CBSE Senior Secondary Syllabus 2027 Psychology

FOR CBSE SENIOR SECONDARY SYLLABUS EXAM PREPARATION

CBSE Senior Secondary
Syllabus 2027
Question Paper ·
Psychology
EXAM YEAR TYPE SUBJECT

CBSE Senior Secondary Syllabus 2027 Question Paper Psychology

Notes · Sample Papers · Previous Year Papers · Mock Tests

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PSYCHOLOGY
Subject Code – 037
Classes XI-XII (2026-27)
(2026-27)
(2025-26)

Psychology is introduced as an elective subject at the higher secondary level in school
education. As a field, Psychology focuses on understanding human experiences,
behaviors, and mental processes within a specific social, cultural, and historical context.
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This course aims to create interest and familiarize students with fundamental concepts,
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theories, and methods in Psychology.
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The course encourages
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students to analyze behavior and mental processes. Students
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will learn tolevaluate evidence and challenge assumptions, thereby developing critical
thinking a g that are valuable in any field of study or career.
skills
The course emphasizes the role of socio-cultural factors in behavior, helping students
appreciate diversity and sensitivity that prepares them to be inclusive and empathetic
global citizens.

It is recommended that teaching methods actively engage students, helping them develop
their own understanding. To achieve this, the teaching learning processes should

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incorporate case studies, personal narratives, experiential exercises, and reflections on

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everyday experiences.

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Objectives:
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● To help students understand the nature of psychological knowledge and its
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relevance to different aspects of life.
● To encourage students to be observant, socially aware, and reflective.
● To reduce stigma and increase awareness of psychological well-being by
educating students about mental health.
● To help students understand their own thoughts, emotions and behaviors fostering
personal growth and resilience, preparing them to become responsible global
members of society.

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COURSE STRUCTURE
(2026-27)
(2026-27)
CLASS XI (2025-2026)
Theory Paper
Time : 3 Hours Marks: 70
Units Topics Marks
I Understanding Psychology 11
II Methods of Enquiry in Psychology 13
III Human Development 11
IV Sensory, Attentional and Perceptual 8
Processes
V Learning 9
VI Human Memory 8
VII Thinking 5
VIII Motivation and Emotion 5
Total 70

COURSE STRUCTURE
Name of the Units

Unit I Understanding Psychology
2. Nature of Psychology:
● Psychology as a Discipline
● Psychology as a Natural Science
● Psychology as a Social Science
3. Understanding Mind and Behaviour
4. Popular Notions about the Discipline of Psychology
5. Evolution of Psychology
6. Development of Psychology in India
7. Branches of Psychology
8. Psychology and Other Disciplines
9. Psychology in Everyday Life
Unit II Methods of Enquiry in Psychology
2. Goals of Psychological Enquiry
● Steps in Conducting Scientific Research
● Alternative Paradigms of Research
3. Nature of Psychological Data

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4. Some Important Methods in Psychology
● Observational Method
● Experimental Method
● Correlational Research
● Survey Research
● Psychological Testing
● Case Study
5. Analysis of Data
● Quantitative Method
● Qualitative Method
6. Limitations of Psychological Enquiry
7. Ethical Issues
Unit III Human Development
2. Meaning of Development
● Life-Span Perspective on Development
3. Factors Influencing Development
4. Context of Development
5. Overview of Developmental Stages
● Prenatal Stage
● Infancy
● Childhood
● Challenges of Adolescence
● Adulthood and Old Age
Unit IV Sensory, Attentional and Perceptual Processes
2. Knowing the world
3. Nature and varieties of Stimulus
4. Sense Modalities
● Functional limitation of sense organs
5. Attentional Processes
● Selective Attention
● Sustained Attention
6. Perceptual Processes
● Processing Approaches in Perception
7. The Perceiver
8. Principles of Perceptual Organisation

