The Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry & Allied Sciences (RINPAS) is a well-known mental hospital and research institution working in the field of neurosciences and mental health. It is located in Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand. It’s affiliated with the University of Ranchi, a renowned institution on its own, located in Ranchi.

Psychology Programs Offered by RINPAS Ranchi

RINPAS Ranchi offers the following two programs in clinical psychology:

• MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) (formerly MPhil Clinical Psychology)
• PhD Clinical Psychology

The MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) program offered by them is recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and meets the regulatory requirements for professional training in clinical psychology.

MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) at RINPAS Ranchi

The MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) (formerly MPhil Clinical Psychology) at RINPAS Ranchi combines clinical practice, theory, and research, and is offered in regular mode. After its completion, candidates can apply for a license from RCI to work as clinical psychologists in India.

Course Duration and Number of Seats

The number of seats and duration for the MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) program are as follows:

• Duration: 2 years; Full-time
• Number of Seats: 12

NOTE: Number of seats is subject to change every year. Seats will be reserved in accordance with the Central Government’s Reservation Policy.

Eligibility Criteria for MA Clinical Psychology (RCI)

Candidates must fulfil the following criteria to get admission into RINPAS Ranchi’s MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) program:

• Applicants must have their Bachelor’s in Psychology (4 Years) or Bachelor’s in Psychology (3 Years) + Master's (1 Year) in Psychology/Clinical Psychology/Applied Psychology or other relevant specializations for admission into the course, from a UGC-recognized university with a minimum of 55% marks in aggregate.

RINPAS MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) Selection Process

Procedure for Admission:

1. Entrance Examination – Eligible candidates appear for the OMR-based offline test.
2. Merit List & Shortlisting:
   • Candidates who meet the qualifying marks will be ranked in a merit list.
   • Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and document verification.
3. Final Selection: Final selection will be based on the performances in both the offline test and the interview.

Entrance Exam:

• The Ranchi University (RU) conducts the Entrance Exam for admission to the MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) (formerly MPhil Clinical Psychology) program on behalf of RINPAS.
• The Entrance Exam includes an offline (OMR-based) test and an Interview.
• Exam format:
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Type: 100 MCQs
  • Marking: 2 marks for a correct answer, -1 (negative marking) mark for a wrong answer
  • Interview (Practical/Viva voce): Yes

Application Process and Fee

• To apply for the MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) program at RINPAS Ranchi, candidates need to download the prospectus, find the application form attached to it, and take a print-out of it. Then they need to fill out the [offline] form.
• After filling out the form carefully and attaching all the necessary documents with it, candidates need to submit the form in hard copy. Along with it, they need to pay the application fee (non-refundable) to the University. Mentioned below is the address where they need to deliver their application forms in person or through a postal service:
  • Office of Controller of Examination, Ranchi University, Ranchi – 834001.
• The Application fee is Rs 1200. Candidates who belong to the state of Jharkhand and of the SC or ST category need to pay only Rs 600 as the Application Fee. Candidates need to submit the application fee by a demand draft (DD) in the favor of:
  • “Registrar, Ranchi University, Ranchi”.
• The following are the required documents that students need to bring with them at the time of the interview, original and copies for verification.:
  • Proof of Age certificate
  • Marksheet, Certificates, Certificates of Professional course
  • Caste Certificate (as per Jharkhand Govt Rules)
  • Disability Certificate, if applicable
  • Documents related to work experience, etc (if applicable)
  • One passport-size photograph
  • Service candidates must take no objection certificate issued by the head of the institution.

Important Dates for MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) at RINPAS

• Last date to apply: March
• Exam date: July
• Interview & Document verification: August

NOTE: The dates mentioned above are based on last year’s Admission Process for MA Clinical Psychology (RCI)

Recommended Books for RINPAS Clinical Psychology Entrance

Students preparing for the MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) entrance exam of RINPAS, Ranchi, may find the following books helpful in their preparation. These texts cover core areas such as psychopathology, assessment, research methodology, statistics, and clinical theories.

