Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for acquiring a code group in an asynchronous Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system. A primary synchronization channel search unit achieves primary synchronization channel slot timing synchronization. Then, the 1-1 search unit and 1-2 search unit of a secondary synchronization channel receive secondary synchronization channels from first and second antennas, respectively, start correlation operations between some of the slots of the received channels and code group candidates, and transmit information about candidates having values exceeding a predetermined threshold value to a determination unit. The determination unit transmits the received information about candidates to a second search unit of the secondary synchronization channel. The second search unit of the secondary synchronization channel calculates correlation characteristics based on the received information about candidates and selects a code group candidate having a highest correlation characteristic.