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9. Perception of Space, Depth and Distance
● Monocular Cues and Binocular Cues
10. Perceptual Constancies
11. Illusions
12. Socio-Cultural Influences on Perception
Unit V Learning
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em of Learning
2. Nature
3.asParadigms of Learning g l a
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a ● Determinants of Classical Conditioning
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5. Operant/Instrumental Conditioning
● Determinants of Operant Conditioning
● Key Learning Processes
6. Observational Learning
7. Cognitive Learning
8. Verbal Learning
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9. Skill Learning
10. Factors Facilitating Learning
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11. Learning Disabilities
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Unit VI Human Memory
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2. Nature of memory
3. Information Processing Approach : The Stage Model
4. Memory Systems : Sensory, Short-term and Long-term Memories
5. Levels of Processing
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6. Types of Long-term Memory
m ● Declarative and Procedural; Episodic and Semantic

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s e ● Forgetting due to Trace Decay, Interference and Retrieval Failure
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a ● Mnemonics using Images and Organisation
Unit VII Thinking
2. Nature of Thinking

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● Building Blocks of Thought
3. The Processes of Thinking
4. Problem Solving
5. Reasoning
6. Decision-making
7. Nature and Process of Creative Thinking
● Nature of Creative Thinking
● Process and strategies of Creative Thinking
8. Thought and Language
9. Development of Language and Language Use
Unit VIII Motivation and Emotion
2. Nature of Motivation
3. Types of Motives
● Biological Motives
● Psychosocial Motives
4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
5. Nature of Emotions
6. Expression of Emotions
● Culture and Emotional Expression
● Culture and Emotional Labeling
7. Managing Negative Emotions
8. Enhancing Positive Emotions

Practical (Projects/small study, experiments, etc.) 30 marks
The students shall be required to undertake one project /small study and conduct two
experiments. The project/small study would involve the use of different methods of enquiry like
observation, survey, interview, questionnaire related to the following topics:
● Bullying/Cyberbullying
● Mental health and wellbeing
● Impact of social media on the youth today
● Altruism and its impact on wellbeing
● Peer Pressure
● Anger management
● Sleep Hygiene
● Changing Gender roles and stereotypes
● Cooperation and Competition
● Compliance and Obedience

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You may also choose to do a project on any topic covered in the course (e.g., Human
development, Learning, Memory, Motivation, Perception, Attention and Thinking). Experiments
could focus on cause-and-effect relationships.
Practical Examination

● Practical (Experiments) file 05 Marks

● Project File 05 Marks

● Viva Voce (Project and experiment) 05 Marks

● One experiment (05 marks for conduction of 15 Marks
experiment and 10 marks for reporting)

Total 30 Marks

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QUESTION PAPER DESIGN
(2026-27)
CLASS –XI (2026-27)
(2025-26)

I. Theory : 70 Marks
Time: 3 Hours Maximum Marks: 70
S. Competencies Total Marks % Weightage
No.
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1 Remembering and Understanding: Exhibiting 35 50%

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memory of previously learned material by
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recalling facts, terms, basic concepts, and
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answers; Demonstrating understanding of facts
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and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating,
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interpreting, giving descriptions and stating main
ideas
2 Applying: Solving problems to new situations 25 35%
by applying acquired knowledge, facts,
techniques and rules in a different way
3 Formulating, Analysing, Evaluating and 10 15%
Creating: Examining and breaking information
into parts by identifying motives or causes;
Making inferences and finding evidence to
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support generalizations; Presenting and
defending opinions by making judgments about
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information, validity of ideas, or quality of work
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based on a set of criteria; Compiling information
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together in a different way by combining
elements in a new pattern or proposing
alternative solutions
Total 70 100%

II. Practical: 30 Marks

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COURSE STRUCTURE
CLASS XII (2026-27)
(2025-2026)
Theory Paper

Time : 3 Hours Marks: 70
Units Topics Marks
I Variations in Psychological Attributes 13
II Self and Personality 13
III Meeting Life Challenges 9
IV Psychological Disorders 12
V Therapeutic Approaches 9
VI Attitude and Social Cognition 8
VII Social Influence and Group Processes 6
Total 70

