The invention discloses a coal bed similar material and a preparation method thereof. The coal bed similar material is prepared from the following raw materials in percentages by weight: 15% to 36% of pulverized coal, 18% to 45% of aluminate cement, 10% to 35% of gypsum, 0.5% to 3.6% of active carbon, 0.4% to 1.8% of a polycarboxylate superplasticizer, 0.2% to 1.0% of sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.3% to 1.5% of carboxymethylcellulose and 10% to 35% of water. The preparation method comprises the following steps: weighing the raw materials in proportion; uniformly mixing the pulverized coal, the aluminate cement, the gypsum, the active carbon and the carboxymethylcellulose to prepare a powder material A; adding water to the polycarboxylate superplasticizer and the sodium dodecyl sulfate, and uniformly stirring to prepare a liquid material B; adding the powder material A into the liquid material B, and uniformly mixing; then putting a mixture into a mold, and carrying out compression molding; conserving the material for 14 d after forming so as to obtain the similar material. The similar material is similar to a real coal bed, is simple in preparation method, easy in operation and high in stability, and has wide practicability.