Objective To explore the feasibility and efficiency of metacognitive training (MCT) in inpatients with schizophrenia, as well as the short-term effects of metacognitive training on symptoms, cognitive function, and insight. Methods Sixty inpatients that met the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either MCT (research group, n=30) or an active controlled intervention (control group, n=30). Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS), Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS), Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire(ITAQ) and beads task are assessed at baseline and after completion of the training. Results After treatment, the scores of the two groups in PANSS, SCoRS, ITAQ and the bead task were significantly improved(P<0.05). The improvement of positive symptoms, cognitive function and insight in research group(12.8±4.2, 31.7±13.9, 9.2±6.1 respectively) was significantly better than that in control group(15.6±5.9, 38.1±18.1, 5.5±5.8 respectively), and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion Metacognitive training can effectively improve the clinical symptoms, cognitive function and insight for inpatients with schizophrenia. Key words: Schizophrenia; Metacognitive training; Psychotherapy