Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 PDF Download: Detailed Subject-Wise Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 is the most important resource for candidates preparing for the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Recruitment under the Women and Child Development Department. Understanding the latest Kerala PSC CDPO syllabus 2026 helps candidates identify important topics, prioritise preparation, improve time management, and develop an effective study plan for the upcoming CDPO exam.

Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 Key Details

Since CDPO is a Gazetted Officer-level position, the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 evaluates both subject expertise and administrative awareness related to women and child welfare programmes. The CDPO covers core subjects such as Home Science, Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology, along with topics related to child welfare, community development, and social welfare administration. The key details of the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 are provided below. 

Particulars	Details
Post Name	Child Development Project Officer 2026 (CDPO)
CDPO Category Number	25/2026
CDPO Department	Women and Child Development
CDPO Recruitment Type	Direct Recruitment
CDPO Exam Standard	Postgraduate Level
CDPO Total Marks	100 Marks
CDPO Exam Duration	1 Hour 30 Minutes
CDPO 2026 Negative Marking	1/3 Mark
CDPO Medium of Exam	English
Official CDPO Syllabus 2026	Released by Kerala PSC
Kerala PSC Official Website	Kerala PSC Home 2

 

 

Join CC Learning App to Start Your Kerala PSC CDPO Preparation 2026 with Expert faculty Support Throughout Your Learning Journey!

 

Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus PDF Download 2026

Kerala PSC has published the detailed syllabus for the Child Development Project Officer exam 2026. Candidates preparing for CDPO 2026 are advised to download the official syllabus PDF and prepare according to the latest topics prescribed by Kerala PSC. Download the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus PDF from the link given below.

Click Here for Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus PDF Download 2026

The official CDPO syllabus should always be treated as the primary reference source for your CDPO preparation 2026.

Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026 - Detailed Subject-Wise Syllabus 

The official Kerala PSC CDPO syllabus 2026 is divided into six major subject areas along with General Studies components. They are Facts about India, facts about Kerala, Home Science, Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology. CDPO Syllabus 2026 is designed to assess the academic knowledge, professional competency, and administrative aptitude required for the post of Child Development Project Officer. Learn the detailed Subject-Wise CDPO Syllabus from below.

FURTHER DETAILS REGARDING MAIN TOPICS OF 

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER  (WOMEN ONLY) 

Women and Child Development Department

(CATEGORY NO. 25/2026) 

FACTS ABOUT INDIA 

Geography of India- Physical Features- Climate-Soils- Rivers- Famous Sites – Etc Demography- Economic and Social Development-Poverty Alleviation-Economy and PlanningEtc History of India- Period from 1857 to 1947- National Movement- Etc. 

FACTS ABOUT KERALA 

Geographical Facts- Physical Features- Climate-Soils- Rivers- Famous Sites – Etc Renaissance of Kerala Important Events/ Movements/Leaders Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi, Chattampi Swami, Sree Narayana Guru, Vagbhatananda, Thycaud Ayya, Ayya Vaikundar, Poikayil Yohannan (Kumara Guru), Ayyankali, Pandit Karuppan, Mannathu Padmanabhan, V.T.Bhattathirippad, Dr. Palpu, Kumaranasan, Vakkom Moulavi, Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Etc. 

HOME SCIENCE

1. Extension education and community development 

Extension education, definition, meaning, principles, Elements of teaching learning process principles of teaching learning process, community development programmes-meaning principles and philosophy, Panchayath Raj administration , voluntary organizations in rural development, poverty alleviation and employment generation programmes, National and state schemes for increasing food production programmes. Audio visual Aids- place and role of audio visual aids, classification of audio visual aids. 

2. Programme development and population education 

Programme development- meaning, scope and principles, programme development cycle and its components. felt need and unfelt needs Plan of work, programme implementation . infrastructure-involving local infrastructure with specific reference to organizations and leaders. Evaluation -meaning and purpose, indicators of development. Population education -nature scope and importance, sources of population data census, vital statistics, demographic variables; population problems; population and development education, adolescent health, reproductive health care, gender and development Family life and responsible parenthood, quality of life, social issues- alcoholism, suicide etc. 

