CUET Psychology Syllabus: Paper Pattern, How to Prepare, and More

Psychology syllabus for CUET: The NTA (National Testing Agence) conducts the CUET UG every year in the month of May. The Psychology syllabus for CUET is the same as the complete NCERT class 12 syllabus. NTA has released the detailed CUET psychology syllabus on its official website. The same has been briefly discussed here, along with other crucial details. All aspiring candidates are advised to review the detailed CUET syllabus for Psychology and familiarise themselves with it.

The CUET scorecard will be solely considered to allocate seats in different courses across all the 280+ participating universities. Students must undergo thorough CUET preparation under proper guidance to complete their preparation effectively.

There are a few essential things that every student should know before they begin CUET Psychology preparation. This article will briefly discuss some essential things like the CUET Psychology syllabus, paper patterns, crucial information regarding the exam, and a few preparation tips and strategies. Students must carefully review all the details to steadily strive toward CUET 2025 success.

About CUET UG


CUET Psychology Syllabus

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its behaviour. It includes the study of both, the conscious and unconscious minds. The subject is very interesting and exciting and has also drawn the attention of many students. NTA has clearly mentioned that the CUET Psychology syllabus will be covered by the entire NCERT class 12 syllabus. It has 9 different units; all the units are equally important and interconnected.

Students must go through the syllabus carefully to avoid missing out on anything. The psychology syllabus for CUET consists of several topics, such as self and personality, meeting life challenges, psychological disorders, attitude, social cognition, psychology and life, and so on. The detailed syllabus is given in the table below.

Psychology Syllabus for CUET

Unit

Chapter

Topics

1.

Variations in Psychological Attributes

  • The unit aims at studying how people differ with respect to their various psychological attributes.
  • Individual differences in human functioning; Assessment of psychological attributes; Intelligence: Individual differences in intelligence; Theories of intelligence; Culture and intelligence;
  • Special abilities: Aptitude - nature and measurement; Creativity; Emotional intelligence.

2.

Self and Personality

  • This unit focuses on studying self and personality through different approaches to appraise the person. The assessment of personality will also be discussed.
  • Self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-regulation; Culture and self; Concept of personality;
  • Major approaches - Type and Trait, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Behavioural, Cultural;
  • Assessment of personality: Self-report measures, behavioural analysis, and projective measures.

3.

Meeting Life Challenges

  • This unit deals with the nature of stress and how responses to stress depend on an individual’s appraisal of stressors. Strategies to cope with stress will also be dealt with.
  • Nature, types, and sources of stress; Effects on psychological functioning and health; Coping with stress; Promoting positive health and well-being.

4.

Psychological Disorders

  • This unit discusses the concepts of normality and abnormality and the major psychological disorders.
  • Concepts of abnormality and psychological disorders; Classification of disorders; Factors Underlying abnormal behaviour;
  • Major psychological disorders - Anxiety, Somatic, Dissociative, Mood, Schizophrenic, Developmental and Behavioural-Substance use related.

5.

Therapeutic Approaches

  • The unit discusses the goals, techniques, and effectiveness of different approaches to treating psychological disorders.
  • Nature and process of therapy: Therapeutic relationship;
  • Types of therapies: Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Cognitive, Behaviour and Bio-medical;
  • Alternative therapies - Yoga, Meditation, Rehabilitation of mentally ill.

6.

Attitude and Social Cognition

  • This unit focuses on the formation and change of attitudes, cultural influences on attributional tendencies, and conditions influencing pro-social behaviour.
  • Explaining social behaviour: Impression formation and explaining the behaviour of others through attributions; Social cognition; Schemas and stereotypes; Nature and components of attitudes; Attitude formation and change; Behaviour in the presence of others; Pro-social behaviour; Prejudice and discrimination; Strategies for handling prejudice.

7.

Social Influence and Group Processes

  • The unit deals with the concept of the group, its functions, and the dynamics of social influence on conformity, obedience, and compliance. Different conflict resolution strategies will also be discussed.
  • Conformity, Obedience, and Compliance; Cooperation and Competition;
  • Nature and formation of groups; Types of groups; Social identity; Influence of the group on individual behaviour; Intergroup conflicts; Conflict resolution strategies.

8.

