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General => Ancestral Family Tree DNA Testing => Topic started by: gazza1966 on Tuesday 25 October 22 10:19 BST (UK)
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Hi There,
I'm hoping someone out there might of had the same problem that i have ?.
I'm on my 4th time on my DNA kit, for some reason from ancestry message me stating they cant go any further on my DNA, i find it so confusing WHY ??
Gary
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You might be an alien ;D
Google "why does my dna test keep failing", there seem to be lots of reasons and discussions about it.
Debra :)
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The most common reasons for failure are
a poor sample- maybe there was not enough spit/saliva or it was contaminated (food/drink, etc.)
the pack supplied was damaged or out of date.
Did they give any further information for the possible reason?
Gadget
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My Ancestry test failed three times, and my brother failed his twice. My Living DNA test failed on the first occasion. It can be more likely for older people, particularly if you have trouble producing enough saliva in a continuous attempt. Some of us apparently also have lower amounts of DNA in our saliva.
The procedure I adopted for my fourth and successful Ancestry test, was as follows:
Complete the test in the morning, before eating anything or cleaning your teeth, but drink some water when you first get up, and wait about an hour before taking the test.
If you have difficulty filling the tube in one go, leave it standing upright out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources and where it won't be disturbed, and have another go at topping it up a short while later.
Make sure you fill the sample tube at least to the indicated level, preferably a little higher rather than just to the line as Ancestry suggest, although not by too much. If there are bubbles in the saliva, leave the tube a short time to settle as above and add a little more saliva after settling if necessary.
Use a sterile swab such as those supplied in Covid test kits, to scrape gently on the insides of both cheeks for around 20-30 seconds per cheek, avoiding your tongue and gums. Place it in your saliva sample and stir it around for a few seconds to transfer the cells and DNA from your cheeks into the sample.
Seal the tube and post as normal.
The test I did following the above instructions passed with Ancestry, as did my brother's second test after he followed the same procedure. I have used the same procedure for other DNA saliva tests that I have since done, and have not had any other failures.
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Hi Debra/Gadget and Phil,
Thankyou for answering my question, it looks like i have to just wait and see on the outcome of my 4th DNA test result. ???
Gary
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I've never heard of anyone failing dna tests 3 times .
Even a first test fail is supposed to be quite rare. I wonder what the percentage is .
Did you try phoning Ancestry to ask for possible reasons ?
I hope the 4th one works out for you .
Good luck
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In my case, it was that there was insufficient DNA material in the saliva sample to complete the several stages of processing. Corresponding with various people, the cheek swab addition was suggested as a method of increasing the genetic material in the sample. I don't know scientifically whether it actually works, but can only say that since doing it I and my brother both passed tests that we had previously failed.
From asking questions and frequenting the DNA community forums it was apparent that failed tests are not as uncommon as you believe, although three times is possibly more unusual, but I heard of people who had failed more times than that, all elderly however.
At least there appears to be no limit to the number of times that Ancestry will send a replacement kit if your test fails, or none that they advertise anyway.
Some other companies restrict you to three tries and that's your lot, with no refunds.
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My Ancestry test failed three times, and my brother failed his twice. My Living DNA test failed on the first occasion. It can be more likely for older people, particularly if you have trouble producing enough saliva in a continuous attempt. Some of us apparently also have lower amounts of DNA in our saliva.
Interesting comment.
My husband, (adult) son, and I took our tests at the same time. Son and I noticed hubby had trouble producing enough saliva for the sample. He finally was successful (but it had a lot of bubbles at the beginning). He failed that test and I believe he had to take the test a total of three times before it worked.
It sounds like his test may have failed from saliva problems.
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If someone is struggling to get a valid saliva sample for Ancestry DNA or 23andMe because of an age related or clinical condition, I would recommend using another company such as Family Tree DNA or My Heritage that uses a cheek swab instead.
It is a common enough problem but can be overcome.
https://www.yourdnaguide.com/ydgblog/dna-test-no-saliva-spit
pughcd
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But of course the only way to get a test in Ancestry's database is to test with Ancestry, as they won't accept transfers in from anywhere else. I took a test with LivingDNA in frustration at my repeated Ancestry failures, and of course I was able to upload that to GedMatch and other sites, which did find a few 3rd to 5th cousins that I was able to identify, but I still wanted the Ancestry test. Having eventually succeeded, I have had far more useful matches through Ancestry than all the other sites combined, although of course I have also obtained some useful matches from the other sites, who weren't on Ancestry.