An exposure method includes the steps of (a) calculating a pupil transmittance distribution in a projection optical system based on a first effective light source distribution of the projection optical system acquired by a measuring apparatus of an exposure apparatus, and a second effective light source distribution derived from a pupil plane light intensity distribution measured on a plate plane using light that has passed the projection optical system without a reticle, (b) calculating an imaging performance by using a result of the pupil transmittance distribution calculating step and the first or second effective light source distributions, (c) adjusting at least one of the effective light source distribution or the projection optical system by using the imaging performance, and (d) exposing the plate based on at least one of the effective light source distribution and the projection optical system that have been adjusted.