The invention discloses a method for preparing isophorone diamine, and is characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: 1) under the condition of an organic amine catalyst, with isophorone and nitromethane as raw materials, synthesizing 3-nitromethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone, wherein the reaction temperature is 0 DEG C-150 DEG C, and the amount of the organic amine catalyst is 1-300% of the mass of the substance amount of isophorone; and 2) under conditions of liquid ammonia, hydrogen and a metal cobalt catalyst, allowing 3-nitromethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone to undergo a reaction to generate isophorone diamine, wherein the reaction temperature is 30-300 DEG C, the liquid ammonia amount is 1-50 times of the substance amount of 3-nitromethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexanone, and the hydrogen pressure is 0.1-10 MPa. The nitromethane with lower toxicity is used for replacing highly-toxic hydrogen cyanide or thiocyanate, and thus the method is a technical route which is safer in process and friendlier to the environment.