The invention provides a method for evaluating and testing the ignition tendency of a cigarette. The method is characterized in that an ignited cigarette is put into a glass device, an air pump is started and is used for pumping out smoke gas generated by burning from the glass device, a filter is used for filtering out moisture and particulate matters in the smoke gas, the smoke gas is pumped into an oxygen analysis through a flow meter and the air pump, the real-time oxygen concentration in a cigarette burning process is analyzed, oxygen concentration values are input to a computer and are analyzed and treated, and the amount of thermal release of the cigarette is worked out by calculating the oxygen consumption after the cigarette is ignited, so that the ignition tendency of the cigarette is represented. Compared with a conventional method based on ISO12863 'Cigarette Ignition Tendency Evaluation Method Standards', the method has the advantages that the relative good theory support is supplied, the possibility that the cigarette ignites other matters can be reflected fundamentally, the testing efficiency is relatively high, and the operation is relatively simple and convenient; test results can be directly counted by high-efficiency computer software and are convenient to store and analyze; the consumption of filter paper and consumable materials in the testing process is reduced, and the testing cost is greatly saved.