• Introduction to Psychology (8th-10th Edition): Rita Atkinson and Hilgard
• Social Psychology: Baron Robert
• Human Development: Papalia and Sally Olds
• Cognitive Psychology: Robinson-Riegler / Sternberg and Sternberg
• Statistics: Quinn McNemar / Minium
• Biopsychology: Arvind Otta
• Research Method: James Goodwin / Lewin & Fox / A. K. Singh
• Psychological Testing: Ronald Jay Cohen and Mark E. Swerdlik
• Abnormal Psychology: Sarason and Sarason / R. Comerc
• Clinical Psychology: Alan Carr / Hecker and Geoffrey
• Psychology Question Bank: Arvind Otta

PhD Clinical Psychology at RINPAS Ranchi

PhD in Clinical Psychology at RINPAS Ranchi is a full-time doctoral program that combines advanced clinical training with intensive research.

Course Duration & Number of Seats for PhD Clinical Psychology

The following are the duration and number of seats at RINPAS Ranchi for PhD in Clinical Psychology:

• Duration: 2 Years, Full-time course.
• Number of Seats: 4

Selection Process for PhD Clinical Psychology at RINPAS

Selection in RINPAS’s PhD in Clinical Psychology program will be based on an Entrance Exam consisting of an Offline (OMR-based) written Test & an Interview. The final selection will be based on the combined performance in the written test and interview.

Eligibility Criteria for PhD Clinical Psychology at RINPAS

Candidates must meet certain eligibility criteria to apply for the PhD in Clinical Psychology at RINPAS Ranchi:

• Diploma or MA in Clinical Psychology (RCI) (formerly MPhil Clinical Psychology) or in Medical and Social Psychology.

NOTE: Only post-MA Clinical Psychology (RCI) (formerly MPhil Clinical Psychology) students can apply for PhD at RINPAS Ranchi.

Entrance Exam Pattern for PhD Clinical Psychology at RINPAS

• The offline written test will have 100 multiple-choice questions.
• The total time allotted for the entrance exam is 2 hours.
• 2 marks for a correct answer; -1 (negative marking) mark for a wrong answer
• There will also be an Interview.

Application Process for PhD Clinical Psychology at RINPAS

• To apply for the PhD in Clinical Psychology (RCI) program at RINPAS Ranchi, candidates need to download the prospectus, find the application form attached to it, and take a printout of it. Then they need to fill out the [offline] form.
• After filling out the form carefully and attaching all the necessary documents with it, candidates need to submit the form in hard copy. Along with it, they need to pay the application fee (non-refundable) to the University. Mentioned below is the address where they need to deliver their application forms in person or through a postal service:
  • Office of Controller of Examination, Ranchi University, Ranchi – 834001.
• The Application fee is Rs 1200. Candidates who belong to the state of Jharkhand and of the SC or ST category need to pay only Rs 600 as the Application Fee. Candidates need to submit the application fee by a demand draft (DD) in the favor of:
  • “Registrar, Ranchi University, Ranchi”.

Sample Questions for RINPAS Clinical Psychology Entrance Exam

1. What is the role of positive and negative reinforcement?

A. To increase the likelihood that responses preceding both will be repeated.

B. To decrease the likelihood that responses preceding negative reinforcement will be repeated.

C. To increase the likelihood that responses preceding only negative reinforcement will be repeated.

D. To ensure that there are no negative consequences following the behaviour.

2. The ___________ lobe is to hearing as the occipital lobe is to vision.

A. Cerebellum

B. Parietal

C. Temporal

D. Frontal

3. Jung used the term “Collective Unconscious” to indicate:

A. The unconscious tendencies inherited by an individual from the primordial racial tendencies

B. All the factors that together constitute to strengthen an individual’s unconscious

C. The unconscious potential of a group or mob

D. The effect of all the unconscious urges which made a person’s behaviour problematic

4. For Skinner, the basic issue is how reinforcement sustains and controls responding rather than:

A. Which stimulus evokes a response

B. Which response is helpful

C. Which stimulus can be generalized

D. Which stimulus can be discriminated

5. The phenomenon whereby an individual in a group will tend to end up agreeing with a strong majority opinion, despite their own judgment, is known as:

A. Normative influence

B. Informative influence

C. Critical mass influence

D. Political influence

6. A cognitive process that starts with simple processes and builds to the more complex higher levels is known as:

A. Lateral processing

B. Internal processing

C. Bottom-up processing

D. Top-down processing

7. Test of Frontal Lobe Function:

A. Bender Gestalt Test

B. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

C. Nahor Benson Test

D. Albert Test

8. All are clinical scales of MMPI-II except:

A. Schizophrenia

B. Mania

C. Psychopathic deviate

D. Psychesthenia

9. The role of the hypothalamus is:

A. It receives peripheral sensory input and relays it to the cerebral cortex.

B. It provides visceral control of body homeostasis.

C. It uses past experiences to analyze and act on visual/auditory inputs.

D. It integrates sensory information from association areas and performs abstract intellectual functions

10. The ‘reward center’ of the brain is located in:

A. Ventral tegmental area

B. Hypothalamus

C. Nucleus accumbens

D. Prefrontal cortex

11. _____________ parenting combines high responsiveness with low demandingness.

