A shape measuring method for measuring a shape of an object surface of an object by: controlling, by means of a controlling unit, a first stage that scans the object having the object surface in a drive direction and a second stage that moves the object in a direction that is different from the drive direction of the first stage, to thereby move the object surface along a trajectory that is previously set; irradiating a measuring beam sequentially onto a plurality of partial regions (SA1-SA8) of the object surface; detecting wavefronts of reflected light from each of the plurality of partial regions by a detecting unit; and using the controlling unit to calculate (S314, S319) partial shape data of the plurality of partial regions based on the wavefronts, and stitch the partial shape data; characterized in that the shape measuring method comprises: moving in which the controlling unit controls the first stage to move the object surface to at least two positions along the drive direction that are less than a number of a plurality of measurement positions along the drive directions to which the object surface is moved when detecting a wavefront of reflected light of each of the plurality of partial regions by means of the detecting unit; actual measuring (S306, S310) in which the controlling unit actually measures respective placement errors with respect to the trajectory of the object surface at the at least two positions based on wavefronts detected by the detecting unit in states in which the first stage is controlled to each of the at least two positions; estimating (S312, S317) in which the controlling unit estimates respective placement errors with respect to the trajectory of the object surface with regard to positions of the first stage other than the at least two positions among the plurality of measurement positions based on the placement errors that are actually measured by the actual measuring; and aligning (S313, S318) in which, before each detection at a time of detecting respective wavefronts of reflected light from the plurality of partial regions by means of the detecting unit for calculating the partial shape data, the controlling unit controls the first stage to the measurement position and controls the second stage to a position that cancels out a placement error at the measurement position, to thereby align the object surface. moving in which the controlling unit controls the first stage to move the object surface to at least two positions along the drive direction that are less than a number of a plurality of measurement positions along the drive directions to which the object surface is moved when detecting a wavefront of reflected light of each of the plurality of partial regions by means of the detecting unit; actual measuring (S306, S310) in which the controlling unit actually measures respective placement errors with respect to the trajectory of the object surface at the at least two positions based on wavefronts detected by the detecting unit in states in which the first stage is controlled to each of the at least two positions; estimating (S312, S317) in which the controlling unit estimates respective placement errors with respect to the trajectory of the object surface with regard to positions of the first stage other than the at least two positions among the plurality of measurement positions based on the placement errors that are actually measured by the actual measuring; and aligning (S313, S318) in which, before each detection at a time of detecting respective wavefronts of reflected light from the plurality of partial regions by means of the detecting unit for calculating the partial shape data, the controlling unit controls the first stage to the measurement position and controls the second stage to a position that cancels out a placement error at the measurement position, to thereby align the object surface.