A charged-particle beam exposure method is used for a charged-particle beam exposure apparatus equipped with a blanking aperture array plate in which columns are arranged side by side in a first direction, and each of the columns includes a plurality of blanking apertures arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a charged-particle beam being moved on a wafer in the first direction. The method includes the steps of (a) determining one of first and second axes of a pattern to be exposed to be a priority axis; (b) projecting an image of the blanking aperture array plate onto the wafer so that the priority axis is perpendicular to the second direction; and (c) deflecting the charged-particle beam so that the wafer is scanned in the direction of the priority axis.