Syllabus and unit weightage
Out of every 100 Psychology questions, about this many come from each unit.
- 01Emergence of Psychology7
- 02Research Methodology and Statistics14
- 03Psychological Testing10
- 04Biological Basis of Behaviour11
- 05Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory and Forgetting10
- 06Thinking, Intelligence and Creativity9
- 07Personality, Motivation, Emotion, Stress and Coping10
- 08Social Psychology10
- 09Human Development and Interventions12
- 10Emerging Areas8
Every unit gets questions, so none can be skipped.
Counted from the six papers from June 2019 to December 2022, about 580 Psychology questions, and rounded.
What each unit covers
Question papers, notifications and most books are indexed by these units, so learn their names.
- 01Emergence of PsychologyWestern and Indian traditions, schools and systems, psychology in India
- 02Research Methodology and StatisticsDesigns, variables, sampling, qualitative methods, statistics, correlation, ANOVA, non-parametric tests
- 03Psychological TestingTest construction, reliability, validity, norms, item analysis, types of tests
- 04Biological Basis of BehaviourNeurons, nervous system, brain, endocrine system, senses, genetics and evolution
- 05Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory and ForgettingAttention, perceptual organisation, conditioning, cognitive learning, memory, forgetting
- 06Thinking, Intelligence and CreativityConcepts, reasoning, problem solving, decision making, intelligence, creativity
- 07Personality, Motivation, Emotion, Stress and CopingPersonality approaches and assessment, motivation, emotion, stress and coping
- 08Social PsychologyAttribution, attitudes, social influence, groups, prejudice, aggression, prosocial behaviour
- 09Human Development and InterventionsLifespan development, psychological disorders, therapy, counselling, rehabilitation
- 10Emerging AreasHealth, positive, cultural and community psychology, gender, environment, cyberpsychology
Question types
Try five real UGC NET questions. Tap an option to check your answer.
All seven question types
- 01Direct recallName a theorist, concept, test, brain structure or statistical procedure
- 02Concept discriminationSeparate two close ideas when both options look right
- 03Match the followingLink theorists, theories, tests or structures across two lists
- 04Two statementsJudge each statement on its own; watch for qualifiers and reversals
- 05Assertion and ReasonCheck each part, then whether the reason explains the assertion
- 06SequencePut stages, procedures or historical events in order
- 07ApplicationRecognise a concept inside an example or a case
Partial reinforcement is considered better than continuous reinforcement because:
Not quite. The answer is D.
Why: Continuous reinforcement builds a response faster, but partial reinforcement makes it harder to extinguish. The question turns on learning speed against resistance to extinction.
In a normally distributed group, an examinee scores one SD above the mean. What shall be her/his percentile score?
Not quite. The answer is C.
Why: Half the group scores below the mean, and about 34% more falls between the mean and one SD above it, so the score sits near the 84th percentile. 34 and 68 are areas under the curve, not percentiles.
The phenomenon where bystanders assume that nothing is wrong in an emergency, as no one looks concerned, is called:
Not quite. The answer is B.
Why: Pluralistic ignorance is reading other people's calm as a sign that nothing is wrong. Diffusion of responsibility is different: each person assumes someone else will help.
Not quite. The answer is D.
Why: Retinal disparity is a binocular cue, so the assertion fails on one word. The reason is true on its own.
Not quite. The answer is D.
Why: Life-course-persistent antisocial behaviour starts in early childhood, so Statement I misplaces its onset. Statement II describes the maturity gap correctly.
Exam pattern
Both papers are taken together in one computer-based session of three hours, with no separate time for each.
| Paper | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (general) | 50 | 100 |
| Paper 2 (Psychology) | 100 | 200 |
| Total | 150 | 300 |
No negative marking
A correct answer earns two marks and a wrong answer loses nothing, so answer every question.
What you can qualify for
Each has its own cut-off for your category, listed here from the lowest to the highest.
- PhDAdmission to PhD programmes
- TeachingEligibility for Assistant Professor posts
- JRFThe Junior Research Fellowship
Study order
Keep related units together, and learn methods before the units that use them.
