Methods for pretreating and improving coking coal quality for producing blast-furnace coke by: (a) rapid-heating the coal charge in a fluidized-bed to a temperature range between not lower than 300.degree. C. and not higher than the temperature at which the coal charge begins to soften, at a rate of 30 to 10.sup.3 .degree. C./min., (b) classifying the rapid-heated coal charge to fine- and coarse-size coal, and then (c-1) briquetting the fine-size coal or (c-2) rapid-heating the fine- and coarse-size coal individually in a pneumatic preheater to a temperature range between not lower than 300.degree. C. and not higher than the temperature at which the coal charge begins to soften, at a rate of 10.sup.3 to 10.sup.5 .degree. C./min., and (d) forming the fine-size coal.