The present invention can provide a method for producing an aromatic nitrile in which a fixed-bed reactor including a plurality of reaction tubes is used to subject a gaseous mixture comprising an aromatic hydrocarbon, ammonia, and oxygen by contact catalytic reaction on a catalyst to thereby produce the corresponding aromatic nitrile, wherein the catalyst is composed of an oxide containing vanadium, chromium, and boron and one or more supports selected from among alumina, silica-alumina, zirconia, and titania. One of the reaction tubes is filled with the catalyst of one kind and examined as to where a hot spot lies therein. An inert substance is filled into that portion of each of the plurality of reaction tubes which corresponds at least to the hot spot, and the catalyst is filled into the remaining portions.