Psychology Syllabus for CUET | How to prepare Psychology for CUET

Psychology for CUET: The Common University Entrance Test will be held by the NTA, and more than 100 universities are participating in it. The NTA has released the psychology syllabus for CUET on its official website. All aspiring candidates are advised to go through the detailed syllabus and get themselves familiarised. Psychology is one of 27 domain-specific subjects in section II, which is offered as a UG course in most of the universities participating in the CUET. It is mandatory for the students seeking admission to UG, to sit for the CUET exam. The CUET scorecard will be considered to allocate seats in different courses across all the participating universities/colleges.

The CUET is going to be a central exam conducted by NTA, and the competition level expected is very high. So, there will be no easy way through. A thorough preparation, with proper supervision and guidance, is necessary to sail you through this Prometheus journey. There are a few important things that every student should know before they start preparing psychology for the CUET. In this article, we are going to discuss some important things like the psychology syllabus for CUET, exam patterns, detailed exam information, and a few preparation tips and strategies. You should go through these details carefully, as it intends to make your sail smooth.

Let’s begin by discussing a few essential details about CUET. These are some basics yet helpful to get a wholesome idea regarding the exam.

Few important details about CUET:

CUET will be a gateway to 100+ Universities, for UG admissions.
For the first time since its inception, in CUET the medium of instruction will be available in multiple (13 different) languages.
NTA has officially announced that the psychology syllabus for CUET will include only the NCERT syllabus from class 12th standard.

Now let us discuss the psychology syllabus for CUET in detail.

Overview of Psychology Syllabus for CUET

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 as well and has drawn the attention of many students. The psychology syllabus for CUET is covered by 9 different units, all the units are equally important and are interconnected. It is crucial that you go through it very carefully so that you don't miss out on anything. The psychology syllabus for CUET consists of several topics such as Self and Personality, Meeting Life Challenges, Psychological Disorders, Attitude, and 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 the study of self and personality in the context of different approaches in an effort 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 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 topics in detail, you will have a thorough idea of the psychology syllabus for CUET and can plan a suitable strategy for your preparation. Another aspect that is crucial from a preparation point of view is understanding the exam pattern. It clears many doubts regarding the exam as well as makes the task of making strategy a lot easier.

Exam Pattern of Psychology for CUET

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

The detailed exam pattern is given below:

There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be attempted.
The maximum mark is 200, 5 marks will be awarded for each correct answer, and 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer.
Question types will be objective (MCQs) and the duration will be 45 mins.
The exam type will be online, Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.

Once you go through all the essential details regarding the CUET exam pattern, let us now talk about the most crucial, i.e. How to prepare psychology for CUET? This article is now going to discuss a few essential tips and a detailed preparation plan to help you with your preparation.

How to Prepare Psychology for CUET?

Psychology is an interesting subject that checks your critical thinking ability and understanding. To prepare thoroughly, you must have an open and critical mind. To succeed and score well, you need to prepare for psychology in a thorough manner. All units and subunits are equally important. Following are a few important preparation tips for psychology.

Preparation tips for Psychology:

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

(i) Individual topic expertise over.

(ii) Importance/weightage each chapter has in the main exam.

Try to contextualise, whatever you read with your immediate surroundings.
Always think critically while you read.

Brief preparation strategy of Psychology for CUET

A question that can be troublesome at times is, how to prepare psychology for CUET? The article will try to address the issue by discussing a brief strategy that will make your task easier and help in planning a strategy in the most straightforward and effective fashion.

Understanding the content of the syllabus

You should always start by going through the syllabus thoroughly and following some sample question papers. This will help you to comprehend the content of the syllabus as well as the importance/weightage of each unit. An all-around knowledge about the subject always boosts the effectiveness of your plan. Based on these factors, you can plan your preparation schedule easily.

Having a proper timetable

Time management is the most crucial factor that ensures that you never fall behind schedule. Managing your time judiciously is one of the core values that is expected of every aspirant. Sticking to your timetable strictly is the easiest way you can manage your time efficiently. The most important thing about having a timetable is it makes you disciplined and shapes your approach in a goal-oriented manner. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and make a timetable that will enable you to cover all the topics on time and leave some extra time for practice and revision too.

Consistency and Punctuality:

To prepare psychology for CUET, a disciplined approach is very crucial. Preparing an ideal routine is only the first step, implementing it on a daily basis with punctuality is also necessary. A routine only yields results when you are following it consistently. Here, both things go hand in hand. A suitable routine also reduces unnecessary efforts and ensures that you remain focused and goal-oriented. It acts as guidance in your preparational journey.

Practice and Revision:

Revision is necessary as it double-checks, you don't leave anything behind. Practice always intends to make you better. Don't forget to make revisions and take the mock test. Mock tests will fine polish you and make you ready for the exam. This will also give you 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.

Another essential objective that you have to keep in mind is to eat healthily and stay fit during this whole time. Learn to take time off and relax, which refreshes your mind and installs new energy. You can not afford to fall sick during your 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 you can ensure these three things and follow the strategic plan discussed above success will be within your reach. So, without losing any more time thinking, download the psychology syllabus for CUET and begin your preparation for CUET.

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