Blood Relations Questions for SSC CHSL

Core Family Relationships to Memorize

SSC CHSL does not test obscure relations. It tests whether you know standard generational links and can avoid gender confusion. Always fix the reference person first, then trace the chain step by step. Never assume gender from names — the exam deliberately uses neutral or misleading names like Raju, Kiran, Meena to confuse you.

• Parents of parents = Grandparents (two generations up)
• Siblings of parents = Uncle (father's/mother's brother) or Aunt (father's/mother's sister)
• Children of siblings = Nephew (son) or Niece (daughter)
• Spouse's siblings = Brother-in-law or Sister-in-law
• Children of Uncle/Aunt = Cousins (not brother/sister — common trap)
• Father's father = Paternal grandfather; Mother's father = Maternal grandfather

The Chain Method — Step-by-Step Approach

Every blood relation question gives you a chain of links. Write each link as an arrow: Person A → relationship → Person B. Keep gender tags (M for male, F for female) beside each name as soon as the clue reveals it. At the end, trace from start to finish and name the final relationship. Drawing a small family tree on your rough sheet saves time and prevents silly errors.

• Step 1: Read the full question before drawing — get all clues first
• Step 2: Identify the anchor person (usually 'I' or the named subject)
• Step 3: Draw boxes with M/F tags connected by lines (up = older generation, down = younger)
• Step 4: Trace the path between the two people the question asks about
• Step 5: If gender is not confirmed, keep both options — the answer choices will eliminate one
• Never mix maternal and paternal lines; keep them visually separate on your diagram

Coded Blood Relation Questions

In coded questions, symbols replace relationship words. For example: A + B means A is the father of B, A - B means A is the mother of B, A * B means A is the brother of B, A % B means A is the sister of B. These look scary but follow the same chain method. Decode each symbol into plain English first, THEN draw the tree. Do not try to solve in your head — always write it out.

• Always write a 'decoder table' from the question at the top of your rough work
• Replace symbols with words: father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife
• Then trace the chain exactly like a normal question
• The question usually asks: what is A's relation to Z? — trace A to Z step by step
• Watch out: the code may define direction — A + B could mean A is father OF B (not B is father of A)

Pointing and Conversation Based Questions

In these questions, someone points to a photo or introduces a person with a clue like: 'He is the only son of my father's wife' — which simply means 'he is my brother.' Or: 'She is the daughter of the only son of my grandfather' — which means 'she is my sister or my own daughter.' The trick here is to simplify the description to its core meaning before reacting. These clues are designed to sound complex but collapse into simple links.

• Only son of my father = my brother (or me, if singular)
• Only son of my father's wife = my brother (same thing, different wording)
• Son of my grandfather = my father or my uncle
• Daughter of the only son of my grandfather = my sister or my cousin
• Always ask: how many generations is this person away from me?
• Simplify long chains: grandfather's son's daughter = my sister/cousin (2 steps down from grandfather)

Gender Traps and Relationship Precision

SSC CHSL setters love gender traps. A question may say 'Kiran is the sibling of Arpit. Arpit's father is Ram.' Then ask: what is Kiran's relation to Ram? Answer: son or daughter — but which one? If no gender info is given for Kiran, the answer will be 'cannot be determined' or the options will reveal it. Always check if the question gives even a hidden gender clue (like 'she', 'his wife', 'mother').

• Nephew = brother's or sister's son (male), Niece = brother's or sister's daughter (female)
• Son-in-law = daughter's husband, Daughter-in-law = son's wife
• If a person is described as 'wife of X', then X is male — use this to fix gender of X
• A person cannot be both uncle and father — if two roles seem to overlap, recheck your tree
• Brother-in-law has TWO meanings: spouse's brother OR sibling's husband — context decides

• Assuming gender from Indian names — Kiran, Rajan, Sanjay can be used for either gender in SSC traps. Always wait for an explicit clue.
• Confusing cousin with brother/sister — children of your uncle or aunt are COUSINS, not siblings. This is a very common wrong answer chosen in haste.
• Misreading the direction in coded relations — if the code says A + B means A is father of B, then B is the child, NOT A. Direction matters.
• Forgetting that 'only son of my grandfather' could mean your father OR your uncle — it depends on whether your grandfather had one son or more. Read carefully.
• Skipping rough work to save time — this backfires. A 10-second diagram saves 30 seconds of mental confusion and prevents wrong answers.

• GSPCU Tree — Generations go: Grandparents, Self's Parents, Self, Children, Uncle/Aunt branch sideways. Always place people on the right generation level.
• UP arrow = older generation (parents, grandparents), DOWN arrow = younger generation (children, grandchildren), SIDE arrow = same generation (siblings, cousins, spouses).
• Brother-in-Law mnemonic: BIL has 2 faces — spouse's Brother, OR sibling's Husband. Think: BIL = Both In-Law directions.
• Simplify chant for complex clues: Who is this person? How far up? How far down? That gives you the generation gap and the relationship name instantly.

• SSC CHSL typically has 2 to 3 Blood Relation questions in the Reasoning section. They are considered easy to medium difficulty — a well-prepared student should get all correct.
• Recent papers (2022-2024) have favoured the coded symbol type and the paragraph-based family tree type over the simple pointing type. Practise both.
• Time target: spend no more than 50-60 seconds per question. If a question takes longer than 90 seconds, mark and move on — come back later.
• The answer option 'Cannot be determined' appears when gender is ambiguous. Do not pick it in panic — only choose it when you have genuinely exhausted all clues and gender is still unclear.
• In CHSL Tier 1, questions are usually single-chain (one sequence of 3-4 links). You will rarely see a full multi-person family tree like in CGL. Keep your approach simple and fast.