COURSE CONTENT
Unit I Variations in Psychological Attributes
2. Individual Differences in Human Functioning
3. Assessment of Psychological Attributes
4. Intelligence
5. Psychometric Theories of Intelligence, Information Processing Theory:
Planning, Attention-arousal and Simultaneous successive Model of
Intelligence, Triarchic Theory of Intelligence; Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
6. Individual Differences in Intelligence
7. Culture and Intelligence
8. Emotional Intelligence
9. Special Abilities: Aptitude: Nature and Measurement
10. Creativity
Unit II Self and Personality
2. Self and Personality
3. Concept of Self
4. Cognitive and Behavioural aspects of Self
5. Culture and Self
6. Concept of Personality
7. Major Approaches to the Study of Personality

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● Type Approaches
● Trait Approaches
● Psychodynamic Approach and Post Freudian Approaches
● Behavioural Approach
● Cultural Approach
● Humanistic Approach
8. Assessment of Personality
● Self-report Measures
● Projective Techniques
● Behavioural Analysis
Unit III Meeting Life Challenges
2. Nature, Types and Sources of Stress
3. Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning and Health
● Stress and Health
● General Adaptation Syndrome
● Stress and Immune System
● Lifestyle
4. Coping with Stress
● Stress Management Techniques
5. Promoting Positive Health and Well-being
● Life Skills
● Positive Health
Unit IV Psychological Disorders
2. Concepts of Abnormality and Psychological Disorders
● Historical Background
3. Classification of Psychological Disorders
4. Factors Underlying Abnormal Behaviour
5. Major Psychological Disorders
● Anxiety Disorders
● Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
● Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders
● Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
● Dissociative Disorders
● Depressive Disorder
● Bipolar and Related Disorders

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● Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
● Neurodevelopmental Disorders
● Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
● Feeding and Eating Disorders
● Substance Related and Addictive Disorders
Unit V Therapeutic Approaches
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1. Nature and
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● Therapeutic relationship
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2. aTypes of Therapies
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a ● Cognitive Therapy
● Humanistic-Existential Therapy
● Alternative Therapies
● Factors contributing to healing in Psychotherapy
● Ethics in Psychotherapy
3. Rehabilitation of the Mentally Ill
Unit VI
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Attitude and Social Cognition
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2. Explaining Social Behaviour
3. Nature and Components of Attitudes
4. Attitude Formation and Change
● Attitude Formation
● Attitude Change
● Attitude-Behaviour Relationship
5. Prejudice and Discrimination
6. Strategies for Handling Prejudice
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Unit Social Influence and Group Processes

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VII

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s e 1. Introduction
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4. Influence of Group on Individual Behaviour
● Social Loafing
● Group Polarisation

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Practical 30 Marks
A. Development of case profile:
Using appropriate methods like interview, observation & psychological tests.
B. Test administration:
Students are required to administer and interpret five psychological tests related to
various psychological attributes like intelligence, aptitude, attitude, personality, etc.
C. In the Practical examination, the student will be required to administer and interpret two
psychological tests.
Distribution of Marks:

● Practical File and Case Profile 10 Marks

● Viva Voce (Case Profile & Two 05 Marks
psychological tests)

● Two tests (5 marks for conducting the tests 15 Marks
and 10 marks for reporting)

Total 30 Marks

QUESTION PAPER DESIGN
(2026-27)
CLASS – XII (2026-27)
(2025-26)

I. Theory : 70 Marks
Time: 3 Hours Maximum Marks: 70
S. Competencies Total % Weightage
No. Marks
1 Remembering and Understanding: Exhibiting 35 50%
memory of previously learned material by recalling
facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers;
Demonstrating understanding of facts and ideas by
organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting,
giving descriptions and stating main ideas
2 Applying: Solving problems to new situations by 25 35%
applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and
rules in a different way
3 Formulating, Analysing, Evaluating and 10 15%
Creating: Examining and breaking information into
parts by identifying motives or causes; Making
inferences and finding evidence to support
generalizations; Presenting and defending opinions
by making judgments about information, validity of

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ideas, or quality of work based on a set of criteria;
Compiling information together in a different way by
combining elements in a new pattern or proposing
alternative solutions
Total 70 100%

II. Practical: 30 Marks

Prescribed Books:
1. Psychology, Class XI, Published by NCERT
2. Psychology, Class XII, Published by NCERT
Note: The above textbooks are also available in Hindi medium.

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