A. Authoritative

B. Permissive

C. Rejecting-neglecting

D. Authoritarian

12. The “strange situation” is a test of:

A. Attachment

B. Accommodation

C. Assimilation

D. Arbitration

13. Which structure allows communication between the hemispheres?

A. Reticular formation

B. Temporal lobe

C. Contralateral bridge

D. Corpus callosum

14. ___________ is the ability to sense the position and movement of our body parts.

A. Proprioaction

B. Proprioception

C. Proprioliction

D. Proprioprediction

15. Miss B tells her partner she needs more appreciation. What module of dialectical behaviour therapy is she working on?

A. Mindfulness

B. Emotion regulation

C. Distress tolerance

D. Interpersonal effectiveness

16. Mr V always seems to focus on negative events in his life, even when something good happens for him. For example, when Mr V got an A+ on his math test, he immediately assumed the test was too easy, otherwise he would not have gotten a good grade. Mr V is most likely engaging in which type of cognitive distortion?

A. Catastrophizing

B. Disqualifying the positive

C. All-or-nothing thinking

D. Shaping

17. All of the symptoms are symptoms of Mr S, who had damage to Wernicke’s area except:

A. Inability to speak

B. Inability to comprehend

C. Neologism

D. Lesion or damage in the area of the left hemisphere

18. The disturbance of an ability to speak, read, and write is known as:

A. Aphasia

B. Apraxia

C. Blindsight

D. Spatial Neglect

19. Which of the following is NOT a physical cause often associated with Phonological disorder?

A. A hearing impairment

B. Cleft palate

C. Small frontal lobes

D. Cerebral palsy

20. Stuttering is a disturbance in the normal fluency and time patterning of speech that is inappropriate for the individual’s age. It involves which of the following?

A. Frequent repetitions or prolongations of sounds

B. Pauses within words

C. Filled or unfilled pause in speech

D. All of these

ALSO READ: How Much Time Does It Take To Prepare For Psychology Entrance Exams? A Realistic Guide for Students

Need More Help?

For more details about the program or information about different psychology entrance examinations, you can contact us at UPS Education using the details below:

Contact no: +91-9990717772

Website: upseducation.in

UPS Education’s Students Who Got Admission into RINPAS Ranchi

I’ve been a part of UPS over a couple of months now, and there hasn’t been more perspective as I’ve found here in my journey in psychology. Although my ultimatum is M.Phil. from NIMHANS, so far, I’ve been able to crack my entrance exams in CIP, Ranchi, and RINPAS. Dr. Arvind Otta has been a central figure and the guide who hasn’t allowed my impetus to blow away. And the whole team of UPS has always backed us throughout our preparations, making me feel at home. Thank you for letting me live my dreams!

- Raja Ram P

I would recommend UPS to anybody who is aspiring for M.Phil clinical psychology. The course material is very thorough and the mock tests are extremely helpful in providing the necessary practice for the entrance exams. They are also very prompt in addressing any queries you may have or any guidance required.

- Damini Butola

UPS education has been very supportive throughout the journey, thanks a lot to the teachers and the team behind UPS as well. The online portal and test series have been very useful. I thank the institute and everyone behind it for their continuous efforts and support for their students.

- Sneh Doshi

UPS Education has been a huge support in my journey. It provides guidance and helps structure our preparations. The study material (provided in hard copy) is very comprehensive and is a source which I'm sure would come in handy even beyond MPhil. The e-learning portal provides access to both multiple test papers as well as an understanding and exposure to giving exams on an online portal. What I also found useful was the promptness in providing any form of support, technical or otherwise. Extremely grateful.

- Paromita Ray

References

1. Education, U. (2025, July 15). RINPAS MPHil Clinical Psychology 2025. UPS Education. https://www.upseducation.in/update/rinpas-mphil-clinical-psychology-2025/