A preparation method of 1-(4-aminophenyl)cyclopentanecarbonitrile includes the following steps: step 1: in the presence of Li2CuCl4, adding a nitrochlorobenzene-zinc reagent dropwise to a 1-chlorocyclopentanecarbonitrile solution to prepare a compound 1-(4-nitrophenyl)cyclopentanecarbonitrile; and step 2: subjecting the compound 1-(4-nitrophenyl)cyclopentanecarbonitrile obtained in step 1 to a nitroreduction reaction under the action of a catalyst to prepare the compound 1-(4-aminophenyl)cyclopentanecarbonitrile. The preparation method involves cheap and easily-available raw materials, mild reaction conditions, and convenient operations, leads to high yield, and is environmentally-friendly and suitable for industrial large-scale production.