Where can you buy a DNA test?

There are many companies and laboratories where you can buy a DNA test, but the best laboratory for genealogy DNA testing is Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) based our of Huston, Texas in the USA. The reasons for choosing Family Tree DNA:

• Family Tree DNA is one of the oldest companies on the market with more than 20 years of experience and one of the largest databases in the world. The company has an established and trusted privacy policy and customer satisfaction rates are high.
• More than 6 million people have been tested at Family Tree DNA which is of utmost importance when it comes to researching genetic genealogy. A large database is crucial for DNA matching and subsequently genealogy research. And this helps in interpreting the final test results.
• Taking everything into account, the quality of the testing and the prices at Family Tree DNA offers the best choice on the market. There are cheaper companies but the quality of their services cannot be compared to that of FTDNA. Four or five times a year there are sales which gives everyone a chance to buy or upgrade a test at a discount.
• FTDNA offers yDNA (surname) testing. You can join a Surname Group were volunteer administrators will match your results to others who have tested.
• Your remaining DNA sample will be stored for future tests you may want to order.
• Family Tree DNA testing gives you a possibility to upgrade the level of your test. That means you can start with a  y37 marker test and upgrade to a more advanced test later.

Different types of DNA tests.

Y-DNA tests. There are many different types of tests. For genealogy, archaeology and history the most important one is Y DNA test. Y DNA tests the male Y chromosome. Only males have Y chromosome, but females can have a father, brother, or male cousin test. According to their deepness there are several types of  yDNA tests:

• Y37
• Y67
• Y111
• BigY-700

mtDNA test (mtFull Sequence)

Both men and women can do this test. This test researches the female X chromosome. Males have both Y chromosome and X chromosome. Both male and female chromosomes are relevant for genealogy research.

Family Finder or autosomal DNA test.

atDNA test provides results for both your mother’s and father’s genetic makeup. It can provide results and matching to other testers for all ancestors back 5 to 8 generations. My parents are the first generation. The parents of my parents are the second generation. And it goes like that for five generations – which makes it 32. This test reports your genetics in terms of ethnic makeup and matches to other relatives.

Which test to choose depends on which ancestral line you are researching.  Learn more:

 https://help.familytreedna.com/hc/en-us/categories/1500001398742-Types-of-DNA-Tests

Prices of the tests.

As we have mentiond before four or five times a year there are discounts at Family Tree DNA. (sale is about 20%). If you want you can wait for a discount and buy a test. The prices are in USD. Here are the prices followed by the discount price:

• Y12: 79$ - 20% = 59$
• Y37: 119$ - 20% = 79$
• Y111: 249 - 20% = 199$
• BigY-700:  449$ - 20% = 379$
• mtFull Sequence: 159$ - 20% = 129$
• Family Finder: 79$ - 20% = 49$

Upon buying/receiving the kit.

Once you buy a kit you will receive an email with the kit # and password. Keep these and when you sign into FTDNA https://www.familytreedna.com/  you can go to your account and change your password if you like. It depends on the place where you live as to how much time it will take for you to receive the kit. When the kit arrives you will receive a notification email. You can also check the status of your package in your personal FTDNA account. In the kit you will find instructions and two swabs and vials. Follow the instructions that are enclosed with the test vials. For example: Before eating or brushing your teeth you should rub the insides of your cheeks with the swabs and put the swabs in the vials being careful not to contaminate the sample. Enclose them in the envelope that is included in the kit. Also don’t forget to sign the consent paper and enclose it in the envelope with the swabs. When done you can return the package  in the postage paid envelope provided.

How to check on the status of your sample?

It will take some time for the package to reach the laboratory and be logged in. You can check the status of your sample in your personal FTDNA account that was mentioned above. Upon reaching the laboratory, the status of your sample should change to “Analyzing data”. The deeper the test the more time will it take for the final results. For example it takes a month or two to finish the Big Y 700 test.

When you have your results you should join the suggested DNA groups as suggested on your FTDNA sign-in page. FTDNA has numerous resources to help you understand your DNA results.

Understand:

1. A DNA test is not a magic bullet that will tell you all about your ancestors and is best used alongside traditional genealogy research.
2. Genetic genealogy can be very helpful when your results are compared with other results in the FTDNA database. The results can show us early migration routes of our ancestors and estimated ethnicity reports, but remember it is a new and evolving science. .
3. Your  yDNA or atDNA results may not match the ancestral names you were expecting so be prepared to do more traditional genealogy research to understand your results.