- 01Cognitive Psychology (Units 5, 6)Attention and perception → learning → memory → thinking → intelligence
- 02Research and Statistics (Units 2, 3)Research methods → statistics → psychological testing
- 03Biopsychology (Unit 4)Neuron → nervous system → brain → sensory systems
- 04Development and Personality (Units 7, 9)Lifespan development → personality approaches
- 05Motivation, Emotion and Stress (Unit 7)Motivation → emotion → stress and coping
- 06Social and Organizational Psychology (Unit 8)Social cognition → attitudes → influence → groups → organizations
- 07Clinical Psychology (Unit 9)Psychopathology → assessment → therapy and counselling
- 08History and Emerging Areas (Units 1, 10)Schools and systems → applied areas
Why this order
The units split related topics: personality is in Unit 7, development in Unit 9. So study in blocks, track coverage by unit, and adjust the order where you already have a strong base.
- Study research methods and statistics together, then testing while they are fresh.
- Compare personality theories side by side.
- Split clinical material into psychopathology, assessment and therapy.
- Keep history for later, once the schools mean something to you.
Study method
Two techniques have the strongest evidence for lasting learning: testing yourself and spacing your revision. Mixing topics in practice also helps. All three come from the learning and memory research in Unit 5.
- 01Learn from one complete sourceRead each topic properly once, instead of skimming several books.PortalOne in-depth note per topic, shaped by past papers.
- 02Test yourself the same dayAnswer that topic's past questions before you move on. Recalling an answer fixes it better than reading it again.PortalEach note's past questions, with explanations.
- 03Space your revisionRecall the topic again after a few days, then after a week or two.PortalFlashcards that bring a card back when it is due.
- 04Mix your topicsOnce a few topics are done, practise them together, so the chapter name no longer gives the answer away.PortalTen Daily MCQs a day, across topics.
- 05Take full mocksSit full papers under exam conditions, then go through every question you missed.PortalMock tests weighted like the exam, timed or untimed.
- 06Revise what your results showSpend revision time on the topics you keep getting wrong, not on the whole syllabus again.PortalStrengths and weak areas by note, from your recent answers.
Try step 2 with the free UGC NET Psychology past questions by topic.
The general preparation guide explains the method in more depth.
Reading your results
A score alone does not tell you what to revise. Check where each wrong answer came from.
- Missed a factReread that part of the note, then test yourself on it again.
- Mixed up two ideasPut the two side by side and list how they differ.
- Misread the questionSlow down on words such as not, only and always.
In the Portal, your answers are grouped by note, and a note is called weak only after at least five answers, so a handful of answers does not decide it.
Revision plan
Start revising during your first pass through the syllabus, and revise more as you cover more.
- 1EarlyMostly new learning, with recall and topic questions from the start
- 2MiddleNew units, plus regular revision of everything covered
- 3LateMostly recall, mixed questions and work on weak areas
Time left before the exam
- Over 9 monthsA full first pass, testing yourself from the start. Do not spend months only writing notes.
- 4–9 monthsNew units each week, plus a weekly revision of earlier ones. Do not restart topics that feel imperfect.
- Under 4 monthsClose the biggest gaps and do mixed questions every day. Do not read large textbooks end to end.
Frequently asked questions
No. Each correct answer earns two marks and nothing is deducted for a wrong answer. Leaving a question unanswered can only cost you marks, so record a considered answer for every question.
Ten. They run from Emergence of Psychology to Emerging Areas and cover research methodology and statistics, psychological testing, biological bases of behaviour, cognition, personality and motivation, social psychology, human development and interventions.
Depending on your score and the cut-off for your category, qualifying can make you eligible for Assistant Professor posts, for the Junior Research Fellowship, or for PhD admission. The three outcomes have separate cut-offs, so the same paper is used for different purposes.
Working through one coherent subject block makes preparation easier to organise. You do not need complete mastery before moving forward. Once a subject has had a solid first pass, keep it active through revision and questions while you start the next area.
Start once you understand a topic; you do not need to finish the syllabus first. Early questions show you which ideas are unclear or easily confused while there is still time to correct them.
Work out the reason for each error before deciding what to revise. A missing fact, an unclear theory, a confusion between two concepts and a misread question need different responses. Revising a whole chapter after every error wastes time.
Use them to see how topics are framed, which distinctions are tested repeatedly, how much depth is expected, and where you are weak. A set of past questions supports systematic coverage of the syllabus; it does not replace it.
Use an extra source when it solves a specific problem. Constantly switching between textbooks, PDFs and videos usually means covering the same introductory material again. Choose one sufficiently complete primary resource for learning and later revision.
Revise cumulatively instead of waiting for one final revision phase. Keep older units active through recall practice and questions while you cover new material, so the last stage consolidates what you have already reviewed rather than relearning half the syllabus.