CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus and Marks Distribution

Overview: The CBSE Class 12 Psychology syllabus for theory and practical exams explores the human psyche, exploring emotions, behaviours, and therapies. Get insights into the unit-wise weightage and sub-topics to prepare well and score 100/100. 

In the class 12th Psychology exam, 70 marks are for theory, and 30 marks are for practical. These 70 marks cover various topics to be studied from the CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus, which is divided into 7 units.

• Units 1 & 2 carry the highest weightage of 13 marks each.
• The fact and application based questions will carry the highest weightage of around 45%.

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Understanding the CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus 

The CBSE Class 12 Psychology exam syllabus has been developed to increase awareness of fundamental principles, ideas, and methodology intrinsic to this discipline.

The syllabus content is designed in a way that the students get to know about the following: 

• Contextualised nature of Psychological knowledge and practices,
• Factors influencing behaviours and mental processes
• Intricacies of behavioural processes

CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus: Theory Paper Unit Weightage

The syllabus of Psychology CBSE Class 12 is divided into 7 units, which are as follows:

Units	Units	Marks
Unit 1	Variations in Psychological Attributes	13
Unit 2	Self and Personality	13
Unit 3	Meeting Life Challenges	9
Unit 4	Psychological Disorders	12
Unit 5	Therapeutic Approaches	9
Unit 6	Attitude and Social Cognition	8
Unit 7	Social Influence and Group Processes	6

CBSE class 12 Psychology Syllabus pdf Download Link 

Click on the button below to download the syllabus pdf for Psychology: 

CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus PDF 

CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus: Course Content 

The syllabus has 7 units, each with its sub-topics. 

Unit 1:Variations in Psychological Attributes

• Introduction
• Individual Differences in Human Functioning
• Assessment of Psychological Attributes
• Intelligence
• Psychometric Theories of Intelligence, Information Processing Theory: Planning, Attention-arousal
• Simultaneous-successive Model of Intelligence, Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• Individual Differences in Intelligence
• Culture and Intelligence
• Emotional Intelligence
• Special Abilities: Aptitude: Nature and Measurement
• Creativity

Unit 2:Self and Personality

• Introduction
• Self and Personality
• Concept of Self
• Cognitive and Behavioral Aspects of Self
• Culture and Self
• Concept of Personality

Major Approaches to the Study of Personality:

• Type Approaches
• Trait Approaches
• Psychodynamic Approach and Post-Freudian Approaches
• Behavioural Approach
• Cultural Approach
• Humanistic Approach

Assessment of Personality:

• Self-report Measures
• Projective Techniques
• Behavioural Analysis

Learn Imp. Questions for CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus 

Unit 3:Meeting Life Challenges

• Introduction
• Nature, Types, and Sources of Stress

Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning and Health:

• Stress and Health
• General Adaptation Syndrome
• Stress and Immune System
• Lifestyle

Coping with Stress:

• Stress Management Techniques

Promoting Positive Health and Well-being:

• Life Skills
• Positive Health

Unit 4:Psychological Disorders

• Introduction
• Classification of Psychological Disorders
• Factors Underlying Abnormal Behavior

Concepts of Abnormality and Psychological Disorders:

• Historical Background

Major Psychological Disorders:

• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
• Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Depressive Disorder
• Bipolar and Related Disorders
• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
• Feeding and Eating Disorders
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

Get Sample papers to prepare CBSE Psychology class 12 syllabus

Unit 5:Therapeutic Approaches

• Nature and Process of Psychotherapy
• Factors Contributing to Healing in Psychotherapy
• Ethics in Psychotherapy
• Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill

Types of Therapies:

• Behavior Therapy
• Cognitive Therapy
• Humanistic-Existential Therapy
• Alternative Therapies

Unit 6:Attitude and Social Cognition

• Introduction
• Explaining Social Behavior
• Nature and Components of Attitudes
• Prejudice and Discrimination
• Strategies for Handling Prejudice

Attitude Formation and Change:

• Attitude Formation
• Attitude Change
• Attitude-Behavior Relationship

Unit 7:Social Influence and Group Processes

• Introduction
• Nature and Formation of Groups
• Types of Groups

Influence of Group on Individual Behavior:

• Social Loafing
• Group Polarization

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CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus for Practical 

The practical exam is for 30 marks. The syllabus is: 

1. Development of Case Profile: Using appropriate methods like interview, observation & psychological tests 
2. Test Administration: Administer and interpret five psychological tests related to various psychological attributes 
3. In the Practical examination, the student will be required to administer and interpret two psychological tests 

CBSE Class 12 Psychology Distribution of Marks 

Category	Marks
Practical File and Case Profile	10
Viva Voce (Case Profile & Two Practicals)	5
Two Practicals (5 marks for conduct of practicals and 10 marks for reporting)	15
Total	30

Best Books for preparing syllabus of Psychology class 12 CBSE 2024-25

The NCERT textbooks are essential to developing the fundamental concepts. Supplementary guides can be helpful for in-depth understanding. 

The prescribed books are: 

Book Title	Author/Publication
Psychology, Class XI	NCERT
Psychology, Class XII	NCERT
Comprehensive Practical Psychology for Class 12	Dr. V. K. Kakar and Dr. S. K. Mangal

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Key Takeaways

The updated CBSE Class 12 Psychology Syllabus provides a comprehensive guide to the huge landscape of human behaviour, emotions, and cognition.

• You can read the detailed syllabusand download the PDF for your exam preparation.
• This course will surely extend students' views and promote a more in-depth understanding of the human psyche.
• The practical component Psychology exam is conducted for30 marks. It includes the following: Project Work, Practical File, Viva Voce,and Practical Examination.