3. Nutrition through life cycle 

Food groups and recommended allowances, nutrition in pregnancy and lactation, infancy, pre-school, school age, and adolescence Assessment of the nutritional status of the different age groups in the community. Deficiency diseases- their causes and prevention. Protein energy malnutrition, mineral deficiencies , vitamin deficiencies and hyper vitaminosis 

4. Community nutrition 

Nutrition and national development, prevalence of mal nutrition in India, strategies to overcome mal nutrition, nutrition intervention programmes, role of national and international organization to combat malnutrition, nutrition education, food production, food adulteration, food toxins , control of food losses, supplementary foods, use of novel proteins, processing of different infant weaning food, food fortification 

5. Child Development 

Fundamentals of growth and development, prenatal development, child birth, maternal and infant mortality, early stimulation, physical, motor, language, emotional, social, moral and intellectual development from Infancy to early childhood. Common childhood ailments, immunization organizations and programmes for child welfare in India, the rights of children 

6. Pre school education 

Types of pre school, values of nursery school education, aims and objectives of nursery school. The requisites of an ideal nursery school, physical set up, the personnel, the administration, the equipments in a nursery school , Method of teaching preschoolers, curriculum for all round development of pre school children- types of play, stories, puppet shows, development of Routine skills and habit, sensory training, concept formation. The formal 'Rs' and readiness for school, simple ideas of health and hygiene PTA , its importance. 

1. Research methodology 

Meaning of research , types of research, problem identification, sources of problem, research design, review of literature/primary and secondary data, hypothesis, variable, selecting the research approach, techniques and tools, identifying the population and selecting the sample, pilot study. Administration of the tool and data collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of data. Preparation of research report. 

 SOCIAL WORK

1. Social Work and Related Concepts-Definitions: 

Social Work, Social service, Social Reform, Social Welfare, Social Policy, Social Action, Social Legislation, Social Defence and Social Education. Identification of Social Work as a Profession, Values & principles of Social Work, Methods and functions of Social work, Major contributions in the field of social work- books, authors and concepts 

System Approach to Social Work Practice; Role of Social Work in the Remedial, Preventive and Developmental Models. 

2. Methods of social work practice 

Social Work process- generalist social work practice Social case work: definition, principles, process, components, models Social group work: definition, principles, process, models Community organisation: definition, principles, process, models Social work research: scope, designs-experimental-programme evaluation-qualitative v/s quantitative, descriptive statistics Social Welfare administration: definition, elements of administration Social Action: definition, scope, examples 

3. Human Behaviour 

Human Behaviour, Human Needs, Human Motivation and Problems of Human Behaviour and Coping Mechanisms. 

Human Growth and Development in the Lifespan of Individuals. Learning, Socialisation and Theories of Personality. 

4. Social Policy 

Concept and Scope, Distinction between Social and Economic Policies, Place of Ideology and Values. 

Evolution of Social Policy in India; Review of Major Policies and Programs, viz., Education, Health, Shelter, Environment, Social Security, Employment, Family, Child, Women and Youth Welfare, Welfare of the Weaker Sections, Elderly and Disabled. 

SOCIOLOGY

1. Introduction to Sociological thought 

August Comte Law of three stages, positivism Herbert Spencer Theory of evolution, Organic analogy Karl Marx Theory of class struggle, Economic determinism 

2. Sociological concepts 

Social stratification- definition ,meaning, caste and class Socialization - agents of socialization -family, peer group, school, mass media etc. Social control - definition and meaning, formal and informal social control 

3. Social system 

Family - definition, types of family functions of family in traditional times - changing functions 

Concept of marriage definition, types of marriage in traditional times, functions 

4. Social problems 

Poverty - meaning, poverty in underdeveloped and developing countries

Dowry - meaning and definition, problems related to dowry in Indian society 

Terrorism - meaning, effect of terrorism in Indian society 5. Status of women in India 

Women in the working force- in organised and unorganized sector, economic and political empowerment, programmes of the Indian government for the development of women. 

PSYCHOLOGY

1. Introduction to Psychology 

Psychology, Psychology as a science, methods of psychology, psychological perspectives, sensory processes, perception- attention, perceiving distance, perceiving depth, perceptual organization, perceptual constancy, illusion. Memory -theories, sensory memory, working memory, long term memory, short term memory, improving memory. Thinking - process, concepts, problem solving, decision making, creative thinking. Intelligence - concept, nature and nurture controversy, theories, measurement. 

2. Biological basis of behaviour 

Neurons, parts of neurons, nerve impulses- synapse, neurotransmitters, neural networks, cerebral hemispheres, hemispheric specialization, lobes, fore brain, mid brain, hind brain, endocrine system, hormones and behaviour, handedness, limbic system - hippocampus, amygdale. Evolution, Genes and Behaviour. 

