Why Some DNA Tests for Relationships Are Inconclusive
Published 08/07/2025
If you’ve taken a sibling DNA test, aunt/uncle (avuncular) DNA test, or a grandparent DNA test, you might expect a simple "yes" or "no" answer. But relationship testing works a little differently. Instead of giving a binary result, these tests use a statistical approach called a likelihood ratio, which calculates how much more likely the tested relationship is—compared to the individuals being unrelated.