Blood Relations Family Tree Questions for UP POLICE CONSTABLE

Core Family Relationships

Every family tree problem hinges on understanding 6 basic relationships: parent (mother/father), sibling (brother/sister), child (son/daughter), grandparent, grandchild, and spouse. The exam often mixes these in chains. The key insight: always track TWO things simultaneously — (1) the gender of the person, and (2) which generation they belong to. A 'brother' is same generation, same parents. A 'cousin' is same generation, different parents (but shared grandparent). A 'nephew' is one generation down, sibling's child.

• Parent = one generation above. Mother/Father are gender-specific.
• Sibling = same generation, same parents. Brother/Sister are gender-specific.
• Child = one generation below. Son/Daughter are gender-specific.
• Grandparent = two generations above. Grandfather/Grandmother.
• Cousin = same generation, different parents but shared grandparent.
• Nephew/Niece = one generation below, sibling's child (gender-specific).

The Visual Tree Method (Exam Gold)

Never try to solve blood relations in your head. Always draw a quick family tree on paper. Use symbols: M for male, F for female. Draw horizontal lines for marriages, vertical lines for parent-child. When the question says 'A is the mother of B, B is the brother of C, C is the daughter of D', draw it step-by-step. This visual method catches 90% of mistakes because you see the generation and gender at a glance. In UP Police exams, you have 2-3 minutes per question max — a 10-second tree drawing saves you from a 2-minute mental loop.

• Draw horizontal line between spouses (marriage).
• Draw vertical line from couple downward to children.
• Label each person with M or F, and their name/letter.
• Read the question statement slowly, adding one relationship at a time.
• Once tree is complete, trace the path from person X to person Y to find the relationship.
• If gender is ambiguous in the statement, mark it as '?' and resolve at the end.

Tricky Relationships (Exam Favorites)

The exam loves testing relationships that sound similar but are different. 'Brother-in-law' is NOT the same as 'brother'. A brother-in-law is your spouse's brother OR your sister's husband. Similarly, 'sister-in-law' can be your spouse's sister OR your brother's wife. These are marriage-based, not blood-based. The exam also tests 'maternal uncle' (mother's brother) vs 'paternal uncle' (father's brother) — they're different people. Another trap: 'cousin' can be male or female; 'male cousin' = cousin brother, 'female cousin' = cousin sister.

• Brother-in-law = spouse's brother OR sister's husband (marriage-based).
• Sister-in-law = spouse's sister OR brother's wife (marriage-based).
• Maternal uncle = mother's brother. Paternal uncle = father's brother.
• Maternal grandmother = mother's mother. Paternal grandmother = father's mother.
• Cousin = child of parent's sibling (same generation, different parents).
• First cousin once removed = parent's cousin (one generation up from your cousin).

Reverse Tracing (When Question Asks 'Who is X to Y')

Sometimes the question gives you a relationship and asks you to identify the person. For example: 'If A is the mother of B, and B is the brother of C, then who is A to C?' You must trace backward. A is mother of B, and B is brother of C, so A is also mother of C. The trick is to NOT assume gender of unknown people. If the question says 'A is the parent of B' without specifying mother or father, you must consider both possibilities in your tree. UP Police exams sometimes deliberately leave gender ambiguous to test if you're thinking clearly.

• Read the given relationships and draw the tree completely first.
• Identify the path from X to Y on the tree.
• Count generations and check gender.
• If gender is unclear, state the relationship in gender-neutral terms or both options.
• Common reverse trap: 'A is the parent of B and C. Who is B to C?' Answer: sibling (brother or sister, depending on gender).

Coded/Puzzle-Style Questions

UP Police sometimes uses coded language like 'A + B means A is the mother of B', 'A - B means A is the father of B', 'A x B means A is the brother of B', etc. You must memorize the code at the start of the question and apply it consistently. These are high-speed questions if you're familiar with the code, but one mistake in decoding ruins the answer. Always write down the code key on your paper before solving.

• Read the code key carefully. Write it down on paper.
• Apply the code to build the family tree.
• Double-check your tree against the code before answering.
• If multiple codes are given, use a legend (e.g., '+' = mother, '-' = father, 'x' = brother).
• Common exam pattern: 5-6 coded statements, then 2-3 questions about relationships.

• Confusing 'brother' with 'cousin'. A brother shares both parents; a cousin shares only grandparents. Always check: same parents = sibling, different parents = cousin.
• Forgetting that 'brother-in-law' is marriage-based, not blood-based. If you marry into a family, your spouse's siblings are in-laws, not blood siblings.
• Mixing up maternal and paternal sides. Maternal = mother's side, Paternal = father's side. Write M and P on your tree to avoid this.
• Assuming gender when not stated. If the question says 'A is the parent of B', don't assume A is the mother. It could be either. Mark it as ambiguous until clarified.
• Not drawing the tree and trying to solve mentally. This is the #1 reason for wrong answers. A 10-second tree saves 2 minutes of confusion.

• MFGG = Mother, Father, Grandparents, Grandchildren. These are the 6 core relationships. Everything else is a variation.
• BIL = Brother-In-Law (marriage, not blood). SIL = Sister-In-Law (marriage, not blood). Remember: -IN-LAW = marriage.
• Maternal = Mother's side (M). Paternal = Father's side (P). Use M and P on your tree.
• Same Gen + Same Parents = Sibling. Same Gen + Different Parents = Cousin. Different Gen = Parent/Child/Grandparent/Grandchild.
• Draw FIRST, think SECOND. Visual tree = 90% accuracy. Mental math = 40% accuracy.

• UP Police typically asks 3-5 blood relation questions per paper, usually in the first half of the reasoning section. They're meant to be quick wins if you know the method.
• Time management: Spend 30-40 seconds drawing the tree, 10-20 seconds tracing the answer. If you're stuck after 2 minutes, skip and come back.
• Recent papers show a mix of (1) simple 2-3 step relationships and (2) one complex 5-6 step puzzle. The complex one is worth 2 marks; don't rush it.
• Gender ambiguity is increasingly common in recent papers. If the question doesn't specify 'mother' or 'father', your answer might need to account for both (e.g., 'A is the parent of B').
• Coded questions appear in ~30% of papers. If you see symbols or codes, immediately write down the key. This is a speed-reading test, not a logic test.