A modulation and coding scheme, MCS, notifying method, comprising: receiving, by a base station, a first channel quality indicator, CQI index from user equipment, UE; determining, by the base station, a first MCS index according to a first CQI table, a first MCS table, and the received first CQI index; and sending, by the base station, the first MCS index to the UE, wherein the first CQI table comprises: an entry in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64 quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM; entries that are in a second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is quadrature phase shift keying, QPSK; and at least one entry that is in the second CQI table and in which modulation scheme is 16QAM; wherein the entries in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, are not N entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, corresponding CQI indexes are continuous and highest ones, and corresponding code rates are highest ones, where N is a positive integer; wherein modulation schemes in entries in the second CQI table comprise only QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM, and a value range of a CQI index in the first CQI table is the same as a value range of a CQI index in the second CQI table; wherein a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is smallest among entries that are in the first CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM is equal to a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is highest among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM; or spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are smallest ones among entries in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM are equal to or approximately equal to spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are highest ones among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM, where T is equal to any one natural number of 1-5. receiving, by a base station, a first channel quality indicator, CQI index from user equipment, UE; determining, by the base station, a first MCS index according to a first CQI table, a first MCS table, and the received first CQI index; and sending, by the base station, the first MCS index to the UE, wherein the first CQI table comprises: an entry in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64 quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM; entries that are in a second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is quadrature phase shift keying, QPSK; and at least one entry that is in the second CQI table and in which modulation scheme is 16QAM; wherein the entries in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, are not N entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, corresponding CQI indexes are continuous and highest ones, and corresponding code rates are highest ones, where N is a positive integer; wherein modulation schemes in entries in the second CQI table comprise only QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM, and a value range of a CQI index in the first CQI table is the same as a value range of a CQI index in the second CQI table; wherein a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is smallest among entries that are in the first CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM is equal to a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is highest among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM; or spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are smallest ones among entries in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM are equal to or approximately equal to spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are highest ones among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM, where T is equal to any one natural number of 1-5. an entry in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64 quadrature amplitude modulation, QAM; entries that are in a second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is quadrature phase shift keying, QPSK; and at least one entry that is in the second CQI table and in which modulation scheme is 16QAM; wherein the entries in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, are not N entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is QPSK, corresponding CQI indexes are continuous and highest ones, and corresponding code rates are highest ones, where N is a positive integer; wherein modulation schemes in entries in the second CQI table comprise only QPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM, and a value range of a CQI index in the first CQI table is the same as a value range of a CQI index in the second CQI table; wherein a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is smallest among entries that are in the first CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM is equal to a spectral efficiency in an entry in which a corresponding CQI index is highest among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM; or spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are smallest ones among entries in which a modulation scheme is higher than 64QAM are equal to or approximately equal to spectral efficiencies in T entries in which corresponding CQI indexes are highest ones among all entries that are in the second CQI table and in which a modulation scheme is 64QAM, where T is equal to any one natural number of 1-5.