Questions
1–2 questions per paper
Difficulty
Medium
Importance
Medium yield for NTPC/HPCL
Overview
Blood Relations is a fundamental reasoning topic that tests an aspirant's ability to decode complex familial hierarchies and links between individuals. It is a recurring theme in PSU exams like HPCL, NTPC, and ONGC, requiring a structured approach to prevent confusion. Mastering this topic relies on systematic diagramming and understanding gender-based relational terms.
Family Tree Diagramming
The most effective way to solve blood relation problems is to represent the information graphically using standardized symbols. By establishing a clear notation system, you can quickly visualize multi-generational relationships without manual guessing.
- Use (+) for males and (-) for females.
- Use a horizontal double-headed arrow (<->) for couples.
- Use a vertical line for parent-child connections.
- Use a horizontal line for siblings.
- Draw at least two generations clearly to avoid confusion.
Coded Blood Relations
In these questions, relations are defined using symbols like @, #, $, or %. This subtopic requires you to substitute symbols with the given definitions to identify the relationship between two entities in an expression.
- Read the definitions carefully for every specific exam set.
- Check the direction of the relation (e.g., A+B might mean A is father of B or vice-versa).
- Use elimination techniques based on gender symbols.
- Solve the expression in smaller segments rather than one long chain.
Mixed Blood Relation Questions
These questions often integrate blood relations with other logic formats, such as circular seating arrangements or identifying the relationship based on a photograph or a dialogue. The goal is to isolate the familial data from the distracting context.
- Identify the primary subject in the dialogue first.
- Break down complex sentences into two simple parts at the conjunction 'and' or 'but'.
- Maintain focus on the 'pointing towards' subject.
- Verify gender consistency for every person identified.
Exam Tip
Always use a consistent visual symbol system for gender and generation gaps to avoid mental overload during time-constrained PSU exams.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the gender of a person based solely on their name without explicit confirmation in the problem statement.
- Getting confused by the direction of the relation in coded expressions (e.g., mixing up 'A is father of B' with 'B is father of A').
- Failing to account for both sides of the family (paternal vs maternal) when calculating relationships like 'Grandmother' or 'Uncle'.
More Revision Notes
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