3. Motivation, Emotion and stress 

Motivation - concept, biological basis of motivation, theories of motivation, biological and psychosocial motives. Emotion - concepts, biological basis of emotion, theories of emotion, types of emotion. Stress - Characteristics, psychological reaction to stress, physiological reaction to stress, psychological factors and stress response, coping skills, and managing stress. 

4. Developmental psychology 

The life span perspective, Methods of studying development, prenatal and perinatal development, Theories of human development: Freud - psychosexual development, Erickson - psychosocial development, learning theory-Pavlov, skinner, Bandura, Piaget, Bronfenbrenner. Piaget - cognitive development, Vygotsky's socio cultural theory, Kohlberg - moral development, Bowlby - attachment theory, language development, Infancy, babyhood, early childhood, late childhood, puberty and adolescence. Developmental disabilities - mental retardation, autism, learning disabilities 

5. Social psychology 

Social psychology, Socialisation - agents of childhood socialization, process of socialization, outcome of socialization, Social cognition, social perception - attribution, impression formation, Attitudes -attitudes and behaviour, attitude formation, attitude change, prejudice and discrimination, social influence - conformity, prosocial behaviour, aggression, group, leader/leadership 

6. Personality and abnormal behaviour 

Psychoanalytic theory- personality structure, defence mechanisms, Neo Freudian approaches, type and trait approaches, learning and behavioural approach, humanistic approach, personality assessment. Abnormal behaviour, normality, abnormality, classification, psychological disorders of childhood and adolescence- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety disorders of childhood and adolescence, childhood depression, child abuse, enuresis, encopresis 

NOTE: - It may be noted that apart from the topics detailed above, questions from other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post may also appear in the question paper. There is no undertaking that all the topics above may be covered in the question paper. 

Kerala PSC CDPO Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates should understand the Kerala PSC CDPO Exam Pattern 2026 before going to start their preparation. The Kerala PSC CDPO exam is objective in nature and includes questions from all major syllabus areas.

A clear understanding of the CDPO exam pattern helps candidates allocate preparation time effectively across different subjects.

Start Your Kerala PSC CDPO Preparation Today

The Kerala PSC CDPO exam 2026 is one of the most prestigious officer-level recruitments in the Women and Child Development Department. Candidates aiming for a top rank should begin preparation early by thoroughly covering the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026, understanding the exam pattern, and practising with mock tests.

CC Learning App provides complete Kerala PSC CDPO preparation support through expert-led classes, syllabus-oriented learning modules, previous year question discussions, current affairs updates, mock tests, revision programmes, and personalised mentorship to help aspirants secure top ranks in the upcoming CDPO examination.

Download the CC Learning App and start your Kerala PSC CDPO Preparation 2026 with expert guidance and personalised mentorship. 

Frequently Asked Questions for CDPO 2026

Where can I download the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus PDF 2026?

Candidates can download the official Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus PDF 2026 directly from this page or from the Kerala PSC website. The syllabus PDF contains the complete subject-wise topics prescribed for the Child Development Project Officer examination.

What subjects are included in the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus 2026?

The CDPO syllabus includes Facts About India, Facts About Kerala, Home Science, Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology along with topics related to women welfare, child development, nutrition, community development, and social welfare programmes.

What is the exam standard for Kerala PSC CDPO 2026?

The Kerala PSC CDPO exam 2026 is conducted at the postgraduate level considering the professional and administrative responsibilities associated with the post.

Is there negative marking in the CDPO Exam 2026?

Yes. Kerala PSC follows a negative marking system for the CDPO examination. One-third (1/3) marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

What is the medium of the Kerala PSC CDPO Exam 2026?

The Kerala PSC CDPO exam 2026 is conducted in English.

Which subject is most important for Kerala PSC CDPO Preparation 2026?

Home Science, Child Development, Social Work, Psychology, Community Nutrition, Women Welfare Programmes, and Kerala Renaissance are among the most important topics for CDPO preparation 2026.

Is Child Development an important topic in the CDPO syllabus?

Yes. Child Development is one of the core areas of the Kerala PSC CDPO Syllabus and covers growth and development, child welfare programmes, immunisation, child rights, and early childhood development.

How many questions are asked in the Kerala PSC CDPO Exam 2026?

The CDPO exam 2026 consists of 100 objective-type questions carrying a total of 100 marks.

What is the duration of the Kerala PSC CDPO Exam 2026?

Candidates will get 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the PSC CDPO Exam 2026.