Which minor key shares the same key signature as a major key and has the same tonic?

• A. Parallel minor
• B. Harmonic minor
• C. Relative minor
• D. Natural minor

Answer: (C)

In major/minor relationships, the one that keeps the same collection of sharps or flats is the relative minor. It uses the same key signature as the major key, but its tonic is different—the sixth scale degree of the major scale. For example, C major and A minor share the same key signature (none), but A minor starts on A while C major starts on C. That shared key signature is what’s being tested here.

The other minor forms behave differently: parallel minor has the same tonic as the major key but a different key signature, and natural or harmonic minor refer to scale variants built on the same tonic but don’t preserve the major key’s signature in the same way. So, the minor key that aligns with the major key by sharing its key signature is the relative minor.