How to Prepare for the NIMHANS M.Clin.Psy./MPHil Entrance Ex

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The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, is an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and one of the country’s leading centres for mental health, neurosciences, clinical training and research.

From the 2026–27 academic session, the earlier M.Phil. Clinical Psychology programme has transitioned to Master’s in Clinical Psychology (M.Clin.Psy.). It remains a two-year, full-time professional programme involving intensive clinical training, psychological assessment, psychotherapy, research and supervised clinical postings.

Examination Mode: Online Entrance Test
Examination Centre: Bengaluru
Duration: 90 minutes
Questions: 100 MCQs
Negative Marking: –0.25 for every incorrect answer
Stipend: ₹25,000/month + ₹15,000 annual contingency grant
Course Duration: 2 Years
Age Limit: 35 years

Expected Entrance Examination: May 2027 (tentative; official dates are yet to be announced)

For the 2026–27 session, the age limit is calculated as on the date prescribed by NIMHANS, with relaxation of up to 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC and 5 years for PwBD candidates, where applicable. The 2027 prospectus should be checked for the exact cut-off date.

For the 2026–27 session:

All India Category: 22 Institute-Supported Seats
Karnataka Domicile: 7 Institute-Supported Seats
Foreign/Sponsored Category: 3 Seats

Total Intake: 32 Seats

Government of India reservation rules apply to the relevant seats.

Candidates can apply through the following routes:

• 4-year B.A./B.Sc. in Psychology from a UGC-recognized university;
• 4-year B.Sc. Clinical Psychology from an RCI-recognized institution;
• 3-year B.A./B.Sc. Psychology + one-year Bridge Course or one year of a Master’s in Psychology; or
• Master’s in any branch of Psychology, provided Psychology was a major/core subject throughout the Bachelor’s degree.

A minimum of 55% in the qualifying examinations is generally required, with applicable relaxation for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.

NIMHANS does not prescribe a detailed topic-wise weightage for the entrance examination. The safest strategy is therefore to prepare Psychology comprehensively.

The focus areas also change from year to year. One year may contain more Research Methodology and Statistics questions, while another may focus more heavily on Cognitive Psychology, Biopsychology, Social Psychology, Personality or another area. Preparing only according to the previous year’s paper can therefore be risky.

Based on previous papers, important areas include:

1. Research Methodology & Statistics
2. Psychological Testing & Psychometrics
3. Cognitive Psychology & Learning
4. Biopsychology
5. Social Psychology
6. Personality & Developmental Psychology
7. Clinical & Abnormal Psychology

Research Methodology & Statistics: Research designs, sampling, experimental methods, reliability, validity, descriptive and inferential statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests, correlation, ANOVA, chi-square and related topics.

Psychometrics: Psychological tests, test developers, subtests, applications, reliability, validity, scoring and principles of psychological assessment.

Cognitive Psychology & Learning: Learning theories, conditioning, memory, attention, perception, problem-solving and other cognitive processes.

Biopsychology: Brain structures and functions, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitters, hormones, sensory systems and biological bases of behaviour.

Social Psychology: Social cognition, attitudes, attribution, conformity, compliance, group processes and major theories and experiments.

Personality & Developmental Psychology: Major theorists, personality theories, developmental theories, stages and important research findings.

Clinical & Abnormal Psychology: Psychological disorders, psychotherapy, therapeutic approaches, assessment and classification systems such as DSM and ICD. However, candidates should not make the mistake of preparing only disorders because the programme is called Clinical Psychology.

There were a significant number of outlier questions in the 2026 NIMHANS entrance examination, including questions from unexpected, highly specific and less frequently tested areas. Based on this trend, we expect outliers to continue playing an important role in the 2027 examination as well.

At PSYSIUM, we closely monitor these outlier questions across entrance examinations, identify the topics from which they are being asked, and regularly update our study material accordingly. This helps our students prepare not only for the predictable high-yield areas but also for the less conventional questions that can make a significant difference in the final rank.

There is currently no interview for M.Clin.Psy. admission at NIMHANS. Selection is based on merit in the entrance examination, followed by verification of original documents.

The current qualifying percentage is 50% for UR/OBC/EWS candidates and 45% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.

The entrance examination consists of 100 MCQs in 90 minutes, with 1 mark for every correct answer and a deduction of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer.