The invention provides a method for preparing carbon micro-spheres by using coal as a raw material, and belongs to the technical field of coal made carbon materials with high additional values. The method comprises the following steps of: taking a product obtained through the reaction of the coal, sodium hydroxide and methanol as a carbon source, dissolving the reaction product carbon source intoaqueous solution of ethanol, then adding a dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide or tetradecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide or hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide directing agent into the solution to obtain a mixture, blending the mixture uniformly and filling the mixture into a reaction kettle, heating the mixture to between 300 and 700 DEG C in a heating furnace, stopping heating after the mixture is reacted for 6 to 24 hours, naturally cooling the reaction product to room temperature, washing the reaction product by using ethanol and then deionized water, and finally drying the reaction product to obtain black powdery carbon micro-spheres. The carbon micro-sphere product obtained by the method has high purity, the purity can reach 95 percent, and the average grain diameter of the product is 5 to 10 microns. The method has the characteristics of low-cost and easily obtained raw materials, easy operation, simple process, good reproducibility and suitability for scale production.