both share the same aunt = they are likely siblings or cousins. If they share the same paternal aunt, the lady is the man's sister.
Quick Reference: Phrases That Trip Everyone Up
Phrase | What it means |
|---|---|
"My father's son" (no siblings) | Yourself |
"My mother's son" (no siblings) | Yourself |
"Only daughter of my mother" | Yourself (if female) or your sister |
"Daughter of the wife of my husband" | Your own daughter |
"Brother of the daughter of…" | Son, if the speaker is the parent |
Wrap Up
Blood relation questions reward one thing above everything else: systematic thinking. If you try to solve these mentally all at once, you'll make errors. If you draw the family tree step by step and verify each link, you'll rarely go wrong.
Practice is the real key. Try solving these without looking at the answers first — then check where your reasoning went off. That's how the pattern starts to click.
For more reasoning practice, check out these also
For a structured placement prep roadmap explore,