The invention discloses a boundary scanning test method for a printed circuit board, which comprises that: a computer generates a serial vector format (SVF) test vector file and sends the SVF test vector file to a boundary scanning tester; and the boundary scanning tester converts SVF instructions in the SVF test vector file into hexadecimal instructions item by item according to a running state type, and finally sends the hexadecimal instructions to the printed circuit board to test. The method adopts an SVF test vector to test, and after receiving the SVF test vector, the boundary scanning tester converts the SVF instructions into the hexadecimal instructions capable of being identified by hardware and then sends the hexadecimal instructions to the printed circuit board to be tested to test, so the method improves the compatibility of boundary scanning test and enlarges the test range.