An information recording apparatus forms a record mark corresponding to a recording signal by applying a laser beam to a recording medium, and includes: a light source for emitting the laser beam; a signal generating device for generating a recording pulse signal for driving the light source on the basis of the recording signal; a test-writing device for performing test-writing; and a determining device for determining at least one of a power and a pulse width of the recording pulse signal on the basis of a test-writing result, the test-writing device performs the test-writing by changing the power of the recording pulse signal, the determining device determines the power, by which waveform distortion is greater than or equal to an upper limit or is less than or equal to a lower limit of an amplitude limit value on a limit equalizer in the mark period corresponding to the long mark.