Psychology and Life

  • The unit focuses on the application of psychological understanding to some important social issues.
  • Human-environment relationship; Environmental effects on human behaviour: Noise, pollution, crowding, natural disasters; Promoting pro-environmental behaviour;
  • Psychology and social concerns: Aggression, Violence, and Peace, Discrimination and Poverty, health, the impact of television on behaviour.

9.

Developing Psychological Skills

  • The unit deals with some effective psychological and interpersonal skills for facilitating personal social development.
  • Effective psychological skills: Observational skills, Interviewing skills, Testing skills, Counselling skills - empathy, authenticity, positive regard, and - Communication skills - listening.

After going through these 9 chapters and all their sub-topics in detail, students must be able to grasp the CUET Psychology syllabus thoroughly and can plan a suitable strategy for their preparation. Another crucial aspect from a preparation point of view is understanding the exam pattern. It clears doubts regarding the paper and its pattern and makes the process of curating a strategy much easier.


CUET Psychology Exam Pattern

The NTA has also released a detailed exam pattern for psychology on its official website. The exam pattern includes essential information regarding the CUET Psychology exam. The exam pattern provides details such as the number of questions, marking scheme, and exam duration. This enriches students' knowledge about the exam and helps them with preparation.

The Detailed CUET Psychology Exam Pattern

Once students check all the essential details regarding the CUET exam pattern, the next step is how to prepare psychology for CUET. This article will discuss a few essential tips and a detailed plan to help students prepare for CUET Psychology.


Suggested Readings

CUET 2025 Registration

CUET Eligibility Criteria

CUET University List

CUET Online Coaching


How to Prepare Psychology for CUET?

Psychology is an exciting subject that checks a student's critical thinking ability and overall understanding. To prepare thoroughly, one must have an open and critical mind. All units and their sub-topics are equally important. To succeed and score well, students must prepare for psychology in a thorough manner. The following are a few important tips for preparing for CUET psychology.

Preparation Tips for Psychology

  • Comprehend the syllabus and then break it into small sections.
  • Make an effort to make some connections between the sections and chapters.
  • Get your priorities straight based on two things:

    - Individual topic expertise.
    - The weightage of each chapter in the main exam.

  • Try to contextualise everything with immediate surroundings.
  • Always think critically while reading.

Brief Preparation Strategy for CUET Psychology

A question that can sometimes be troublesome for students is how to prepare psychology for CUET. The article will address the issue by discussing a brief strategy that will help students plan a strategy in the most straightforward and effective fashion.

Understanding the CUET Psychology syllabus

Students must start by thoroughly reviewing the CUET Psychology syllabus. This will help them comprehend the syllabus and the importance or weightage of each unit. An all-around knowledge of the subject always helps curate an effective study plan. Based on the syllabus depth and the available time, students must chart an appropriate study plan for themselves.

Significance of a Timetable

Time management is the most crucial factor. Managing available time judiciously is one of the core values that every aspirant should have. Sticking to an appropriate timetable is the easiest way to manage time efficiently. The most important thing about having a timetable is it makes the approach disciplined.

Identify personal strengths and weaknesses and make a timetable that will enable to cover all the topics on time and leave some extra time for practice and revision.

Consistency and Punctuality

A disciplined approach is crucial to prepare psychology for CUET. Preparing an ideal routine is only the first step; implementing it daily with punctuality is also necessary. A routine only yields results when one follows it consistently. Here, both things go hand in hand. A suitable routine reduces unnecessary efforts and ensures students remain focused and goal-oriented.

Practice and Revision

Revision is necessary as it double-checks everything and ensures that nothing is left behind. Practice always intends to make one better. Don't forget to make revisions and take the CUET mock test. This will also give students a good idea about time management on exam day. There is no better way to get an exam kind of feeling before an exam than a mock test. So, this is a must.

Essential Resource for Practice & Revision

CUET Psychology Previous Year Question Paper

Another essential objective every student must remember is to eat healthily and stay fit. Learn to take time off and relax. No students can afford to fall sick during their preparation days. So, a healthy and sound body and mind are very crucial. Clarity (of the syllabus), concentration (towards your goal), and consistency (with your effort), if a student can ensure these three things and follow the strategic plan discussed above, success will be within their reach. So, without wasting any more time thinking, download the psychology syllabus for CUET and begin preparing Psychology for CUET.

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